Ankh-Theb Mechanics (new threads)

Monument

Wed, 12 Dec 2012 12:30:51 +0000

Another idea for a Egyptian trope has when thinking of a round 3 pitch. A card example:

Pyramid of Sorasa
6
Artifact
Monument 5 (~ enters the battlefield with 5 Monument counters. ~ is indestructible as long as it has monument counter on it. Whenever you are dealt damage, remove that many monument counters from this artifact as well. When ~ has no monument counter sacrifice it)

Tap an untapped creature: Add a monument counter to ~.
During your upkeep if ~ has 8 or more monument counters, you may return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield.

Tablets of Laws

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 13:32:26 +0000

Keeping in mind that the set we would develop would be a single set-block, and staying true to my initial concept of tables of law controling the afterlife, I would like to have these tables of law be a special rarity, and be present in every limited game and shape it. There would be 20 such cards, as in INNISTRAD : 1 mythic 5 rare (1/color) 6 uncommon, 8 common.

I have made them artifacts, and will give common and uncommon ways to interact with these in all colors (white will get an artifact exiling oblivion circle, in the way of entombing what we cannot control, red will get manic vandals smashing artifacts, black will get counter removal, blue bounce and green artifact destruction)

I would like to hear your ideas out on this… Here are some examples, please feel free to critique and tell me if this is not a path worth exploring and if so, why.

I bend the color pie a tiny bit to keep the flavor of afterlife related efect in mind. I also have not fixed the mana costs at all.

Table of the Law of War 3R – special (rare)
Artifact
Whenever a creature dies durring at the end of the combat phase put a Law counter on ~.
At the beggining of your upkeep, if 10 or more Law counters on ~, remove all counters from it, and return all creatures from all graveyards into play. They have haste. Exile them at the end of turn.

This one plays pretty well with viashino scout effects… you get them back into your hand while your opponent gets to block, fuelling your table of law back…

Table of the Law of Heat 3R – special (common)
Artifact
Whenever a creature dies from non-combat damage, ~ deals 2 damage to the creature's controller.

Tablet of the Law of Change 3R - special (uncommon)
Artifact
Whenever a player casts a spell, he discards his hand then draws that many cards

Table of the Law of Protection 3W - special
Artifact
Whenever a creature dies, if you have not been dealt damage this turn, put a Law counter on ~
Whenever a source would deal damage to you, or to a creature or planeswalker you control, reduce that damage by the number of counters on Law of protection.

Table of the Law of Rememberance 3G special (uncommon)
Artifact
Whenever a creature dies, his controller may search his library for a copy of that creature, reveal it and put it in his hand.

Table of the Law of Embalment 2WBB (mythic)
Creatures you control have mumify.
(Mummify : When ~ dies, return it to the battlefield with a mummified counter. Creatures with a mumified counter loose all abilities. It's a zombie in addition to its other types.)

Table of the Law of Pain 3B - special

Table of the Law of Ignorance 3B - special

Table of the Law of Growth 3G - special

…

"River Flooding" (the 'thallid' mechanic)

Sun, 25 Nov 2012 18:21:55 +0000

I've been trying to come up with something to represent the cyclic nature of the Nile, a concept that seems appropriate to Ankh-Theb. The 'thallid' mechanic does a good job of it, but with other effects that don't just involve making saprolings. The mechanic would be used in Green and Blue, the colors that would be associated with the river culture. To differentiate the colors, Green gets growth counters only on itself, and has better effects on removing counters. Blue can put growth counters on any permanent you control, but has weaker effects on its cards.

Pest-Ridden Crop G
Creature - Plant
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a growth counter on ~.
Remove three growth counters from ~: put a 1/1 green insect creature token onto the battlefield.
1/1

Sobek Farmer 1G
Creature - Crocodile Druid
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a growth counter on ~.
Remove three growth counters from ~: Add GGG to your mana pool.
1/3

Field Irrigator 1U
Creature - Human
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a growth counter on target permanent you control.
Remove a growth counter from ~: Target creature gains islandwalk until end of turn.
1/1

Mummify

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 21:03:32 +0000

An ancient Egyptian themed set feels like it deserves mummies. Here's my attempt.

Pharaoh's Cat 1W
Creature - cat
When ~ dies, mummify it (exile it and put a 0/1 colorless mummy creature token onto the battlefield).
2/2

Expert Embalmers 4W
creature - human
2W,T: If target creature dies this turn, mummify it (exile it and put a 0/1 colorless mummy creature token onto the battlefield).
2/5

Forced Embalming 2W
instant
Exile target creature. Its controller puts a 0/1 colorless mummy creature token onto the battlefield.

A reprint that plays well with mummies:
Smite (reprint) W
instant
Destroy target blocked creature

Hieroglyphs ("Morph Auras" using DFCs)

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 14:39:53 +0000

This set could use booby traps and curses. Also Hieroglyphs should play some role. I think a Dual Faced Card like this could be interesting:

Back side:

Mysterious Hieroglyphs 2
Enchantment - Aura Glyph
Enchant permanent
Activate (Pay this card's Glyph cost: Transform this card. )

Front side:

Glyph of Painful Retribution 1R
Enchantment - Aura Glyph
Enchant permanent
When enchanted permanent is put into a graveyard, ~ deals 5 damage to target player.
Glyph cost R

Another card:

(The Back side is the same):

Mysterious Hieroglyphs 2
Enchantment - Aura Glyph
Enchant permanent
Activate (Pay this card's Glyph cost: Transform this card. )

Front side:

Glyph of Revelations 2U
Enchantment - Aura Glyph
Enchant permanent
Whenever enchanted permanent deals combat damage to you or an opponent, you draw a card.
Glyph cost 1U

So it's like setting a trap on a permanent, and your opponent doesn't know what to expect.

Afterlife (Exile Triggers)

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 02:03:18 +0000

Priests of Khem 1B (Circeus)
Creature — Hound Cleric
Afterlife — When ~ becomes exiled, you may pay 2G. If you do, put target card from your graveyard on top of your library. If ~ would leave the battlefield, exile it instead.
1/1

Grim Outlook 1BB (Circeus)
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature.
Enchanted creature gets +1/-1 and has intimidate.
Afterlife — When ~ becomes exiled, target creature gains intimidate until end of turn. If ~ would leave the battlefield, exile it instead.

Triad

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 01:46:52 +0000

Example Cards

Embalmed Kathari (Bradley Rose)
1W
Creature - Bird Zombie
1/3
Triad (You may have this enter the battlefield with a triad counter. This permanent has no other abilities unless you control exactly three permanents each with a triad counter.)
Flying, vigilance

Celestial Sarcophagus (Bradley Rose)
W
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant creature
Triad (You may have this enter the battlefield with a triad counter. This permanent has no other abilities unless you control exactly three permanents each with a triad counter.)
Enchanted creature can't attack or block.

Triad Alignment (Bradley Rose)
1W
Sorcery
For each triad permanent you control, you may put a triad counter on it or remove a triad counter from it.
Draw a card.

Sanctify target creature.

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 01:33:40 +0000

Example Cards

Atab Priestess
2W
Creature – Human Cleric
When Atab Priestess enters the battlefield, sanctify target creature. (Until your next turn, that creature cannot be the target of spells or abilities)
Sanctified creatures you control get +0/+1.
2/3

Seal of the Forgotten
4W
Enchantment – Aura
Enchant land
At the beginning of your upkeep, sanctify target creature. (Until your next turn, that creature cannot be the target of spells or abilities)

Temple Inductor
W
Creature – Human Cleric
Whenever Benevolent Ancestor attacks, sanctified creatures you control gain lifelink until end of turn.
1/1

Reincarnate (Transform version)

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 01:18:30 +0000

Example Cards

Common Cultist
2BB
Creature - Human Rogue
Reincarnate — When ~ dies, you may pay 1B. If you do, return ~ to the battlefield from the graveyard transformed.
3/2
//
Attendant of Anubis
Creature - Hound
Intimidate
When ~ etb, destroy target non-black creature.
3/2

Ancient Acolyte
1B
Creature - Human Cleric
Reincarnate — When ~ dies, you may pay 0. If you do, return ~ to the battlefield from the graveyard transformed.
1/1
//
Satiated Scarab
Creature - Insect Warrior
When ~ etb, sacrifice a creature.
5/5

Honorable Scholar
2U
Creature - Human Wizard
When ~ etb, draw a card.
Reincarnate — When ~ dies, you may pay 2U. If you do, return ~ to the battlefield from the graveyard transformed.
2/2
//
Dishonorable Scribe
Creature - Bird Wizard
Flying
When ~ etb, draw two cards.
2/2

Reincarnate

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 01:09:03 +0000

Sage of Sobek 3B (Pasteur)
Creature - Crocodile Advisor
Reincarnate BB (BB, Sacrifice a creature you control with the same converted mana cost as this: Return ~ from your graveyard to the battlefield.)
4/2

Scarab Shaman 3B (Pasteur)
Creature - Insect Shaman
Flying
When ~ enters the battlefield, target player loses 2 life and you gain 2 life.
Reincarnate 3B (3B, Sacrifice a creature you control with the same converted mana cost as this: Return ~ from your graveyard to the battlefield.)
1/1