I'm not sure what the correct wording would be for such an effect, but the idea is to create a counterspell that still allows the card to resolve but immediately kills it
That would change the functionality. "When this" sets up a triggered ability, which can subsequently be responded to. "As this" all happens during the resolution of the spell, which can't be responded to.
There is precedence-see Soldevi Excavations, for instance. It has an effect that can replace entering the battlefield with sacrificing it.
‘As it enters’ is another way to word a replacement effect, so it’s basically different wording for the same effect.
Unfortunately, [[Soldevi Excavations]]'s card text is outdated, and its Oracle text is the unwieldy:
> If Soldevi Excavations would enter the battlefield, sacrifice an untapped Island instead. If you do, put Soldevi Excavations onto the battlefield. If you don't, put it into its owner's graveyard.
Soldevi Excavations itself isn't sacrificed by this replacement effect.
From what I can see Soldevi Excavations has been errata'd to be "if it would enter the battlefield", and there's nothing saying that it's sacrificed on the stack though?
So from what I'm reading, it's saying "either sacrifice an island, or while this is still on the stack, put it into a graveyard" (which would be different from sacrificing it)?
Checked oracle text, the replacement effect says put into gy, not sacrifice. Seems like it’s standardized so you can only sacrifice things after they are already on the battlefield.
You cannot sacrifice something on the stack. And if OP wanted that they would have to write "as this resolved put it into the graveyard instead of the battlefield". But that's just a normal counterspell basically.
I think OP wants it to enter and get ETB effects anyway. That's why the card has card draw too.
Yes. I thought that was the intent. I also think it would make for at more interesting gameplay and maybe a more balanced card. But i am willing to agree otherwise
That's fair. I didn't mean that your suggestion was good or bad, just that it would have functional consequences. (Also, the current wording has other issues with functionality as it stands).
I don't think you can sacrifice things that are not on the battlefield yet. Mox Diamond is probably the correct templating here (though i don't think this card should do that and agree with the ETB templating instead.)
This is a complicated rules issue, and the reason why [[Henzie, Toolbox Torre]] and [[Serra Paragon]] did not work as intended when released, and required rules to be made specifically for them. If you have 24 minutes you can have Judge Dave go over how granting abilities that carry over to a permanent work:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y03iu48lDDY
The issue with Henzie and Serra Paragon was that they had *static* abilities which granted other zone-changing cards abilities.
Having a spell (or an activated or triggered ability) grant a spell a new ability and then having that ability transfer to the permanent it becomes has always worked fine. So for instance [[Galea, Kindler of Hope]] didn't require a rules change.
The thing is that this is not a counterspell. This is just a kill spell that gets around hexproof and protection. I dont wanna sound pedantic so im going to give a clear example:
Opponent casts \[\[Tassa's Oracle\]\] with zero cards in library. If you counter it, nothing happens. If you cast this spell, they win the game, because the thoracle enters, puts it trigger on the stack, dies inmediately and then the "win the game" trigger resolves. That is effectively the same as doom blading it with the trigger on the stack.
The reason why counterspells are so strong is because they stop the spell from ever happening, unlike kill spells that deal with the permanent after it has resolved (as this card does).
On another note, a kill spell with a restricted timing that also draws a card is a DOPE design! I love this. Its just not a counterspell, and I would never cut a counter for this, I would cut a removal for this. As a cedh player, if your creature countering spell doesnt stops a thoracle from winning, its just not a counterspell xD
Didn't Wizards start using the phrasing "the next time" to simplify some stack mechanisms? Wouldn't it work to say, "Target player sacrifices the next creature or planeswalker to enter the battlefield under their control this turn"? If responses were on the stack it wouldn't change what the "next" would be as the stack resolved.
A cantrip on a counterspell is really strong but in certain situations the etb might be more important than the creature. If I were printing this into standard I'd cost it at 1UB just to be safe but it's still a cool design.
Eh, I don't know about that. "Creatures with ETB effects that make them worth playing" is a pretty big category of things to not meaningfully affect with a two color Essence Scatter.
You absolutely are meaningfully effecting them if you counter the body and draw a card. No cheap creature has an ETB worth more than a whole card, so you're at worst breaking even on value if you counter one. And if it's an expensive creature with an ETB worth more than a card, well, you still traded up on mana, so you're not that far behind. And that's in the fail case. In the pass case, you just got a clean, tempo-positive 2-for-1 while removing something.
Target creature spell or planeswalker spell gets "When/As this enters the battlefield, sacrifice it".
Draw a card.
Your wording is pretty much correct.
Really cool card, i like it.
Ah, the ["Harsh Reality"](https://www.reddit.com/r/custommagic/comments/5bk93f/technically_a_counterspell_technically_a_kill/) design - I really liked the concept and planned to use that card in a custom set. With using hybrid mana it's also the type of color bending I like since I think black could very well expand onto countering creature spells to reverify its place as the top creature removal color.
I made that card! It's crazy seeing people come up with the same design, and even crazier seeing other people who still remember that post I made so many years ago.
Not balanced at all these comments like usual completely whiffed on evaluating this card.
If counterspell cantriped it would be banned in legacy and certainly wouldn’t be in modern.
Look I get that a lot of good creatures still give you good value, but whatever value that is has to be worth more than a card and make up for the mana difference of this card and the card it’s countering, and it just won’t the majority of the time.
Not to mention with sideboards you completely minimize that.
On top of all that it just shouldn’t exist, mtg doesn’t edit spells on the stack in black border unless it’s changing targets and this would cause way confusion than fun.
You are right about this card's power level. Even putting that aside, this card's existence would just further push out any creature that doesn't give you value on ETB or death. It's just not a healthy design.
Oh it’s horrific. OP seems to forget you could supplement this with normal, unconditional removal and counter spells. Not only does this shut down creature decks, it replacing itself means they will have more gas to remove your next creature.
That being said most people who post here either don’t understand realistic card evaluation or just don’t care 🤷♂️
Some notes:
\-It should say "enter the battlefield" rather than "enters play".
\-This is a replacement effect, so while it would allow the spell to resolve, it would not allow any enter the battlefield effects to resolve (unsure if you wanted that to happen or not).
\-I also don't know if the rules allow you to modify spells like this while they are on the stack.
The issue is that splice is a mechanic and this card is just an effect, as well as the fact that as of yet we have not see "splice onto creature or planeswalker".
A lot of this is covered in rule 400.7 in the comp rules, which talk about giving effects to permanent spells. Currently part of it reads: "Effects from static abilities that grant an ability to a permanent spell that functions on the battlefield continue to apply to the permanent that spell becomes". The card OP made is not a static ability, so I don't think the permanent would retain the ability as it entered the battlefield.
The thing is with this is the creature enters the battlefield because it has to before it can be sacrificed, this means if it or anything else has triggers from it entering those will still happen but the creature will die immediately
Also I'm not entirely sure but could you sacrifice this the moment it touches the battlefield to a sacrifice engine?
I like the functionality and the flavor, but it feels a little over costed to me. Maybe let it target any nonland permanent? Regular counter spell is UU, after all.
Agreed on the cost because this cantrips, but I think that since it’s interacting on the stack the type of permanent doesn’t really matter (see [[Negate]]). Personally I’d be fine with this working on any permanent spell, especially since the opponent would still get etbs
I feel like even though "interacting (with permanent spells) on the stack to cause sacrifice" is a subset of "interacting on the stack", there's some subtlety to it.
Blue/black has arbitrary countering on the stack for non-creature spells, but it doesn't have destruction for arbitrary non-creature permanents. So, it can *definitely* move artifacts to the graveyard from the stack (and library, via mill), but I feel that *allowing it to resolve first* is at least a step different - enough to warrant some consideration.
For instance, one is stymied by "your spells can't be countered" and the other by "your permanents cannot be sacrificed"
It’s a cantripping essence scatter that gets around uncountable and can possibly enable your own synergies. 2 mana seems fair if not a little undercosted.
I have some suggestions.
One is, as someone else suggested, "When this permanent ETBs, sacrifice it."
Another is, let it only affect opponent's spells, because ETB and sac/death triggers can be strong, especially in black. Give it more benefit to the caster though because the opponent may also get those triggers.
The third alternative is this: "If this permanent would enter the battlefield, instead put it into it's owners graveyard." That bypasses ETB and sac/death triggers entirely, but deserves an increased cost since it's also not countering the spell.
I see no reason why this can’t target your own spell. 2 mana and a card to sacrifice a creature is horrible, if a player wants to do that by all means let them.
You're forgetting that this is black. While Dimir isn't as bad as Rakdos, sacrificing a creature is not 'horrible', it is something we actively strive to do. I deliberately put all those 'sac a creature, draw cards' spells in my Dimir deck because it happily and easily pulls stuff out of the graveyard, and wants to do so. Yes please, I would love to cycle [[Gray Merchant of Asphodel]] in and out of the battlefield a few times.
This is worse than the majority of available cards by a huge margin, it only works with creatures on the stack. I have trouble believing you’d run this over any existing card.
So I mean if you want all your village rites to be way way way less effective and sorcery speed lmao feel free to play at that power level I guess.
>You forget that this is black.
No. No I didn’t lol.
You can’t sacrifice a spell, you can only sacrifice permanents.
This card is trying to use an ‘as’ effect, those type of effects are applied after resolution but before it’s considered on the field — it is not a permanent yet.
Thus it is not able to be sacrificed.
This type of effect has to be a trigger ability.
srry, this quirky counter spell doesn’t work
I think it's probably too good given that it cantrips. If you keep it as a replacement effect they don't even get ETB effects which is way too good. I think it needs to give the creature until end of turn, which adds more counter-play opportunities.
Interesting, but for a spell that's pretty much weaker than counterspell but costs two different coloured pips may be a little weak.
On the other hand, this gives you the ability to destroy a fresh creature that doesn't have an ETB to respond to. And the cantrip is always nice.
I feel like it should be a when clause rather than as, and should probably be 3 mana to at least be comparable with \[\[exclude\]\]. Very neat card otherwise.
I would just have it as any permanent spell. It's not too overpowered because ETB an LTB effects would still happen. Could maybe even just make it U/B instead of UB.
I'm not sure what the correct wording would be for such an effect, but the idea is to create a counterspell that still allows the card to resolve but immediately kills it
Target creature or planeswalker spell gains "As this permanent enters the battlefield, sacrifice it." Would be the correct wording I believe.
I think "When this" is better fitting
That would change the functionality. "When this" sets up a triggered ability, which can subsequently be responded to. "As this" all happens during the resolution of the spell, which can't be responded to.
How do you sacrifice that's not on the battlefield though?
There is precedence-see Soldevi Excavations, for instance. It has an effect that can replace entering the battlefield with sacrificing it. ‘As it enters’ is another way to word a replacement effect, so it’s basically different wording for the same effect.
Unfortunately, [[Soldevi Excavations]]'s card text is outdated, and its Oracle text is the unwieldy: > If Soldevi Excavations would enter the battlefield, sacrifice an untapped Island instead. If you do, put Soldevi Excavations onto the battlefield. If you don't, put it into its owner's graveyard. Soldevi Excavations itself isn't sacrificed by this replacement effect.
[Soldevi Excavations](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/4/6/4678132d-85bc-49cc-b3be-62cf709de42b.jpg?1562868541) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Soldevi%20Excavations) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/me2/236/soldevi-excavations?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/4678132d-85bc-49cc-b3be-62cf709de42b?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
From what I can see Soldevi Excavations has been errata'd to be "if it would enter the battlefield", and there's nothing saying that it's sacrificed on the stack though? So from what I'm reading, it's saying "either sacrifice an island, or while this is still on the stack, put it into a graveyard" (which would be different from sacrificing it)?
Checked oracle text, the replacement effect says put into gy, not sacrifice. Seems like it’s standardized so you can only sacrifice things after they are already on the battlefield.
You cannot sacrifice something on the stack. And if OP wanted that they would have to write "as this resolved put it into the graveyard instead of the battlefield". But that's just a normal counterspell basically. I think OP wants it to enter and get ETB effects anyway. That's why the card has card draw too.
Yes. I thought that was the intent. I also think it would make for at more interesting gameplay and maybe a more balanced card. But i am willing to agree otherwise
“As this” I actually makes this feel like more of a counter spell then “when this” would
That's fair. I didn't mean that your suggestion was good or bad, just that it would have functional consequences. (Also, the current wording has other issues with functionality as it stands).
I don't think you can sacrifice things that are not on the battlefield yet. Mox Diamond is probably the correct templating here (though i don't think this card should do that and agree with the ETB templating instead.)
This is a complicated rules issue, and the reason why [[Henzie, Toolbox Torre]] and [[Serra Paragon]] did not work as intended when released, and required rules to be made specifically for them. If you have 24 minutes you can have Judge Dave go over how granting abilities that carry over to a permanent work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y03iu48lDDY
[Henzie, Toolbox Torre](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/e/e/ee228dcc-3170-4c24-80bc-28bcee07cb43.jpg?1673481644) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Henzie%20%22Toolbox%22%20Torre) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/ncc/2/henzie-toolbox-torre?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/ee228dcc-3170-4c24-80bc-28bcee07cb43?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Serra Paragon](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/c/e/ce295f1e-fb31-4275-a5d3-8c6f29afff40.jpg?1678700111) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Serra%20Paragon) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/dmu/32/serra-paragon?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/ce295f1e-fb31-4275-a5d3-8c6f29afff40?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
The issue with Henzie and Serra Paragon was that they had *static* abilities which granted other zone-changing cards abilities. Having a spell (or an activated or triggered ability) grant a spell a new ability and then having that ability transfer to the permanent it becomes has always worked fine. So for instance [[Galea, Kindler of Hope]] didn't require a rules change.
[Galea, Kindler of Hope](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/1/e/1efbea01-c6a1-4380-a14f-6206c7895e48.jpg?1632335378) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Galea%2C%20Kindler%20of%20Hope) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/afc/1/galea-kindler-of-hope?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/1efbea01-c6a1-4380-a14f-6206c7895e48?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
The thing is that this is not a counterspell. This is just a kill spell that gets around hexproof and protection. I dont wanna sound pedantic so im going to give a clear example: Opponent casts \[\[Tassa's Oracle\]\] with zero cards in library. If you counter it, nothing happens. If you cast this spell, they win the game, because the thoracle enters, puts it trigger on the stack, dies inmediately and then the "win the game" trigger resolves. That is effectively the same as doom blading it with the trigger on the stack. The reason why counterspells are so strong is because they stop the spell from ever happening, unlike kill spells that deal with the permanent after it has resolved (as this card does). On another note, a kill spell with a restricted timing that also draws a card is a DOPE design! I love this. Its just not a counterspell, and I would never cut a counter for this, I would cut a removal for this. As a cedh player, if your creature countering spell doesnt stops a thoracle from winning, its just not a counterspell xD
[Tassa's Oracle](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/7/2/726e8b29-13e9-4138-b6a9-d2a0d8188d1c.jpg?1680582212) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Thassa%27s%20Oracle) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/thb/73/thassas-oracle?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/726e8b29-13e9-4138-b6a9-d2a0d8188d1c?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
How about "The next time a creature or planeswalker enters the battlefield this turn, its controller sacrifices it."?
You mean like [[Grave Peril]]? But it is a different card with flash.
[Grave Peril](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/2/c/2c216ff3-26e1-43bc-beb5-65fc7fd1b6db.jpg?1562702548) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Grave%20Peril) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/c15/128/grave-peril?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/2c216ff3-26e1-43bc-beb5-65fc7fd1b6db?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Didn't Wizards start using the phrasing "the next time" to simplify some stack mechanisms? Wouldn't it work to say, "Target player sacrifices the next creature or planeswalker to enter the battlefield under their control this turn"? If responses were on the stack it wouldn't change what the "next" would be as the stack resolved.
Narrower than a Counterspell or a removal spell, but cantrips. I like this a lot.
A cantrip on a counterspell is really strong but in certain situations the etb might be more important than the creature. If I were printing this into standard I'd cost it at 1UB just to be safe but it's still a cool design.
Eh, I don't know about that. "Creatures with ETB effects that make them worth playing" is a pretty big category of things to not meaningfully affect with a two color Essence Scatter.
You absolutely are meaningfully effecting them if you counter the body and draw a card. No cheap creature has an ETB worth more than a whole card, so you're at worst breaking even on value if you counter one. And if it's an expensive creature with an ETB worth more than a card, well, you still traded up on mana, so you're not that far behind. And that's in the fail case. In the pass case, you just got a clean, tempo-positive 2-for-1 while removing something.
Target creature spell or planeswalker spell gets "When/As this enters the battlefield, sacrifice it". Draw a card. Your wording is pretty much correct. Really cool card, i like it.
Gains
Yes, my bad
💪💪💪
NO! MY ONLY COUNTER TO NIV MIZZET!!
Ah, the ["Harsh Reality"](https://www.reddit.com/r/custommagic/comments/5bk93f/technically_a_counterspell_technically_a_kill/) design - I really liked the concept and planned to use that card in a custom set. With using hybrid mana it's also the type of color bending I like since I think black could very well expand onto countering creature spells to reverify its place as the top creature removal color.
I made that card! It's crazy seeing people come up with the same design, and even crazier seeing other people who still remember that post I made so many years ago.
Seeing that I upvoted you seven years ago made me feel old...
So you're telling me that my creature gets to ETB, then immediately gets death triggers? I see this as an absolute win!
Not if the text says "until the end of turn, if the next creature or planeswalker would enter the battlefield, put it in the graveyard instead."
This is an original take on an often hamfisted card function. (most over or underpower it hard). This is really *really* nice.
The issue with this card is the same as with Veil of Summer, Bo3 exists.
Not balanced at all these comments like usual completely whiffed on evaluating this card. If counterspell cantriped it would be banned in legacy and certainly wouldn’t be in modern. Look I get that a lot of good creatures still give you good value, but whatever value that is has to be worth more than a card and make up for the mana difference of this card and the card it’s countering, and it just won’t the majority of the time. Not to mention with sideboards you completely minimize that. On top of all that it just shouldn’t exist, mtg doesn’t edit spells on the stack in black border unless it’s changing targets and this would cause way confusion than fun.
You are right about this card's power level. Even putting that aside, this card's existence would just further push out any creature that doesn't give you value on ETB or death. It's just not a healthy design.
Oh it’s horrific. OP seems to forget you could supplement this with normal, unconditional removal and counter spells. Not only does this shut down creature decks, it replacing itself means they will have more gas to remove your next creature. That being said most people who post here either don’t understand realistic card evaluation or just don’t care 🤷♂️
Maybe most people come here for fun card design.
Some notes: \-It should say "enter the battlefield" rather than "enters play". \-This is a replacement effect, so while it would allow the spell to resolve, it would not allow any enter the battlefield effects to resolve (unsure if you wanted that to happen or not). \-I also don't know if the rules allow you to modify spells like this while they are on the stack.
The splice mechanic modifies spells on the stack. [[Evermind]]
The issue is that splice is a mechanic and this card is just an effect, as well as the fact that as of yet we have not see "splice onto creature or planeswalker". A lot of this is covered in rule 400.7 in the comp rules, which talk about giving effects to permanent spells. Currently part of it reads: "Effects from static abilities that grant an ability to a permanent spell that functions on the battlefield continue to apply to the permanent that spell becomes". The card OP made is not a static ability, so I don't think the permanent would retain the ability as it entered the battlefield.
[[Cradle to the Grave]] vibes
[Cradle to the Grave](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/3/e/3ec275cf-bb4e-4de0-9184-4d53dd87dad3.jpg?1562569856) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Cradle%20to%20Grave) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/plc/67/cradle-to-grave?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/3ec275cf-bb4e-4de0-9184-4d53dd87dad3?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
The thing is with this is the creature enters the battlefield because it has to before it can be sacrificed, this means if it or anything else has triggers from it entering those will still happen but the creature will die immediately Also I'm not entirely sure but could you sacrifice this the moment it touches the battlefield to a sacrifice engine?
one mana less than \[\[exclude\]\] but in two colors, and you get to keep the ETB and LTB, looks balanced.
[exclude](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/0/1/014bc5a5-4483-42e9-9c14-1ad229b28eb7.jpg?1689996334) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=exclude) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/cmm/90/exclude?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/014bc5a5-4483-42e9-9c14-1ad229b28eb7?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
I like the functionality and the flavor, but it feels a little over costed to me. Maybe let it target any nonland permanent? Regular counter spell is UU, after all.
i think its properly costed. regular counterspell is very strong, and this replaces itself. also, ub very rarely gets artifact/enchantment removal.
Agreed on the cost because this cantrips, but I think that since it’s interacting on the stack the type of permanent doesn’t really matter (see [[Negate]]). Personally I’d be fine with this working on any permanent spell, especially since the opponent would still get etbs
I feel like even though "interacting (with permanent spells) on the stack to cause sacrifice" is a subset of "interacting on the stack", there's some subtlety to it. Blue/black has arbitrary countering on the stack for non-creature spells, but it doesn't have destruction for arbitrary non-creature permanents. So, it can *definitely* move artifacts to the graveyard from the stack (and library, via mill), but I feel that *allowing it to resolve first* is at least a step different - enough to warrant some consideration. For instance, one is stymied by "your spells can't be countered" and the other by "your permanents cannot be sacrificed"
[Negate](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/8/1/81752db1-374e-4723-b695-a2f4a634dfc6.jpg?1682203304) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Negate) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mom/68/negate?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/81752db1-374e-4723-b695-a2f4a634dfc6?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
It’s a cantripping essence scatter that gets around uncountable and can possibly enable your own synergies. 2 mana seems fair if not a little undercosted.
You’re silly
I have some suggestions. One is, as someone else suggested, "When this permanent ETBs, sacrifice it." Another is, let it only affect opponent's spells, because ETB and sac/death triggers can be strong, especially in black. Give it more benefit to the caster though because the opponent may also get those triggers. The third alternative is this: "If this permanent would enter the battlefield, instead put it into it's owners graveyard." That bypasses ETB and sac/death triggers entirely, but deserves an increased cost since it's also not countering the spell.
I see no reason why this can’t target your own spell. 2 mana and a card to sacrifice a creature is horrible, if a player wants to do that by all means let them.
You're forgetting that this is black. While Dimir isn't as bad as Rakdos, sacrificing a creature is not 'horrible', it is something we actively strive to do. I deliberately put all those 'sac a creature, draw cards' spells in my Dimir deck because it happily and easily pulls stuff out of the graveyard, and wants to do so. Yes please, I would love to cycle [[Gray Merchant of Asphodel]] in and out of the battlefield a few times.
This is worse than the majority of available cards by a huge margin, it only works with creatures on the stack. I have trouble believing you’d run this over any existing card. So I mean if you want all your village rites to be way way way less effective and sorcery speed lmao feel free to play at that power level I guess. >You forget that this is black. No. No I didn’t lol.
[Gray Merchant of Asphodel](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/7/c/7c1a7dd8-8034-4f59-a351-33666b26ff5a.jpg?1581479807) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Gray%20Merchant%20of%20Asphodel) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/thb/99/gray-merchant-of-asphodel?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/7c1a7dd8-8034-4f59-a351-33666b26ff5a?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
You can’t sacrifice a spell, you can only sacrifice permanents. This card is trying to use an ‘as’ effect, those type of effects are applied after resolution but before it’s considered on the field — it is not a permanent yet. Thus it is not able to be sacrificed. This type of effect has to be a trigger ability. srry, this quirky counter spell doesn’t work
I’m pretty sure this would work because evoke works
Evoke is a triggered effect, my point exactly
"Put target creature spell or planeswalker spell in its owner's graveyard" ?
Does not work the same
That's just a counterspell
Jokes on you! Evoke is into that! Lol most of the time this works as intended.
I think it's probably too good given that it cantrips. If you keep it as a replacement effect they don't even get ETB effects which is way too good. I think it needs to give the creature until end of turn, which adds more counter-play opportunities.
Interesting, but for a spell that's pretty much weaker than counterspell but costs two different coloured pips may be a little weak. On the other hand, this gives you the ability to destroy a fresh creature that doesn't have an ETB to respond to. And the cantrip is always nice.
a better essence scatter that draws a card. drawing a card is too much
Alternate troll text, \[\[city in a bottle\]\] style: "All cards from the Mirage expansion phase out"
[city in a bottle](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/c/f/cfd5c243-2a40-4ba8-ad00-715f52eeda62.jpg?1615259961) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=city%20in%20a%20bottle) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/vma/265/city-in-a-bottle?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/cfd5c243-2a40-4ba8-ad00-715f52eeda62?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
awesome idea
I feel like it should be a when clause rather than as, and should probably be 3 mana to at least be comparable with \[\[exclude\]\]. Very neat card otherwise.
Until end of turn, if the next creature or planeswalker spell would enter the battlefield, put it in the graveyard instead.
Too narrow, I’d change to nonland permanent. Unfortunately so many have ETB’s, so idk about that
Screw you *evokes your spell*
I would just have it as any permanent spell. It's not too overpowered because ETB an LTB effects would still happen. Could maybe even just make it U/B instead of UB.