Ice Breaker --
Creature - Human Artificer, Sacrifice Ice Breaker: Search your library for an artifact card, reveal it and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library.
"The expedition may be dangerous, but the payoff is always worth it."1/1
Nothing fancy, a relatively simple and solid design. If this doesn't win, I feel it should be kept in mind for later use. This is a contender for my vote.
Cold Steel Instant (U)
Until end of turn, artifacts you control have "
: Tap target permanent. It doesn't untap during its controllers next untap step."
Interesting idea, but one that I'm not overly thrilled with.
Icy Insight Instant (U)Draw a card for each tapped artifact on the battlefield.
Machines don't work so well in the cold, but there is still plenty to learn from them.
I like this card, but I would rather see how the rest of the set develops before something like this got created.
Shard of Wisdom --
Snow Artifact (U)
At the beginning of each player's upkeep, that player draws X cards where X is equal to the number of artifacts they control minus 4.
On Starstill, whenever one has to travel from one half of the plane to the other, they carry their 'lucky charms' in hopes of the best result. Yes being a colored artifact is different, but flavorfully, it does it's job. Mechanically, it depends on how the rest of the set turns out. This is a contender for my vote (obviously).
Still Beacon -
Artifact
At the beginning of your upkeep, reveal the third card from the top of your library. If it is an artifact card, you may put it on the top of your library.
Sacrifice ~: Add
to your mana pool. Spend this mana only to cast artifact spells.
It sits quietly upon the frozen wasteland, humming a soft melody echoed by the vastness of space. I like this, but I would rather it get a bit of a flavor tweak, like a drill or other digging utensil, or at least something capable of such.
Balancing Automaton Artifact Creature - ConstructBalancing Automaton enters the battlefield with one +1/+1 counter on it.
Whenever you cast an artifact spell, put a +1/+1 counter on Balancing Automaton.
Whenever any opponent casts an artifact spell, remove a +1/+1 counter from Balancing Automaton.
0/0
I really like this. I think this is a good card for the beginning of the set. It doesn't lock us in to a heavy artifact theme, while it still cares about artifacts. This is a contender for my vote.
Runes of Frozen Steel SorceryRefraction 1
(If you paid to cast ~, copy it once.)Draw a card for each artifact you control.
"We have no sunlight here in Aaraili, we are the Moonfolk, children of Ish. Our light is the gleam of stars and moon, the shimmer of ice and metal. Our light does not blind or burn. Only in the shadows can you see." - Sha-Kalii, Song Queen of Var. I don't know that I want to lock into a mechanic
this early. It's interesting though, but at the same time also feels a bit undercosted.
Deep Freeze
Instant
Counter target non-artifact spell.
The frozen edge of Starstill is such that only the best designed machines could hope to approach it.I really like this card. It might be a bit too powerful, but this is a contender for my vote.
Ice Sculpting SorceryAs an additional cost to cast ~, you may tap x untapped snow permanents you control.
Search your library for an artifact card with converted mana cost x or less and put it onto the battlefield under your control.
This design is very interesting, but it (like mine) sets us up for two themes right off the bat. I don't think that we necessarily want that much limitation so soon into the set. I would suggest keeping this in mind for later card ideas.
I would keep my eye on this one. I like it's design, but I would want to see the purpose of Relics before putting a vote on it. Again, I would keep this in mind for later.
Ice Breaker --
Creature - Human Artificer, Sacrifice Ice Breaker: Search your library for an artifact card, reveal it and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library.
"The expedition may be dangerous, but the payoff is always worth it."1/1
==xx==
Shard of Wisdom --
Snow Artifact (U)
At the beginning of each player's upkeep, that player draws X cards where X is equal to the number of artifacts they control minus 4.
On Starstill, whenever one has to travel from one half of the plane to the other, they carry their 'lucky charms' in hopes of the best result. ==xx==
Balancing Automaton Artifact Creature - ConstructBalancing Automaton enters the battlefield with one +1/+1 counter on it.
Whenever you cast an artifact spell, put a +1/+1 counter on Balancing Automaton.
Whenever any opponent casts an artifact spell, remove a +1/+1 counter from Balancing Automaton.
0/0
==xx==
Deep Freeze
Instant
Counter target non-artifact spell.
The frozen edge of Starstill is such that only the best designed machines could hope to approach it.Of my four contenders in a relative vaccuum, I reminded myself that we're looking for a blue uncommon card that cares about artifacts.
Ice Breaker has the potential to be common.
Shard of Wisdom could possibly be a noncolored artifact, and possibly fit at rare.
Both Deep Freeze and Balancing Automaton fit at uncommon. And thought Balancing Automaton is also a colored artifact, I fear that Deep Freeze could be too powerful and thus cast my vote to BA.