Unladen Swallow | Unladen Swallow

[davidy22]

NAME: Unladen Swallow ELEMENT: Air COST: 2 TYPE: Creature ATK|HP: 6|1 TEXT: After this creature attacks, it returns to your hand if you do not already hold 8 cards.	NAME: Unladen Swallow ELEMENT: Air COST: 2 TYPE: Creature ATK|HP: 6|2 TEXT: After this creature attacks, it returns to your hand if you do not already hold 8 cards.

ART: Davidy22 IDEA: Davidy22 NOTES: Named after my favorite python interpreter. Has airborne, as per all the other birds. In return for the need to play the card over and over again, it's nigh unkillable and can be pushed out with wings for that last little push. Discovered after the posting of this card, you could use this to avoid deckout if the swallow fills your hand. It also blocks nightmare, as you already have 8 cards in your hand. SERIES:

[Pineapple]

1. When will you not have 8 cards? This stops your draw if you have 7 cards. Please change it to "...if you do not hold more than 6 cards."
2. Weak, 4 damage per turn for a 3 upkeep?

[davidy22]

1. When will you not have 8 cards? This stops your draw if you have 7 cards. Please change it to "...if you do not hold more than 6 cards."
2. Weak, 4 damage per turn for a 3 upkeep?

1. When you have multiple unladen swallows in play and you fractal that wyrm that takes your fancy.
2. That is a little poor in damage terms. Not being able to smack it with spells is supposed to compensate for that, but I could bump the damage if it's really a problem.

[Pineapple]

You still have the problem of it stopping your draw potential. Then we can talk about its incompatibility with buff cards, hourglasses, and because of the first point, fractal. Then we can compare it to quint, which for 4 quanta and an extra card, makes any creature invincible.

[davidy22]

You still have the problem of it stopping your draw potential. Then we can talk about its incompatibility with buff cards, hourglasses, and because of the first point, fractal. Then we can compare it to quint, which for 4 quanta and an extra card, makes any creature invincible.

Buffing this does kind of suck, because the buff dies in one turn. Single-turn buffs like wings are more appropriate for this card.

It does stop your ability to draw, but some people will end up filling their hands anyways. Filling your hand with an hourglass is unwise, but still possible. You can avoid decking out with this, as it plugs up your hand at the end of each turn.

OOOH. Quintessence does compete with this. Dock the cost to 2 , bump the damage to 5?

[dracomageat]

The ability to avoid a deckout is interesting.
I wouldn't drop the cost but maybe 1 more attack would do it good.

Also, might I suggest that they be African Swallow | European Swallow (or vice versa) with no difference between the two?

[Higurashi]

Quint doesn't really compete because it takes another card space. Furthermore, Quint removes all possibility of Rewinding anything, removing the main use this provides. 3 cost for 4 attack is fine unupped due to the heavy drawback. Upped, it could easily get 5-6 attack. It's not really necessary though, because this strengthens Air/Death or Air/Aether stalls, and you need only pack one. This is also a big boon to all deckout decks, because it's much easier than packing Eternity+a target. I like.

[Pineapple]

As for it being easier than packing enough quanta for 3 per turn + Eternity + fodder, this requires up to 6 copies of this card, the quanta to play at least one per turn and 2-7 cards to fill up your hand...

[mildlyfrightenedboy]

This is really underpowered for the "upkeep" (cost to repeatedly play the card) versus the amount of damage you deal each turn, also taking into account that you have to continually replay it -- you will never have 8 cards in your hand when this card attacks because if you end a turn with 8 cards in your hand, it tells you to discard one.  The skill's exception for having 8 cards is absolutely pointless.
This is like a reusable Spark, basically.  It deals a set amount of damage and then is dead.  The difference is that you can buff a Spark and keep it alive, while this card always goes away.  It also has a higher cost and deals less damage.  It really should cost 1, and 0 for the upgraded version, and both versions should deal one more damage.

[Pineapple]

The skill's important because if you have multiple, the extras won't die.
Also, how would this work with Sanctuary? Sanctuary only stops/disables stuff happening on the opponent's turn, right?

[jmdt]

1 needs to african and 1 needs to be european

[mildlyfrightenedboy]

The skill's important because if you have multiple, the extras won't die.
Also, how would this work with Sanctuary? Sanctuary only stops/disables stuff happening on the opponent's turn, right?

The description of Sanctuary is "Your quanta pool and your hand cannot be altered during your opponent's turn.  Heal 4 hp per turn."
When you attack, that isn't your opponent's turn, so Sanctuary would't affect this.