Sephorgia

Challenges

Challenge from Round 1:
Create varied subthemes for deckbuilding, not just "Play lots of enchantments." Also, create something with spice, not just versions of existing mechanics.

Pitches

+ Round 1 Pitch

Name: Sephorgia (the plane on which it takes place)

Core concept: The enchantment block. Finally.

Cards (all common):

Baquiana's Regiment
4WW
Creature - Human Soldier
Affinity for enchantments
Vigilance
3/4

I already talked about why I like this card a fair bit here. It's still a fine choice.

Sirensong Gilder
4UU
Enchantment Creature - Illusion
Flying
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may have target player put the top three cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard.
2/3

//To me, this still doesn't solve the, "Why is this an enchantment creature?" problem. You could print this in any other set without the extra type, and nothing would change. //

Nightmare Umbra
1B
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 and has intimidate.
Totem armor

Sure, totem armor would be a great thing to bring back for an enchantment set.

Frenzied Bladedancer
2R
Creature - Human Berserker
Harmony — Whenever an enchantment enters the battlefield under your control, Frenzied Bladedancer gets +2/+2 and gains first strike until end of turn.
1/1

And here we have "enchantmentfall". Certainly a printable mechanic, but the good thing about landfall is that it rewarded something that players do anyway. This pushes harder towards linear decks, which isn't necessarily bad, but it's something that Affinity also does.

Instill Dread
1R
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature can't block.

I suppose this is fine, but how does it support the theme other than being an enchantment? Or is it just demonstrating that an effect which would be a sorcery in other sets will be an enchantment here?

Brasswillow Guardian
4G
Enchantment Creature - Elemental
Reach
Other creatures you control have reach.
5/3

Now this makes a bit more sense as an enchantment creature. I don't think this sort of effect is common, though.

Valley of the Lost
Land
T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
4, T, Sacrifice Valley of the Lost: Return target Aura card from your graveyard to your hand.

I'm not sure this is a common, but it's an eminently reasonable card.

Everything is up for grabs: Set name, mechanics, flavor. I just thought this would be a good starting point.

Summary

//Enchantment world is definitely a viable theme. These mechanics are individually fine, but they all point in the same direction: "Play lots of enchantments". There need to be subthemes that give players a bit more deckbuilding direction. Also, almost all these mechanics are versions of existing mechanics. I don't see them really getting players excited about the set. Give us some more spice! //

+ Round 2 Pitches

Prophylaxis's Proposal
cfnlc's Proposal
fading shadows of a memory beloved's Proposal
Jacob Munford's Proposal
Nich Grayson's Proposal
Circeus's Athambia Academy/Sephorgia hybrid Proposal

Worldbuilding

Possible top-down flavors for Enchantments in this world

• A dream world.
• A post-apocalyptic world, where some survived in enchanted bunkers while others mutated due to effects from magical fallout.
• A King Arthur and Knights world.

Mechanical Themes

Mechanics

• Totem Armor
• Harmony (Whenever an enchantment enters the battlefield under your control, bonus)
• Legacy (When this is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, return it to the battlefield transformed.) — a Dual-faced card mechanic.
• Dual faced cards that are enchantments on one side and creatures on the other, with "At the beginning of your upkeep, transform this." (A pseudo-phasing, but the ability of the creature remains on both sides.)
• Ethereal {1}{W} (You may cast this card for its ethereal cost. If you do it enters the battlefield as an enchantment with no other types or subtypes.)
• Enchantments with Vanishing to reflect a changing dream environment.
• Enchantment lands
• Plunder mechanic from Seas of Higaro (When this enters the battlefield, exile a card in your hand. When this leaves the battlefield, return each card exiled with this card to where it was exiled from.) which in turn seems to be a spinoff of the Nightmare mechanic on cards like Faceless Butcher.
• Auraproof (This creature cannot be the target of enchantments.)
• Inspiration (When ~ is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, return another Aura card from your graveyard to your hand.)
• Ethereal (This creature can only be blocked by enchantment creatures.)

• Add your mechanic here!

Individual Card Designs

+ show cards

"Legacy" enchantments that linger on the board
Breeze Sprite 1U
Creature - Faerie
1/1
Flying
Legacy (When this dies, return it to the battlefield as an Aura.)

Bottom third of the card:

Enchantment - Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature has flying.

Battlefield Courage 3W
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature has double strike.
Legacy (When this dies, return it to the battlefield transformed.)

flipside:

Legacy of Courage
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature has first strike.

Cards that can be cast as either Enchantments or something else

Modified Juniper Spirit {3}{W}
Enchantment Creature — Elemental
Creatures you control get +1/+1.
Ethereal {1}{W} (You may cast this spell for its ethereal cost. If you do it enters the battlefield as an enchantment with no other types or subtypes.)
2/2

Transform used as a pseudo-phasing

Flying Dream 3U
Creature - Elemental
4/4
Flying
At the beginning of your upkeep, transform this.

transforms into:

Dream of Flight
Enchantment
At the beginning of your upkeep, transform this.
At the beginning of your combat step, target creature you control gains flying until end of turn.

-and to support transforming cards:

Enchanted Night 2W
Sorcery
Transform all enchantments you control.

Vanishing cards that represent a shifting dream environment:

Informative Nightmare 1BB
Enchantment
Vanishing 3
At the beginning of your upkeep, lose 1 life and draw 1 card.

Violent Dream 3R
Enchantment
Vanishing 2
Creatures get +3/+0.

Courageous Dream W
Enchantment
Vanishing 3
Creatures you control get +1/+1.

Other Discussions

• The trap of too much linearity
• Ways to play more enchantments in a deck
• The problem that White and Green, the colors that encourage playing enchantments, are the only colors that can remove enchantments

Links

• Round 1 Pitch on Goblin Artisans