Wheel of Life and Death

Custom Cards forum

Posted on March 22, 2020, 9:42 p.m. by DemonDragonJ

There are numerous cards in this game that allow players to draw cards when creatures enter the battlefield and also when creatures die, but few, if any, that allow players to draw cards upon both of those occurrences, so I have made such a card, here.

Wheel of Life and Death Show

I gave this card a mana cost that was both high and also color-intensive to prevent it from being too powerful (but also hybrid, to allow it to be played in mono-colored decks, although multi-colored decks are where it is best), and I gave each ability a cost for the same reason.

What does everyone else say about this card? Do you like it?

MagicalHacker says... #2

I would reduce the cmc by 1 and the activated abilities by 2 each.

Also, it would be cool to see "You gain 1 life" on the green ability and "You lose 1 life" on the black side.

March 22, 2020 9:54 p.m.

MindAblaze says... #3

IMHO as is this card is unplayable. It’s triggered abilities are too expensive. I’m fine with the casting cost, but we’re only talking one card for three mana. Unless we’re getting the creatures for free (off Bitterblossom or something else similar,) we’re paying the cost of that spell and the cost to draw. I’d be open to the cost being one as suggested and tacking the life gain/loss tax on seems flavourful.

Maybe if this was a creature you could justify it as is, because the thing can at least swing when you can’t afford it’s trigger.

I do appreciate the flavour and that there is design space here.

March 22, 2020 11:26 p.m. Edited.

Boza says... #4

Moldervine Reclamation exists, making this card incredibly underpowered. I would either reduce the costs of the triggered ability to a single colored mana or reduce the mana cost to match that of Wheel of Sun and Moon.

March 23, 2020 5:10 a.m.

DemonDragonJ says... #5

In response to the advice from other users, I have reduced the costs of this card and its abilities, as seen, below:

Wheel of Life and Death Show

Now, what does everyone else think about it?

March 23, 2020 5:25 p.m.

Tzefick says... #6

The revised version seems fair, almost too fair to the point that I'd still not play it unless we're in a limited format.

I'd say you might still lower the activation to 1 colored for each trigger. Or alternatively reduce the cost to 2 hybrid from 3.

It's a 3 mana do-nothing enchantment that requires a creature enter or die and then a hefty payment per trigger. At the current level you pay 7 mana to draw 2 cards, the equivalent of a Divination. I know blue is the best at drawing cards and this is continuous advantage, but you pay so much. If you draw 4, you pay 11 mana.

For 6 you can play Rishkar's Expertise and draw way more AND get a free 5- CMC spell cast.

If you reduced the trigger costs to 1 each, you'd need 5 mana to equate a Divination, 6 for a Concentrate. It would follow the alignment of Stroke of Genius but you're not necessarily master of getting the triggers or having the mana available to take advantage of it.

If we're worried about taking advantage of the token generation, there's way better cards to take advantage of that, like Species Specialist, Moldervine Reclamation, Kindred Discovery, Mentor of the Meek, Elemental Bond (if we go the higher power route).

If there is a need to tone down the power, then axe the token-trigger or increase the cost to . For a continuous effect I think you'd rather pay a hefty price to buy in, for the benefit of cheaper fuel. Or you want a relatively cheap buy-in (2 mana CMC) at the expense of more costly fuel (2 mana activation). A semi-expensive CMC (3) coupled with expensive fuel (2) is unlikely to be attractive.

And take the above into perspective, you can tell how I feel about the original suggestion.

May 11, 2020 9:51 a.m.

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