Stasis Keeper / Stasis Lord - Creature Control for Time.

[Lanidrak]

ScytherLols' Apep reminded me of this: (which I was going to post a while back).

"Stasis Keeper" / "Stasis Lord" Upgraded
Cost: 4
Stats: 2/2 - 2/4 Upgraded
Ability: Cost: 2 Stasis Link - Target Creature and Keeper are both put in Stasis until Keeper is removed from the game.

It doesn't give time another 'rewind' ability, but instead gives some more direct creature control. It is easiest to think of it as a indefinite Congeal which also effects your own creature. Whereas, an Arctic Squid can effectively shut down 3 creatures permanently, by using congeal every turn. But, this costs a lot of quanta and requires the player to remember how long a creature has been frozen for.

The stasis is obviously removed from the Keeper if the targeted creature dies or is given Immortal status. Obviously, with 6 of these in play, you can shut down 6 of your opponents creatures forever. Hopefully the cost and fragility of the Stasis Keeper will keep this balanced.

At a 6 total, and taking two turns for it to fully take effect (ie. 1st Play Creature, 2nd Use ability) should hopefully balance the fact that it is a Congeal for n turns, where n is the amount of time it takes for your opponent to apply some creature control to your Stasis Keeper.

Your thoughts on this will be more than welcome, I haven't posted a card idea in while - instead, sitting back and seeing what types of things are and are not being suggested.

[Glitch]

It seems good, but with Aether-Time duo it's overpowered.

Immortal stasis that are paralleled?  That's 12 creatures permanently frozen, unless some sort of instant is there to kill it.  Give it 1 life, so any sort of targeting it will kill it, and that's fair.  Maybe give it two life upgraded.

[ScytherLoL]

Hmm I agree with Glitch on the life issue, make it eaasier to get rid of.

How about we combine the image from my card with your ability etc. Just an idea, might work a bit.

Thanks for the post and I do like the card but have to have a break now, be back soon with more feedback.

Scyther

[Lanidrak]

Thanks for your feedback.

Regarding the Quintessence&Parallel Universe / Stasis Keeper - Aether / Time issue:
Well, of course this will be very unbalanced. But it will also be very expensive.

How many people do you see running:
6 Arctic Squid,
6 Quintessence
6 Parallel Universes
9 Water Pillars
9 Aether Pillars

None to extremely few.

When the Stasis Keeper is in Stasis, he does not attack. And even still, a 2 offense creature isn't the most threatening thing ever.

@ScytherLoL,

I guess the life could be reduced a little. I kept it high for one reason:

Un-Upgraded = Vulnerable to Rain of Fire.
Upgraded = Protected to Rain of Fire.

They are still easy food for an Otyugh. A Mind Flayer will easily remove it's ability. A rewind time will unlock your creature from the stasis. Gravity Pull will annihilate them etc...

I think they need to have a little bit of armor, considering, Arctic Squid can Congeal you, then get Firebolt'd out of play, but your creature is still frozen for 3 more turns.

Another option would be to make their stats 3/2 and 4/3 respectively. Considering, that when they have activated their ability, they do not attack - this will also open them up to Maxwell's ability, meaning they are more vulnerable to a wider variety of effects.

[bobcamel]

How come I haven't commented on this before?

I'd say those are a good concept. Nothing to pick on here.

You could make them 3/2 and 5/4, with raising the cost to 5-6 on the latter if you want to make them Paradoxable.

[TheMadEvil]

I have to agree with bob here. Think of it this way: once you choose a creature, you can't un-choose it unless you rewind your own creature, which un-stasisizeses your opponent's creature, while making you wait 2 more turns to choose a new creature. As opposed to Squiddie, who can choose a different creature each turn.

If you PU a Keeper after using his ability, how would the stasis effect work? indefinitely, or just a turn? And when is stasis removed from creatures - upon removal of one, or at beginning/end of turn?

[bobcamel]

Guess that the creature would check if the other one exists at the end of the turn and if not they'd get unstased.

With PU, it probably would be like this: There are two Stasis Keepers but one creature to hold, so one of the Keepers finds out he has nothing to hold and unstases.

[Lanidrak]

Exactly Bobby.

A creature in stasis cannot be targeted by stasiseg. My Keeper is holding your OtyughI Parallel Universe my keeperThe new keeper cannot also be holding your otyugh, so he can still use his ability

As for the 1st point... I guess, if a creature is held in stasis and someone puts a Quintessence on it - then the stasis will cancel out immediately. *cough* just another bad thing about the way quint and immortality works now *cough cough*

[TheMadEvil]

mostly what I was thinking of was the way I think stasis works now - if a creature is in stasis, it can't use abilities or attack. upon attack phase, if a creature is not in stasis, it attacks. if it is in stasis, it un-stasisizes(?) itself. so this would basically keep things from becoming un-stasised, but as it works now they would not un-stasis until their attack phase after the keeper is removed. just a thought, and sorry for the random capitalization here

[Lanidrak]

With your way, it would have to be a cheap 'one turn' (even, half-turn) stasis, working very much like a crappy version of freeze.

[TheMadEvil]

With your way, it would have to be a cheap 'one turn' (even, half-turn) stasis, working very much like a crappy version of freeze.

I assume you mean my above post?

If so, this is untrue. What I was talking about is in the event of the Stasis Lord leaving play. With the way stasis works now, no matter when it is applied stasis is removed when the creature tries to attack. This means that when Stasis Lord leaves play, the other creature would remain in stasis until it tries to attack.
What has been proposed initially for this card, however, is that creatures leave stasis immediately when Stasis Lord leaves play.
This issue is not mine to decide, I was only asking for clarification of if this card would change the way stasis works in this situation, or if the mechanic would continue as it is for all situations.