Name: Open the Gate
Cardtype: Action
Discipline: Daimoinon
Cost: 1 blood
Requires an infernal vampire.
[dai] Search your library for a demon ally and put it into play (ignore requirements and cost, and shuffle afterwards). At the end of your minion phase, if that demon is ready, shuffle it back to your library.
[DAI] As [dai] above, and untap this vampire.
The idea is
- to make Herald of Tophet (mainly) playable
- to make a demon perform an action instead of the vampire
For example, one could build a rush deck with 2 Herald and 14 Open the Gate (Open the Gate would replace in proportions a Bum's rush). Other demons (Abyssal Hunter, Impudulu and Succubus) are limited to attrition (steal/burn 1 blood/life) so it wouldn't be very effective (but can be a B plan). Infernal Servitor removes itself from the game so it doesn't work well, and Nocturn and Succubus may bleed for 1. So the Herald would be a best choice (it may also bleed for 1).
The action is at 0 stealth (to match Summon History and to give it a slight drawback), costs 1 blood and is a "free" action at superior, so the vampire may go and bleed, or stay untapped.
Herald is not playable (according to me) because it costs 5 pool before being able to act: 3 pool (recruit cost) + 1 pool (during discard phase to keep it) + 1 pool (to untap the Baali). Using this card, it costs 1 blood (+1 pool at inferior) for 1 turn, which makes it more affordable. Since it can act the turn it comes in play, there's also a surprise element.
Thoughts?
Prince of Paris, France
Ratings Coordinator, Rules Director
herald can also rush with dive bomb, untap with as the crow and use his special to rush again to effectively obliterate non-combat minions twice in the same tourn. plus - if you're playing baali, you already have to invest in some at least decent bloat mechanism to actually survive. sure, if he was infernal (instead of his crappy "pay 1 pool or he dies" thingie), he'd be way better, especially thanks to the path, but oh well...can't have everything.
all I'm saying is that I wouldn't totally disregard herald, he's not THAT bad (although he's far from ideal).
having said that - I like the concept, but I'd work around it a bit. the current idea allows you to use the herald you already have to recruit another one, then as the crow him etc., which can make a chain reaction and a swarm of heralds in one turn (stealth is not that much of an issue with veil / cloaks flying around) thanks to herald's basic dai and his "play cards as a vampire" special. I'd make it maybe so it costs 1 blood, is a +1 stealth action, has the current basic dai effect at superior and some decent effect at basic dai (dunno...tap a minion or whatever).
> dude_PL wrote:
> herald can also rush with dive bomb, untap with as the crow and use his special to rush again to effectively obliterate non-combat minions twice in the same tourn. plus - if you're playing baali, you already have to invest in some at least decent bloat mechanism to actually survive. sure, if he was infernal (instead of his crappy "pay 1 pool or he dies" thingie), he'd be way better, especially thanks to the path, but oh well...can't have everything.
>
> all I'm saying is that I wouldn't totally disregard herald, he's not THAT bad (although he's far from ideal).
>
Herald is not played at all, and is not playable, even in fun decks. Bloating has its limits, especially when you must already cope with the infernal cost.
> dude_PL wrote:
> having said that - I like the concept, but I'd work around it a bit. the current idea allows you to use the herald you already have to recruit another one,
>
The Herald doesn't fill the requirement: it is not infernal.
Prince of Paris, France
Ratings Coordinator, Rules Director
If you're creating a card to specifically make Herald playable I think you might as well make a playable version of Herald. Otherwise you're forcing every future demon ally to be balanced with Open the Gate in mind, potentially restricting design space.
> jAvel wrote:
> Well, it can be "summon and untap" at basic dai (w/o shuffle back) and add "shuffle back" at superior.
> And it should cost more in blood. 2-3 blood.
>
I guess you mean that at inferior, the ally burns at the end of the turn? Otherwise the inferior would be much stronger than the superior (think Helena advanced and her abyssal friends...)
> Suoli wrote:
> If you're creating a card to specifically make Herald playable I think you might as well make a playable version of Herald. Otherwise you're forcing every future demon ally to be balanced with Open the Gate in mind, potentially restricting design space.
>
You can also replace "demon ally" by "Herald of Tophet" in OtG.
But I don't really care for an hypothetical future design space for demon allies...
Prince of Paris, France
Ratings Coordinator, Rules Director
> Ankha wrote:
>
> > Suoli wrote:
> > If you're creating a card to specifically make Herald playable I think you might as well make a playable version of Herald. Otherwise you're forcing every future demon ally to be balanced with Open the Gate in mind, potentially restricting design space.
> >
> You can also replace "demon ally" by "Herald of Tophet" in OtG.
> But I don't really care for an hypothetical future design space for demon allies...
>
Or:
Herald of Topheth Tophats
Type: Ally
Discipline: Daimoinon
Cost: 3 pool 1 blood
Requires an infernal vampire.
Demon with 5 life. 3 strength, 1 bleed, flight [FLIGHT].
Move Herald of Tophats to the ready region when recruited.
The Herald may enter combat with a ready minion controlled by another Methuselah as a action. The Herald may play cards requiring basic Daimoinon [dai], Potence [pot] and/or Presence as a vampire with a capacity of 5. Any cost in blood is paid with his life. If a card would give him blood, give him life instead. If the Herald has less than 5 life during your untap phase, add 1 life. During your influence phase, burn 1 pool or burn the Herald.
As above, and untap this vampire.
> Suoli wrote:
>
> > Ankha wrote:
> >
> > > Suoli wrote:
> > > If you're creating a card to specifically make Herald playable I think you might as well make a playable version of Herald. Otherwise you're forcing every future demon ally to be balanced with Open the Gate in mind, potentially restricting design space.
> > >
> > You can also replace "demon ally" by "Herald of Tophet" in OtG.
> > But I don't really care for an hypothetical future design space for demon allies...
> >
> Or:
>
> Herald of Topheth Tophats
> Type: Ally
> Discipline: Daimoinon
> Cost: 3 pool 1 blood
> Requires an infernal vampire.
> Demon with 5 life. 3 strength, 1 bleed, flight [FLIGHT].
> Move Herald of Tophats to the ready region when recruited.
> The Herald may enter combat with a ready minion controlled by another Methuselah as a action. The Herald may play cards requiring basic Daimoinon [dai], Potence [pot] and/or Presence as a vampire with a capacity of 5. Any cost in blood is paid with his life. If a card would give him blood, give him life instead. If the Herald has less than 5 life during your untap phase, add 1 life. During your influence phase, burn 1 pool or burn the Herald.
> As above, and untap this vampire.
>
I prefer a new card rather than changing the Herald's text, especially when it opens new deck options.
Prince of Paris, France
Ratings Coordinator, Rules Director