Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Bizarre Dragons

First, the need to move from Wedges to Allied pairs as opposed to enemy pairs is really simple to explain. If I start with Jeskai's WRU, that splits into -> RU and RW. The problem is that you can get to RW from Mardu and RU from Temur. There are multiple ways to get to the same color pairings, which would have left people confused about which pairings they were playing with. RW Dash cards wouldn't have played well with the non-creature feel of Jeskai, and Rebound doesn't conceptually match Raid. Obviously the design wouldn't have gone the same way if WotC had committed to Enemy color pairs, but I see why they decided to stick with the allied pairs as you had to tell us which dragon corresponds to which color pairing.

Enough of the intro, given the color pairings:

Silumgar: BG
Atarka: UG
Ojutai: UR
Kolaghan: RW

Dromoka: WB

I'm going to start in Bizarro Dragons, and state that the integration of Clan and Brood has happened, but that the Dragons chose different aspects of the Clans to adopt based on their new color pairings, which lead to some different mechanics, some same mechanics, and some new mechanics.

Dromoka's clan shifted to W/b. W/b conceptually takes up the space of the nether realms. They focus on the afterlife. This is separate from B/g's focus on life and death as parts of the natural cycle. We still want something that plays well with +1/+1 counters, since Khans is remaining unchanged. This is still the mechanical and conceptual partner to Endurance and Outlast. I also have no intention of changing Exploit as that mechanic seems perfect for B/g. I like Persist as a return from beyond the grave, W/b would become the Brood of spectral dragons, which gives us a mechanical card and a new Dragonlord.

Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit WW
Creature - Spirit Warrior
Persist
When Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit enters the battlefield, put a +1/+1 counter on another target creature.
2/2

Dragonlord Dromoka 4WB
Legendary Creature - Elder Dragon Spirit
Flying, Lifelink
Whenever you gain life, distribute that many +1/+1 counters among creatures you control.
1/5
FT: "From beyond the veil of death, Dromoka draws new strength."
This version showcases Dromoka's mastery over the spirit world. It plays well with Outlast creatures and Persist creatures.

The Blue clan of Jeskai would transition into the U/R Ojutai Brood. The Jeskai were all about those non-creature spells for Prowess. Rebound was the mechanic that they settled on for U/w, and while it would work well enough for U/r, I thought it'd be more fun to play up the Cunning aspect of the U/r clan. U/r is the most spell focused of the color pairings. I settled on a mechanic that is somewhere between flashback and splice.

Weave - Whenever you play an instant or sorcery, if this card is in your graveyard, you may pay its mana cost. If you do, exile this card and add its text to target spell. 

This makes spells that you play have more choices. It feels like flashback, but with lots of extra complexity. That might disqualify it in the real world, but we're prototyping here so in we go.

Narset, Mistfire Adpet 2UU
Legendary Creature - Human Monk 
Whenever an instant or sorcery card goes to your graveyard or becomes exiled, Narset, Mistfire Adept gets +1/+1 and gains flying until end of turn.
2/2
This is essentially the same as Prowess since whenever a spell resolves it goes to your graveyard, but it does not trigger on Planeswalkers or artifacts. It also works well with Delve and Weave. I chose not to make her a planeswalker simply because I don't have the time to make a walker.

Dragonlord Ojutai 3UR
Legendary Creature - Elder Dragon
Flying
When Dragonlord Ojutai deals combat damage to an opponent, draw three cards, then discard two cards.
Whenever you play a spell, Dragonlord Ojutai gains Hexproof until end of turn. 
5/4
These are intentional mirrors of the Dragons we already have, as their personality and nature were already really well done.

G/b is the easiest transition since Exploit feels much more flavorful in green than it does blue. Green has a history of sacrificing creatures for the Greater Good or with a Momentous Fall. Exploit also plays well with both Delve and Persist so it stays. Its also a great expression of Ruthlessness. 

Sidisi, unchanged.

Dragonlord Silumgar 4BG
Legendary Creature - Elder Dragon Skeleton
Flying, Deathtouch
When Dragonlord Silumgar enters the battlefield, return target creature or planewalker from a graveyard to the battlefield under your control as long as you control Dragonlord Silumgar. 
3/5
This Brood required virtually no changes, leading me to believe that Exploit was initially designed for the Enemy pairings and was so solid they left it in for the allied pairings even though it doesn't feel very blue.

The Red clan of Mardu would become the R/w Kolaghan Brood. Dash is certainly a red mechanic, and would work here just as well since it also functions as a way to protect creatures. I like Dash as a mechanic and am going to leave it in place as it does a great job of playing up the aspect of Speed, the transition from R/b to R/w is going to push us into some more defensive cards.

Zurgo Bellstriker R
Legendary Creature - Orc Warrior
Zurgo Bellstriker must block if able.
Dash - 1R
2/2
FT: Bellstrikers ride at the vanguard, startling enemies and warning the war party of their presence.

Dragonlord Kolaghan 5RW
Legendary Creature - Elder Dragon
Flying, Vigilance
Other creatures you control have Haste
Whenever another non-token creature enters the battlefield under your control, put a 1/1 red and white Warrior creature token onto the battlefield. 
5/5
FT: "Kolaghan's recruitment is a fast as her Brood."

The last of the Broods would be the descendants of the Temur, the G/u Atarka clan. Their aspect is Savagery. In the Khans timeline, this translated to controlling creatures with four or more power, and in the Dragons timeline by controlling creatures total power 8 or greater. In Bizarro Dragons we are G/u instead of G/r. When it comes to philosophy, blue and green overlap in the process of evolution. In making Nature better. In what way could we make Dragons evolve? My first though is to have a mechanic that mimics Exploit by Consuming creatures to gain something from them, but that's quite similar to Devour and while Savage, the Atarka aren't Ruthless. Then I remembered the ability on Foe-Razer Regent and Shaman of the Great Hunt. Surviving combat or dealing damage to an opponent are acts of Savagery and they evolve your creatures to build them to Ferocious. 

Formidable - At end of turn, if this creature dealt  damage this turn, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature. 

Simple this can be applied to small creatures and makes them bigger and badder as time goes on.

Surrak 1G
Legendary Creature - Human Warrior
Formidable
If Surrak's power is three or greater he gains Deathtouch.
If Surrak's Power is five or greater, he gains Trample.
If Surrak's power is ten or greater he gains Hexproof.
2/2

Dragonlord Atarka 5GU 
Legendary Creature - Elder Dragon
Flying, Trample
When Dragonlord Atarka enters the battlefield, up to five target creatures you control fight up to five target creatures you don't control.
8/8

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