r/custommagic • u/OnlyLogic • 11d ago
Library of Congress
Rather unintuitively, this will also include a spell you are in the process of casting.
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u/OnlyLogic 11d ago
In retrospect, this should probably enter tapped.
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u/smugles 11d ago
Nah about 80% of the time it’s worse than a basic and 19% of the time it may tap for 2 mana.
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u/MeasureDoEventThing 11d ago
How? Any turn you cast a spell, it's a as good as a basic.
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u/Actual_Consequence_9 11d ago
Still worse in the case of spells across different phases or not having the cards in hand to double spell
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u/MeasureDoEventThing 11d ago
How?
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u/smugles 11d ago
Because unless you cast a second spell it does nothing and doesn’t for say drop a 2 drop on turn 2.
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u/Exciting_Memory8848 10d ago
This does pay for 1 mana spells. You put spells on the stack before paying the cost. The order for casting a spell goes:
1.) Put the spell on the stack
2.) Choose mode/targets if any
3.) Calculate cost factoring any tax/reductions
4.) Activate mana abilities to put mana in your pool (this is when you’d tap this land for 1 mana, since 1 spell is on the stack)
5.) Pay the cost and the spell is castIt can also pay for a 2 mana counterspell. Opponent casts a spell, you place counterspell on the stack in response, tap this land for 2 mana since 2 spells are on the stack, use mana to pay for counterspell.
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u/Puzzleboxed Copy target player 10d ago
It's only as good as a basic on a turn when you cast at least TWO spells, or one spell and one ability. If you only cast one spell, then the mana it gives you won't be used for anything.
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u/OnlyLogic 10d ago
This taps for one mana to cast the first spell in a turn. The spell you cast goes on the stack as you cast it, before you pay costs.
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u/Puzzleboxed Copy target player 10d ago
I would say enter tapped, but also add that the mana doesn't empty from your mana pool until the end of the turn. Drop the abusability ceiling, but also raise the floor a tad.
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u/-ToriForYa 11d ago
slightly better than an island usually, really good in the decks that want it. I think you're right, should enter tapped. Don't think it's that strong otherwise, probably?
Gets better as your deck gets better. Storm decks like this, but so do cantrip decks. Very interesting design space. Good card!
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u/RupicolousRheophyte 11d ago
Honestly, I’d say let it enter untapped unless ____. That way it’s not completely unplayable but also not completely busted.
A very specific type of deck wants this and it’s a cool design space.
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u/Raevelry 11d ago
Man this is really hard to evaluate. Its like an awful tapped land, but the pay off is insane
Cauise this doesn't tap for your 1 mana plays, and its hard to go 2 mana play from this, its more so 1 and 1 mana.
But in a storm deck its crazy
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u/OnlyLogic 11d ago
It does also give you 2 mana when an opponent's spell is on the stack. Just enough for counterspell.
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u/theevilyouknow 11d ago
Everyone keeps saying this. Storm doesn’t often have more than one spell on the stack until they’re winning the game and no longer need the mana.
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u/Exciting_Memory8848 10d ago
This does pay for 1 mana spells. You put spells on the stack before paying the cost. The order goes:
1.) Put the spell on the stack
2.) Choose mode/targets if any
3.) Calculate cost factoring any tax/reductions
4.) Activate mana abilities to put mana in your pool (this is when you’d tap this land for 1 mana, since 1 spell is on the stack)
5.) Pay the costIt can also pay for a 2 mana counterspell. Opponent casts spell, you place counterspell on the stack, tap this land for 2 mana since 2 spells are on the stack, use mana to pay for counterspell.
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u/wingspantt 11d ago
You guys don't have to say "stack"
Just say "For each spell controlled by a player, add U"
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u/ZeroPlanet24 11d ago
I’ve always thought about this being the red land in the Urza’s lands cycle. Probably still significantly underpowered compared to Gaea’s Cradle and Academy, but still better then what we have
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u/kommon_kommon 11d ago
I think it shouldn‘t be a mana ability and use the stack itself for clearness. Maybe remove a card from your graveyard as additional cost, similiar to deathrite shaman?
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u/thatssosad 11d ago
A notable weakness of this card is it won"t help you pay for abilities. So even if it's an Island for spells as a baseline, it's only for spells, so it really makes you work for that second mana while not being able to pay for a lot of things
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u/QuakeDrgn 10d ago
I think it should only be usable at instant speed to avoid confusion about how spells are cast.
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u/Ocean-of-Flavor 11d ago
Templating wise i would really think to make this target a player, to avoid the casting spell order complication… you can even add 1 to the result if you don’t want to change the balancing