New options for red/white
Spoilers, Rumors, and Speculation forum
Posted on Feb. 21, 2021, 6:12 p.m. by legendofa
I've seen a lot of discussion recently about the limited roles and abilities of the color combination. I'm starting this thread as a place to propose new options for this color pair. If you post here, please keep comments constructive - suggest something yourself or offer useful commentary on another suggestion.
So my thought is to give a self-sacrifice archetype. White will sacrifice itself to protect its community, the people it cares about, and the things it deems worthy of protection. Red will sacrifice itself to protect something it cares about, to get revenge, or because it wants a thrill. Both colors can produce lots of small creatures and creature tokens quickly, and white has a minor recursion theme for the mechanical benefits of sacrificing creatures repeatedly. There should be a distinction between creatures sacrificing themselves and the black ability of sacrificing creatures for power. I'm envision phrasing like "Creatures you control have 'Sacrifice this creature: Effect effect effect'" instead of "Sacrifice a creature: Effect effect effect," although red already has several of the latter effect. There isn't really a color combination that focuses on this right now, so I see it as a primary red and white ability that all colors can use on occasion.
Specific cards I want to call out are Mask of Immolation , Goblin Legionnaire , Benevolent Bodyguard , Goblin Bombardment , Cautery Sliver , Assemble the Legion , and Strixhaven's Lorehold Command.
Omniscience_is_life says... #3
You know how I feel about this. I'd really enjoy delving into this perspective, and can only hope WotC feels similarly...
February 21, 2021 6:33 p.m.
The aristocrat effect, typically, is more a black thing is all I would have to say to this. While there are effects in other colors that let you sacrifice a creature for benefits, white generally has more of the text of "sacrifice this creature:
But I do agree with you that they really should lean into the token themes of red and white. Red has always been able to make greater quantities of tokens than green, so the idea of a color combination that is token focused should be more of the white-red than white-green (which should instead focus on the quality of tokens over quantity)
February 23, 2021 12:31 p.m.
wereotter I tried to make a distinction between black aristocrats and the red-white self-sacrifice I'm looking for. Basically, if a creature isn't intended to sacrifice itself, it's not what I'm looking for. The "Sacrifice a creature:" stuff would appear on enchantments and artifacts, maybe a couple of instants or sorceries. Creatures would have "Sacrifice CARDNAME:".
And yes, if nothing else, red-white should be able to mass-produce tokens. Green does big tokens, red-white should do many tokens.
February 23, 2021 2:44 p.m.
MindAblaze says... #6
I think there are a lot of existing red-white, combat-centric, instants and sorceries that would make super fun and interesting affixes strapped to an aristocrat permanent.
Or the obvious Lightning Helix and variants.
Rise of the Hobgoblins could be interesting if you sac a creature instead of paying mana for first strike, maybe on a legendary creature even. A hobgoblin lord?
Hobgoblin King 1RW
Creature - goblin noble
Attacking creatures you control have “sacrifice a creature: red and white creatures you control get +1/+1 and gain first strike until end of turn”
2/2
sometimes that’s all it takes to start the smash, smash song
FormOverFunction says... #2
In a similar vein, I grew up with Immolation and Blood Lust which were a partial-sacrifice of self in trade for offense. I always liked that reckless aspect of red. From the white perspective, those red spells were a great way for a high and mighty ivory-tower-type white wizard to weaken opponents; “let their emotions melt their defenses...”
February 21, 2021 6:29 p.m.