Sanctify target creature.

Summary:

(Until your next turn, that creature cannot be the target of spells or abilities)

Sanctify target creature.

Chah 15 Nov 2012 01:33

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

Re: Sanctify target creature.

Chah 15 Nov 2012 01:36

I think some form of sanctify would be great because it deals with sacred rituals and divinity. That would form a nice contrast with the necro mummy stuff that we have. It would put some of the attention on the other side of Egypt in pop culture, with images of golden temples and mystical priests.

However, I don't think that granting shroud for one turn is meaningful enough on its own. It's not like granting first strike or flying for one turn, where even a one-turn bonus could matter. The opponent could wait on removal, just cast something else, then remove the creature next turn. More importantly, if the opponent had sorcery removal and the creature was important, they would have cast it already. If it's instant removal, they would cast it in response to the sanctify.

To fix this, I wonder if it could be some kind of counter that stays on the creature. For example:

Temple Priestess
2W
Creature – Human Cleric
When Temple Priestess enters the battlefield, put two sanctity counters on target creature. (Creatures with sanctity counters cost an additional 1 for opponents to target or block for each sanctity counter on it.)
2/3

Last edited on 15 Nov 2012 12:03 by Chah Show more

Re: Sanctify target creature.

Jay Treat 19 Nov 2012 18:08

Maybe sanctity means something different for each kingdom.

Temple Priest 1W
1/2 Priest (unc)
When ~ ETB, put a blessing counter on target creature.
W: Target creature you control with a blessing counter on it gains protection from the color of your choice until EOT.

Oasis Priest 1G
1/1 Priest (cmn)
When ~ ETB, put a blessing counter on target creature.
Creatures you control get +1/+1 for each blessing counter on them.

River Priest 2U
1/3 Priest (cmn)
When ~ ETB, put two blessing counters on target creature.
Creatures you control cost opponents 1 more to target for each blessing counter on them.

Re: Sanctify target creature.

Chah 19 Nov 2012 18:51

This is interesting. In a way, it's like a group-soulbond. Each of these creatures can induct others into a special group (without necessarily joining the group themselves) and grant bonuses to them, including those that joined the group earlier.

To nitpick, the Oasis Priest and River Priest above have the problem of being cumulative; for example if you played two Oasis Priests, each blessing counter would grant +2/+2. Also, some effects may require granting a lot of counters to start to be useful (like the pseudo-shroud one) but that may prove to be too strong when it's combined with another effect that is strong even when it grants just one counter (like the +1/+1 one).

Re: Sanctify target creature.

elektriktoad 19 Nov 2012 19:27

It reminds me of graft creatures, who could grant abilities to other creatures with +1/+1 counters. If the set uses +1/+1 counters at all, that technology could be a good way to show blessings.

Temple Priest2 2W
1/2 Priest (unc)
When ~ ETB, put a +1/+1 counter on target creature.
W: Target creature you control with a +1/+1 counter on it gains protection from the color of your choice until EOT.

Re: Sanctify target creature.

jacobmunford 20 Nov 2012 16:16

The concept behind Sanctify was to do a type of reverse detain - temporarily elevate one or more creatures and then synergize with the rest of your board. I chose shroud for a couple of reasons - to ensure that you don't sanctify the same creature once it has been sanctified, to strip away the number of combat tricks you can do with sanctified creatures to cut down board complexity and to play better with Edicts (an instant/sorcery subtype that grants global, non-targeted effects).

I don't think the shroud is integral to the mechanic though, but I would be careful about implementing sanctity counters as it made the board much more complex in my playtesting.