Lich | Lich

[Tiko]

NAME: Lich ELEMENT: Death COST: 6 TYPE: Creature ATK|HP: 6|4 TEXT: Next shard that comes into play turns into a Phylactery. Lich deals spell damage.	NAME: Lich ELEMENT: Death COST: 6 TYPE: Creature ATK|HP: 8|4 TEXT: Next shard that comes into play turns into a Phylactery. Lich deals spell damage.

ART: Unknown. Concept art from the roleplaying game 13th Age; placeholder, subject to change. IDEA: Tiko NOTES: Concept/theme based on various fantasy settings. A proposed mid/heavy hitter for Death. Works also as a form of "shard control". Has the active ability 'Lich', which can be lobotomized. Lacks in the passive ability 'Undead'. Balance based on already existing cards and different elemental characteristics. Spoiler for active ability 'Lich': A little clarification about the proposed mechanics: If any kind of shard is played (by either you or your opponent) when a Lich is already present on the field, that Shard will lose its intended effect (still drains its quanta cost) but turns into a Permanent labeled Phylactery instead. This Permanent will grant the Lich immortality, and will remain until the Phylactery is destroyed. Note that the Phylactery will be summoned on the side where the shard was played, and one Shard can only affect one Lich at a time. If the ability is lobotomized, the Lich will lose both its spell damage and the ability to generate a Phylactery. SERIES: -

[OldTrees]

Psion + 2atk + automatic PC + 1 PC required to CC
for Lich

Psion + 2atk + 1 PC required to CC
for Lich + Shard of Sacrifice

I think the Lich + Shard of Sacrifice (0 cost) combo is too cheap for the 6|6 Immaterial Psion.
(However some consider SoSac to be imbalanced. If it is imbalanced its cost might increase later.)

I think the Lich + Shard of Patience (3|1 cost) combo is too cheap for the 6|6 Immaterial Psion.

[Naesala]

If it only effected the opponents shards (as funky thematically as that may be) I think this would be a wonderful card.

[Tiko]

Psion + 2atk + automatic PC + 1 PC required to CC
for Lich

Psion + 2atk + 1 PC required to CC
for Lich + Shard of Sacrifice

I think the Lich + Shard of Sacrifice (0 cost) combo is too cheap for the 6|6 Immaterial Psion.
(However some consider SoSac to be imbalanced. If it is imbalanced its cost might increase later.)

I think the Lich + Shard of Patience (3|1 cost) combo is too cheap for the 6|6 Immaterial Psion.

That may be true, but consider also that you'll lose a precious shard effect this way (in the case of Sacrifice, 2 turns of potential stalling), and is a two card combo. You might have a point in the case of Wisdom, but that probably would be a highly focused deck type and needs even more cards for the added effect. The 'PC' part of the Lich is a one-time feature, unless the Phylactery gets destroyed, then replayed (Steal wouldn't make much of a difference).

Death has much cheaper, faster and more effective ways to defeat an opponent, and its creatures are also tend to cost less than their different elemental counterparts; but also too exposed to a few 'hoser' cards (I think I learned this word from you), like Purify or Holy Light/Flash which is unique in the game. Its main goal would be to hinder - even if only a little - mindless shard playing that tends to be so popular lately; and I doubt that shards will ever get removed from the game, considering how enthusiastic Zanz was about them when he (re)designed the 12 we have now.

That said, what would be your proposal to "balance out" the card?

If it only effected the opponents shards (as funky thematically as that may be) I think this would be a wonderful card.

That wouldn't make sense thematically, like you've said, but basically that should be its main profile.

[Rutarete]

Reminds me of http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=271386

[ZephyrPhantom]

Reminds me of http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=271386

Aye, it certainly does. There have been a few Lich cards done before - one even uses a Phylactery like this one (though said Phylactery worked differently.)
The Shard PC seems interesting (however, if put in a non-Shard dominant meta it seems situational.) I would suggest destroying the Phylactery destroys the Lich as well or turns it into a Skeleton instead so the increased weakness balances out for the Immaterial and Wisdom buffs.

Also, if that art is copyrighted, I'd like to suggest this guy as a replacement.

[OldTrees]

That said, what would be your proposal to "balance out" the card?

I was thinking that it might deserve a slight increase in casting cost. Nothing too extreme. It is a good card and already close to balanced. However if shards are rebalanced based upon their costs then eating one of your shards is not as big a deal as immaterial at this cost.

[Tiko]

I never played MtG (and probably never will), but liches tend to be a popular addition to any fantasy themed setting since the intoduction of the first D&D ruleset, so I'm not surprised that Wizards of the Coast implemented it in Magic too.

I'm also aware of the previously made lich ideas throughout the forums; but to be honest, neither of them made much sense to me (in one part or another).

The Shard PC seems interesting (however, if put in a non-Shard dominant meta it seems situational.) I would suggest destroying the Phylactery destroys the Lich as well or turns it into a Skeleton instead so the increased weakness balances out for the Immaterial and Wisdom buffs.

And again, that wouldn't make much sense at all. I'd guess that destroying the Phylactery would result in the Lich losing the Wisdom-buff(s), so it would be quite a risky strategy and could end up in a great card-disadvantage.

Also, not the Wesnoth-lich again.. it's just too simple and 'cartoonish' for my taste.

I was thinking that it might deserve a slight increase in casting cost. Nothing too extreme.

Something like 7 , maybe? I wanted to put it somewhere between Mummy and Nymph, while also making it dangerous enough for your opponent to not take its presence lightly with or without Phylactery. Greater cost would make him (even more) too situational I think.

[OldTrees]

I was thinking that it might deserve a slight increase in casting cost. Nothing too extreme.

Something like 7 , maybe? I wanted to put it somewhere between Mummy and Nymph, while also making it dangerous enough for your opponent to not take its presence lightly with or without Phylactery. Greater cost would make him (even more) too situational I think.

I think so. I may be underestimating the patience infesting lichs.