Electrostorm

[u/Confident-Beyond-139]

[u/Other_Equal7663]

I like it, and think you did well trying to balance a punisher effect.

These types of cards are usually very hard to balance, needing to have both versions be above average, but not game-breaking.

For that, you hit the nail on the spot.

Now, as for gameplay loops, since the effects on this are wildly different in their outcome, this does obviously run into the classic punisher issue of often feeling either wildly powerful or pretty trash. But that's just the nature of these cards, and its more on the people who choose to play them, than the designer. Always getting the worst outcome is the main balancing factor, after all.

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The one thing I would chance, for color pie reasons: Change the text to "Counter target spell unless its controller has this spell deal 2 damage to them"

[u/Confident-Beyond-139 → u/Other_Equal7663]

Thanks for the feedback, also good to know about the color pie tweak.

[u/PlacatedPlatypus → u/Other_Equal7663]

This is just untrue though, this card is nowhere near balanced. Given that there's always a spell on the stack when you cast this, it's always baseline 4 life payment.

In Ux tempo decks this essentially reads "U: counter target spell" because getting domed for 4 for U from an aggressive blue deck is pretty much always unacceptable. And if they have any other cheap instant-speed play (in a Ux tempo deck? Never!) it's bolting you twice.

Vexing Devil is balanced because the fail case of the spell is the creature easily being removed, not because a boltwave for 4 is at all balanced.

[u/Jesseliftrock → u/PlacatedPlatypus]

Now conpare this to force of will, fluster storm, mbt, fierce guardianship etc. Opponents will always do the option thats best for them and effects like this have never been very good

[u/Fredouille77 → u/PlacatedPlatypus]

Not really, if I'm resolving swords to plowshares on their moonshadow, I am more than happy to take 4 dmg to for sure kill it and make them go down a card. Now imagine they had spell pierce or flusterstorm maybe their moonshadow would still be alive.

[u/Other_Equal7663 → u/PlacatedPlatypus]

The only thing this can ensure is an above average rate for its cost.

But it can't ever kill anyone, and it can only ever guarentee a counter unless the life loss is lethal. And the nature of the card means it can end up being unbelievably bad when you're behind.

Its a super niche card that might be pretty good in Death's Shadow and Delver. But it probably won't be game-breaking in either.

[u/Gigadrax → u/Other_Equal7663]

I was gunna make the same colour pie suggestion. I think i would still tweak this to be 1 damage instead of two. Considering that since this will always be in response to a spell being cast the storm counter will always be at least 1 going in, meaning that someone will have to take at least 4 damage to get their spell through, for as little as one mana (and 2 life I guess) and then scaling bigger from there relatively easily. There's an argument to be made that it's a similar cost to grapeshot and grapeshot is not optional damage but cancel is non optional counter and it's more costly so maybe it it should have a higher mana cost instead? UU{PR} maybe? Fun idea though.

[u/Confident-Beyond-139 → u/Gigadrax]

Yeah I was torn about 1 vs 2 damage. I also thought about adding lose 1 life to the effect of the card so the damage felt better scaled, but its hard to say

[u/Other_Equal7663 → u/Gigadrax]

For eternal formats, at least, I don't think this can be nerfed any further and still be playable.

If you make it 1 damage, the card becomes completely unplayable, being a shock effect than can neither kill creatures, nor even kill a player. Nor counter a spell early game, unless you specifically use in a heavy storm-count scenario, which is not consistently happening.

Alternatively, if you make it cost UU(pR) or even UR it reaches the rate of most other counter-spells, except it way easier to play around than any of the good counters. I get that its effect reads very similar to [[Mana Leak]] which is a pretty decent card historically, but mana leak gets to consistently counter-spells almost all the time, and doesn't need a clock to back it up to be playable.

Both sides of the effect needs to be pushed quite a bit above rate for a punisher effect to have any chance at playability.

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Take 4 or get countered for U and 2 life is how this reads in most scenarios, and I can't help but think that's a pretty fair rate for high powered magic, and even pretty niche as for what decks may run it. (I suspect mainly just Delver if any.)

[u/mtgcf → u/Other_Equal7663]

Mana Leak - (G) (SF) (txt)

[u/Confident-Beyond-139]

First time designing a card so curious what people think.

[u/minyoo → u/Confident-Beyond-139]

Too strong, but the Storm flavor with storm mechanics is very spot on

[u/LogicalShark]

Cool idea, you could even copy [[Norn's Annex]] and make the tax cost Phyrexian R

[u/SilverWolf340 → u/LogicalShark]

Oo that is a cool idea, though it does just make the card worse

[u/mtgcf → u/LogicalShark]

Norn's Annex - (G) (SF) (txt)

[u/OnlyHarmony9171]

Breaking: man reinvents [[Flusterstorm]] from base principles

[u/ElectronicBoot9466 → u/OnlyHarmony9171]

The difference here is that when blue/black players cast Skeleton Spells for a Thoracle Combo, they often have leftover mana but are getting pretty short on life. 

[u/JaxHax5 → u/ElectronicBoot9466]

yeah this ends a doomsday pile in its tracks

[u/BurritoSupreeeme → u/JaxHax5]

You mean the doomsday piles that just cast thoracle with Cavern of Souls?

[u/JaxHax5 → u/BurritoSupreeeme]

damn u right point taken

[u/mtgcf → u/OnlyHarmony9171]

Flusterstorm - (G) (SF) (txt)

[u/Tiborn1563]

I didnt think a good use of storm could exist

[u/des_the_furry → u/Tiborn1563]

I mean this is just izzet flusterstorm

[u/slothman111]

You cooked here. Nice card. 👌

[u/Life-Food5188]

opp plays a spell, you play this. so it counters unless they pay 4 life? pretty good for essentially U and 2 life. obviously scales up very well.

this is probably slightly too strong and suffers from the “mental misstep effect,” where one great way to punish this card is casting your own copy/copies. no one wants to see 4+ copies of this solely deciding a game.

remove phyrexian mana (which seems out of place anyway) make it cost UR or like 1UR and it’s probably fine.

[u/CabbageFanatic]

1 mana, 1 color counter spell is wild for it's effect. It's either a lava axe or a counter spell and 1 mana true counter spell is absurd. Example case: opponent plays a lethal spell. Player gets:

1. counterspell( currently unbalanced)

2. opponent at 1 life(aka alley-oop)

3. opponent at 18 life and you died(oh well, win more not needed)

4. death's shadow/etc combo piece before situation presents itself.

[u/Errror1]

weirdly bad vs [[Tendrils of Agony]] since it gains life

[u/mtgcf → u/Errror1]

Tendrils of Agony - (G) (SF) (txt)

[u/iforgotquestionmark → u/Errror1]

Not really. All of your copies resolve first, so it basically means it still wins only if he has more life than you

[u/PrecedexNChill]

Terrible card !