The Edge- A DC Set

[SomeRandomDude]

Well...my previous DC sets haven't been the greatest, but I decided I'm gonna take a shot at a new DC set, starting first with a story and some mechanics.



The Edge. The name itself explains its location. And perhaps its personality. Located on the far edge of the Multiverse, the region was formerly uncharted by the planeswalkers, perhaps overlooked because of its ruggedness and lack of civilization or structure. But a second glance betrays a vast concentration of power, some of the greatest power in the multiverse. The planeswalkers have but recently begun to tap into this vast power network, a power so great that the wizards themselves have difficulty controlling it. Harnessing this power is no easy task, and the attempts of the planeswalkers who have attempted to do so provoke the emnity of the natives.

Oh, have I neglected to cover the natives? My mistake. The edge of a multiverse would seem to be lifeless, but not so. In the multiverse, the edge is teeming with life, but one unlike those seen elsewhere. There is natural life, sure, but the majority of it takes shape in the elementals that deal battle with each other on the very foundations of magic. A primal hierarchy has formed with some of the species, but with others, they are as likely to devour your creatures as they are to follow your bidding.

So where was I? Oh yes. The planeswalkers have raised up opposition among the natives in their quest to seize power. There is, thus, a stronger emnity between certain color factions as there is elsewhere in the Multiverse.

Thus, the struggle to control the edge is one waged by all, and its result will change the history of perhaps the entire multiverse.

Mechanics-

Vengeance- Whenever a creature that shares a color type with this creature is placed into a graveyard from play, add a vengeance counter on it. Whenever a creature with vengeance deals damage to a player (or planeswalker), remove all counters from it. Some sort of effect will take place for each vengeance counter removed.

Planeswalkers- Our planeswalkers are coming back, but their loyalty counters now have a different effect. As they lose loyalty counters, they now have static abilities that can hurt you as much as they can help you if they choose.

Frenzy- This creature attacks each turn if able. But, it doesn't always attack your opponent. I'm still working on this mechanic, any help with it would be appreciated.

Let's kick it off with a planeswalker that was never given the chance she deserved.

Chandra Nalaar, Wielder of Chaos 3
Planeswalker- Chandra
//4
+1: Chandra Nalaar deals 2 damage to target creature.
-2: Destroy target land.
-8: Destroy all lands target player controls.
<5: At the start of each upkeep Chandra Nalaar deals 2 damage to you.
A fierce independence, a churning rebellion, a power large enough and chaotic enough to destroy all opposition in the midst of a wilderness.

[FM]

Ok, finally a DC set! I'll get back to reviewing this, PRONTO!

[SomeRandomDude]

Tranquil Cistern
Land
: Add (1) to your mana pool.
, Flip a coin: If coin flip is heads, add to your mana pool. If coin flip is tails, add to your mana pool.
A paradise on the edge, or at least as near as one comes to paradise in these godforsaken lands.

Poisoned Spring
Land
: Add (1) to your mana pool.
, Flip a coin: If coin flip is heads, add to your mana pool. If coin flip is tails, add to your mana pool.
It was said to be poisoned, but some believe that it spewed venom since it first sprang from the ground.

Withered Graveyard
Land
: Add (1) to your mana pool.
, Flip a coin: If coin flip is heads, add to your mana pool. If coin flip is tails, add to your mana pool.
Charred bones left the sign: this was not a burial place, it was a crematory.

Smoldering Brush
Land
: Add (1) to your mana pool.
, Flip a coin: If coin flip is heads, add to your mana pool. If coin flip is tails, add to your mana pool.
The fire may have ceased its fury, but it continues to bellow forth smoke in hostility to any who dare disturb it.

Overgrown Plateau
Land
: Add (1) to your mana pool.
, Flip a coin: If coin flip is heads, add to your mana pool. If coin flip is tails, add to your mana pool.
Desolation: One's greatest friend in the dark reaches of the Edge.

Working on lore still. But might as well give you something to review.

EDIT: Lore added.

[TheJord]

Combined with the Lands from Shadowmoor like Graven Cairns, Sunken Ruins these lands are kind of like none damage causing Adarker Wastes or Sulfurous Springs.

Perhaps a drawback to one of the Colours, or even a bonus for one, drawback for the other? It would fit for Poisonous Spring,  you gain 1 life you lose 2 life.

But they are interesting enough as it is!

[SomeRandomDude]

Any comments on Chandra and the new mechanic for planeswalkers?

<5 means if loyalty counters are less than 5, the ability triggers.

[FM]

Chandra Nalaar, Wielder of Chaos 3
Planeswalker- Chandra
/4
+1: Chandra Nalaar deals 2 damage to a random creature target player controls.
-2: Destroy target land.
-8: Destroy all lands target player controls.
<5: At the start of each upkeep Chandra Nalaar deals 2 damage to you.

I'm not very confortable with the "<" sign, I think it'd be best to simply write down the ability "At the start of each upkeep...". Also, dealing damage to random creatures is a bit messy to do, perhaps you could let her target the creature, otherwise she's not very good right now.

Tranquil Cistern
Land
, Flip a coin: If coin flip is heads, add to your mana pool. If coin flip is tails, add to your mana pool.

Poisoned Spring
Land
, Flip a coin: If coin flip is heads, add to your mana pool. If coin flip is tails, add to your mana pool.

Withered Graveyard
Land
, Flip a coin: If coin flip is heads, add to your mana pool. If coin flip is tails, add to your mana pool.

Smoldering Brush
Land
, Flip a coin: If coin flip is heads, add to your mana pool. If coin flip is tails, add to your mana pool.

Overgrown Plateau
Land
, Flip a coin: If coin flip is heads, add to your mana pool. If coin flip is tails, add to your mana pool.

I'm a sucker for coin-flipping cards, and to see some that might SEE play, makes me happy. Just read some coin-flipping cards to check the wording. Also, flipping coins to each land you tap would consume a bit of time, I'd give the land a colorless producing ability, so as to save time when the mana's color didn't matter.

[SomeRandomDude]

Done. I do prefer the <5 symbol, its more compact that a long drawn out wording. Guess I've had "OMIT NEEDLESS WORDS" drilled into my head way to much by my writing profs.

Lore added.

[FM]

They look much better now. For the Vengeance ability, I envision it as the rage you build watching a fallen comrade on the battlefield. This, and to not make it too abusable, should suggest combat damage only, but that's up to you. I'd go with combat damage, more for flavor than for abusability, since you will be controlling WHAT the abilities will be and which creatures will get it anyway.
I'm not sure where you'll go with Frenzy, but I'm looking forward to it. Just make sure you donot leave too much to chance, tends to make players bored.

[SomeRandomDude]

That's what vengeance was supposed to be, yeah. I plan to guard it carefully so it doesn't get broken.

[FM]

If that's what it's supposed to be then shouldn't it be limited to combat damage?

[SomeRandomDude]

Well...you see. The point behind it is that sometimes it will work with combat damage, especially in the White, Red and Green colors, but with, say, Blue and Black, vengeance might be more cold-blooded, a festering rage that comes out in calculated ways of damaging the opponent.

[SomeRandomDude]

Ok. I'm work on the set breakdown right now.

301 total.

Lands- Dual cycle, 1 other land, 5 basics. - 11

Multicolor- 15 duals, 5 creatures, 10 other. - 15

White- 50

Blue- 50

Black- 60

Red- 55

Green- 60

That'll be the core for edge block, with 2 more expansions coming with. Anyone wanna tackle one of the expansions? If we can do them both simultaneously, that would let us get a block for CC format together faster.

[SomeRandomDude]

Embodiment of Nothing (2)
Legendary Enchantment Creature- Elemental
6/6
Fear.
The maximum hand size is 1.
The abyssal void spawns its own creatures, each of them an abyssal void of their own.

Embodiment of Justice (2)
Legendary Enchantment Creature- Elemental
6/6
Vigilance.
All creatures have creature have lifelink.
Even chaos has its methods.

Embodiment of Supremacy (2)
Legendary Enchantment Creature- Elemental
6/6
Flash.
At the end of each turn, each player returns a non-land permanent they control to its owner's hand.
Control- The essence of power in the wilderness.

Embodiment of Spite (2)
Legendary Enchantment Creature- Elemental
6/6
Haste.
At the end of each turn, Embodiment of Spite deals 2 damage to each player.
Never underestimate the power of seething vengeance.

Embodiment of Nature (2)
Legendary Enchantment Creature- Elemental
6/6
Trample.
At the end of each turn, each player returns a card from their graveyard to hand.
It may not produce life, but the wilderness is life itself.

There are 3 more cycles, the multicolor cards. I'll get those up next. Now to figure out what they are...

[SomeRandomDude]

Examples of some of the themes for each color...I'll update as I think of them.

Mana Reaction
Enchantment
Each time an opponent is damaged by mana burn, add a counter here.
X: Remove X counters from here, Mana Reaction deals X damage to target player and target creature that player controls.

Make the other player eat their own mana!

Shadow Reaper 1
Creature- Elemental
2/1
Vengeance- Each time a black creature is placed in the graveyard from play, add a vengeace counter to Shadow Reaper. Whenever Shadow Reaper deals combat damage to a player, remove all vengeance counters from it, that player discards a card from hand for each counter removed this way.

Disruption!

Devastating Reprisals 2
Enchantment- Aura
Enchant red creature.
Enchanted creature has "Vengeance- Whenever a red creature is placed in the graveyard from play, add a vengeance counter to this creature. Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, remove all vengeance counters from it, each player sacrifices a land for each counter removed this way.
X, : Remove X vengeance counters from this creature. Place target red creature in your graveyard with converted mana cost X on top of your library."

Land destroying!

Mastermind of Chaos 3
Creature- Rogue Wizard
3/3
Flash.
When Mastermind of Chaos comes into play, each attacking creature deals combat damage to its controller until the end of the turn.
: Return Mastermind of Chaos to its owner's hand.
He has reached the pinnacle of wizardry, the ability to orchestrate chaos to his will.

[FM]

Embodiment of Nothing (3)
Legendary Enchantment Creature - Elemental
4/4
Fear.
At the end of each turn, each player discards his or her hand.
The abyssal void spawns its own creatures, each of them an abyssal void of their own.

Kind of... meh. It's legendary, not very big, costs a lot AND it can come back to bite you really hard, probably more than it'll bite your opponent. Sure, it's black, thus more resilient to removal (but being an enchantment ALSO weakens it in that department), but still not that great. Also, from what I gather, the idea is to really "embody" the colors, so I'd probably give it a regenerating ability of some sort.

Embodiment of Justice (3)
Legendary Enchantment Creature- Elemental
4/4
Vigilance.
At the end of each turn, untap each creature.
Even chaos has its methods.

It's your set, so you can go anywhere you want with the color pie, but I'd advise not straining too much from the standards. This ability is usually green (Seedborn Muse). Also, I'd give it fly, otherwise, Serra Angel, which is NOT played in a lot of decks btw, is strictly better, even without giving pseudo-vigilance to other guys (at least it's not legendary).

Embodiment of Supremacy (3)
Legendary Enchantment Creature- Elemental
4/4
Flash.
At the end of each turn, each player's returns a non-creature permanent target player controls to its owner's hand.
Control- The essence of power in the wilderness.

Again, not really great, and cripples the blue mage more than it helps. Also, I kinda miss some card-drawing of some sort.

Embodiment of Spite (3)
Legendary Enchantment Creature- Elemental
4/4
Haste.
At the end of each turn, Embodiment of Spite deals 2 damage to each player.
Never underestimate the power of seething vengeance.

Now this one is cool! It's still a bit costly manawise, but a nice design concept altogether.

Embodiment of Nature (3)
Legendary Enchantment Creature- Elemental
4/4
Trample.
At the end of each turn, each player returns a creature from their graveyard to hand.
It may not produce life, but the wilderness is life itself.

Again, this is not a very greenish ability, green tends to be able to return ANY card from the graveyard, while black focuses more on returning creatures. It's costly for it's size (I'd advise making all of them 5-mana 6/6 creatures, actually) and the drawbacks, but if you tweak this ability to the usual green ability (thus returning anything to your hand), it can rock hard!

Are these two cards above also from the set?