Purity (written)

[heraldry_lord]

Purity is a keyword used to indicate that an artifact with a colored mana cost has no color, a-la devoid Eldrazi cards.  Like devoid, the purpose of this is to prevent an artifact-heavy set from screwing up the color pie, and the flavour could be that these artifacts use colored mana as fuel (like diesel in an engine), but the artifacts themselves are (like regular artifacts) purely colorless. 

 

Furthermore, artifacts with purity are unaffected by anything that affects colored cards (including All is Dust), and artifact creatures with purity work with colorless support, despite having a colored mana cost. The reason devoid isn't used for these is devoid being an Eldrazi trait.

 

The frame would use the metallic silver frame that regular artifacts use, but the "color" is shown at the very top of the frame, as it does in devoid cards. 

 

 

As usual, examples with each color:

 

 

Preserved Tome

Mana Cost: {U}

Artifact

 

Purity (This artifact card has no color.)

 

You have no maximum hand size.

 

{1}{U},{T}: Draw a card, then discard a card.

 

 

 

Flame Belcher

Mana Cost: {1}{R}

Artifact

 

Purity (This artifact card has no color.)

 

{2}{R},{T}: Flame Belcher deals 2 damage to target creature or player.

 

 

 

Righteous Banner

Mana Cost: {1}{W}{W}

Artifact

 

Purity (This artifact card has no color.)

 

Creatures you control get +1/+1.

 

At the beginning of your upkeep, you gain 1 life for each creature you control. 

 

 

 

Mystical Biodome

Mana Cost: {2}{G}

Artifact

 

Purity (This artifact card has no color.)

 

At the beginning of your upkeep, put a 2/2 green Beast creature token onto the battlefield.

 

{2}{G},{T}, Sacrifice Mystical Biodome: Search your library for a basic land card, and put it onto the battlefield tapped. Then shuffle your library.

 

 

 

Martyr Altar

Mana Cost: {4}{B}{B}

Artifact

 

Purity (This artifact card has no color.)

 

Whenever a creature you control dies, you may draw a card.

 

{1}{B}, Sacrifice a creature: Target opponent loses 3 life, and you gain 3 life.

 

 

 

Also, a support land:

 

Artificer's Workshop

Land

 

{T}: Add {<>} to your mana pool.

 

{T}: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool. Spend this mana only to cast artifact spells or activate the abilities of artifacts.

 

{2}{<>},{T}, Sacrifice Artificer's Workshop: Return target artifact card from your graveyard to your hand.

[(GigaDrillBreaker)]

So, this is literally devoid, a mechanic which can already be on artifacts.

[heraldry_lord]

So, this is literally devoid, a mechanic which can already be on artifacts.

 

I take it you didn't read the whole thing.

[(GigaDrillBreaker)]

I did, I just think your reasoning is flawed. Nothing about the word "devoid" really suggests Eldrazi at all. It literally means "without". The mechanic is pretty damn evergreen. The frame, less so, but honestly the mechanic could be reused with different aesthetics, since the frame has no bearing on rules.

[heraldry_lord]

I did, I just think your reasoning is flawed. Nothing about the word "devoid" really suggests Eldrazi at all. It literally means "without". The mechanic is pretty damn evergreen. The frame, less so, but honestly the mechanic could be reused with different aesthetics, since the frame has no bearing on rules.

 

Then why does the Gatherer still have Ghostfire without the devoid keyword?  Just to note, they've updated cards with menace that didn't have that keyword before, including old cards like Goblin War Drums.  Considering how iconic Ghostfire is, it'd be weird for them not to update its card text on the site without a reason for not doing so.

[(GigaDrillBreaker)]

It is the same reason Mistform Ultimus doesn't have Changeling.

 

Though, in that vein, Ghostfire deserves the errata, as its reason for being colorless is closely and flavorfully tied to the Eldrazi.

 

In any case, this is CC, so I ought to give input on the cards themselves.

 

Preserved Tome is really damn good, especially in EDH, where I would say it outright replaces Spellbook in Trinket Mage packages. I have never been fond of Spellbook, so I enjoy that.

 

Flame Belcher is honestly pretty broken, serving as a generally better Cursed Scroll. Cursed Scroll is a much stronger card than you would expect it to be.

 

Righteous Banner is a pretty strong anthem, especially in token decks, where it basically wins the aggro mirror. I don't think it is broken, but it is very very good.

 

Mystical Biodome is crazy efficient. Sure, it falls hard to artifact removal, but playing it turn 3, getting the token, and then ramping by so much is silly good. Probably make the tokens into 2/2, and changing the ramp to 1 land is a good call.

 

Look at Martyr Altar. Now look at Dark Prophecy. See the issue?

 

The land is crazy good. Honestly the third ability should cost something along the lines of (2)()(T) and sac. Obsoleting a card like buried ruin should be avoided.

[heraldry_lord]

It is the same reason Mistform Ultimus doesn't have Changeling.

 

Though, in that vein, Ghostfire deserves the errata, as its reason for being colorless is closely and flavorfully tied to the Eldrazi.

 

 

Remember that Oath of the Gatewatch has a land that explicitly supports cards with devoid; that would be the best time to verify whether or not Ghostfire is "officially" devoid.

 

In any event, thanks for the card reviews; making the necessary changes.

[(GigaDrillBreaker)]

My point was that the way devoid works, Ghostfire wouldn't be errata'd to it. Which is a shame, because flavorfully it should be.

 

To be completely honest, I am not really a fan of Goblin War Drums receiving erratum, for the same reason I am bothered by the errata of Asceticism and Avacyn, though this is a totally separate discussion.