My idea here is a sort of a 'how would I do' Magic the Gathering, as a smaller overall product, focused somewhat more towards constructed than limited. Eventually, I plan to have a collection of chosen cards that will be roughly the size of a Standard environment.

I'm calling it 'Re'-Set because it isn't meant to be used with cards from other sets, it will be balanced more in isolation, and also because I'll be re-using names and themes from existing cards, but they won't be identical to the originals, and they'll sometimes be entirely different, although usually I'll at least try to stick to themes for iconic cards.

As a baseline, here are some cards that I currently intend to use directly, without changing them, for inclusion in the set:

Murder, Shock, Divination, Giant Growth, and Glorious Anthem.

As an example of changed cards, before I get started in earnest, here is an example:

Lightning Bolt
Sorcery
Deal 3 damage to target creature or player.

As you can see, Lightning Bolt is now a sorcery, this is to prevent it from being strictly better than shock, while still enabling it to be a 3 damage burn spell at 1 cmc. I'm generally going to avoid 'strictly better/worse' situations to some degree, so that all cards in this set have their own areas of worth. I'm also considering the use of the names of some of the original dual-lands for some of the set's lands, and similar name shuffling and appropriation, partly because I intend to avoid some use of some setting-specific names, like Serra Angel, and keep the setup relatively flavor-neutral.

I intend to stick to the color pie in terms of flavor, but I may be somewhat looser with it in terms of game mechanics, although I'll be trying to keep the colors balanced with each-other.

Some noteworthy bits I'm considering include:

The '3 cmc barrier' for creatures. I'm generally going to avoid special forms of removal resistance at 1-2 cmc for creatures, like hexproof, protection, shroud, regenerate, undying, persist, indestructible, and the like, but starting at 3 cmc, these abilities or others like them or lesser than them may start to appear, in order to make casting expensive creatures still worthwhile, and limit 'dies to removal' arguments. It won't be universal of course, but generally speaking, a creature at 5 or more CMC will either have an extremely powerful effect when not removed, be resistant to removal, or have immediate impact with things like enter the battlefield effects. But you won't be getting things like Gladecover Scout.

The instant vs. sorcery game. I'm going to take when things are instants and when they are sorceries much more seriously. Some Instants will have easier casting cost or stronger sorcery versions, and some spells won't have an instant version at all, because of the power of the effect (unless you are doing something like converting them to an instant via another spell or effect somehow).

'Generic' colorless spells. I'm considering having some spells and summons be colorless, without eldrazi or artifact type baggage, or at least having alternate colorless casting costs attached. Including many things that I'll be considering a form of 'simple' magical effects that any type of mage can learn, or things that I think may need the ability to use colorless. These sorts of spells will still often have colored variants that are cheaper/stronger. Flame Javelin is close to the kind of thing I'm talking about here. I want to do this partly to encourage mono-color deck building in terms of land base, and partly for flavor reasons.

Turn 5 win. I want this format to be a bit slower than Modern, but potentially faster than the average Standard. Thus, my general 'when do you win reliably' barrier is going to be no earlier than turn 5 for faster decks.

---

I'm not sure when I'll have time to work on this, but I wanted to have a thread ready to put cards and lists I'm working on in, in case I do things slowly and sporadically over time.

Do you know what archetypes you want to enable?

Not really, although part of my objective is to have a large number of viable archetypes.

I'm going to be very careful about what kind of combo I enable, because I want mono-color decks to be very viable.

I want there to be control, tempo, aggro, burn, midrange, ramp, mill, artifacts focused, enchantments focused, instant/sorcery focused, creature tribes, and tokens as possible deck archetypes. I also want at least one playable, although not necessarily 'competitive' combo.

I want there to be good reasons to go mono-color, at least moreso than modern and most past standard or block environments, but still have multicolor decks be good, although I want 2 color to be noticeably better as an option than 3 color for speedy decks. And I want mono-color decks of each of the colors to be roughly equal to each other at higher levels of play.

Some lands that will be included:

All 5 basic lands.

Cascade Bluffs full cycle of 10 filter lands.

Temple of Enlightenment full cycle of 10 scry lands.

Blossoming Sands full cycle of 10 lifegain lands. Also Radiant Fountain.

Shimmering Grotto and Evolving Wilds.

Clifftop Retreat full cycle of 10 check-lands.

Seachrome Coast style fast-lands with new names:

Isolated Oasis
Isolated Scrubland
Isolated Plateau
Isolated Orchard
Isolated Marsh
Isolated Hotsprings
Isolated Tropical Island
Isolated Mountain Graves
Isolated Bayou
Isolated Mountain Grove

Seaside Citadel full cycle of 10 tri-lands (shards and wedges).

Full set of 10 Nimbus Maze lands, all other than Nimbus Maze itself will use the fetchland names. Fetchlands will NOT be included.

Gemstone Mine and the 5 Vivid Lands (Vivid Meadow cycle).

Plentiful Farmlands
Land - Plains
Plentiful Farmlands enters the battlefield tapped.
When Plentiful Farmlands enters the battlefield, gain 3 life.
: Add to your mana pool.

Mysterious Depths
Land - Island
Mysterious Depths enters the battlefield tapped.
When Mysterious Depths enters the battlefield, scry 2.
: Add to your mana pool.

Sinking Bog
Land - Swamp
Sinking Bog enters the battlefield tapped.
When Sinking Bog enters the battlefield, you may exile up to 6 target cards from target player's graveyard.
: Add to your mana pool.

Erupting Volcano
Land - Mountain
Erupting Volcano enters the battlefield tapped.
When Erupting Volcano enters the battlefield, target creature can't block this turn.
: Add to your mana pool.

Vast Woodlands
Land - Forest
Vast Woodlands enters the battlefield tapped.
When Vast Woodlands enters the battlefield, you may search your library for a basic forest land, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle your library.
: Add to your mana pool.

A variant of the original dual-lands (Tropical Island cycle), with the original dual-land names, except they enter the battlefield tapped, although unlike other tap-lands they have the land-types in their typeline, such as forest, swamp, or plains, just like the dual-lands and the shocklands do (neither the actual original dual-lands, nor the shock-lands, are in this 'set').

Reliquary Tower

Encroaching Wastes variant only it isn't restricted to non-basic lands, with the name retained.

Use shockland names for a cycle of 10 lands which essentially uses the following template:

Hallowed Fountain
Land
Hallowed Fountain enters the battlefield tapped.
When Hallowed Fountain enters the battlefield, add to your mana pool.
: Add or to your mana pool.

Basically being tap-lands that don't have land-type names or have a way to enter untapped, but give a colorless mana as they enter the battlefield.

That is a lot of mana fixing. It's about three times as much mana fixing than Lorwyn-Shards of Alara Standard. Unless you want the average deck to be 4 colors, you should reconsider how many powerful dual lands you want in this format.

If it were up to me, I would have one ten-card cycle of dual lands that enter the battlefield tapped with a benefit, one ten-card cycle of dual lands that can enter the battlefield untapped, and Evolving Wilds and/or Shimmering Grotto. This is the average amount of mana fixing that past Standard formats have had, and I think it offers a good balance between "being able to cast your spells" and "interesting trade-offs in deckbuilding."

This is going to be noticeably stronger than the average standard in some ways though. I generally plan to have things lean more towards the more casual end of modern than the environment of standard. Also, notably, most of the dual-lands I have there that come in untapped don't have good synergy with each-other. Still, I might consider taking some of these cycles out. These are ones that pass my gut instinct standards for what I would allow for this thing in terms of mana fixing. Notably, I avoided lands that deal damage to the user or had too much of weirder mechanics to them.

Some more cards that are almost certain includes in the set, or at least within power level ranges I'm looking for:


Elvish Mystic, Military Intelligence, Naturalize, Void Snare, Bramblecrush, Clone, Diabolic Tutor, Disperse, Elixir of Immortality, Opportunity, Phantom Warrior, Planar Cleansing, Primeval Bounty, Quicken, Seacoast Drake, Smelt, Ground Seal, Index, Kraken Hatchling, and Unsummon.

That from a quick look through M13, M14, and M15. I'm sure there are some I missed or some I wasn't sure about but might still end up there. As well as some that I might use but re-name and possibly re-type them, such as Kalonian Tusker.

Snap Cast
Instant
Choose target instant or sorcery from your graveyard. You may cast it this turn for it's mana cost. If you cast it, exile it once it resolves.
Exile Snap Cast.

Ritual of Death
Sorcery
Destroy target creature.

Clairvoyance
Instant
Scry 4.

Mindsorting
Instant
Draw two cards.
Put a card from your hand on the top or bottom of your library.

Snap Cast can just say "Exile Snap Cast." You might also want to use the Act on Impulse wording, to prevent introducing an unnecessary mechanic.

I think Mindsorting should cost at least three mana. Compare See Beyond and Catalog, neither of which give you the option to keep the card on top of your library.

Made some edits, couldn't work the Act On Impulse wording, because you exile it again after it resolves, which would let you cast it again, allowing unlimited castings that turn, but removed the flashback keywording, although kept the functionality I think. Is Mindsorting as it is now fixed? It is now a 3 drop that draws 3 and then puts one back on top or bottom.

Adding these:

Sylvan Scrying

Diabolic Tutor

Idyllic Tutor

Fabricate

Battlemage's Tutor
Sorcery
Search your library for an instant card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library.

Summoner's Tutor
Sorcery
Search your library for a creature card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library.

Ritualist's Tutor
Sorcery
Search your library for a sorcery card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library.

Mindsorting is even more powerful now. Compare Sift or Assemble the Components.

Both of those have only 1 blue in the cost. But you may be right... I just find it hard to justify a 3 drop that only effectively draws 1, with a more difficult casting cost than Divination.

Well, some more cards:

Naturalize

Disenchant

Smelt

Demystify
Instant
You gain 1 life.
Destroy target enchantment.

Claim of Nature
Sorcery
Destroy target artifact or enchantment. Its controller gains 4 life.

Return of Essence
Sorcery
Destroy target artifact or enchantment. Its controller gains 4 life.

Disperse

Void Snare

Negate

Shared Price
Sorcery
Pay at least 1 life, up to 4 life as an additional cost to cast this spell.
Sacrifice a permanent you control of your choice.
Each opponent loses an amount of life equal to the amount of life you paid, then sacrifices a permanent they control with the same converted mana cost as the one you sacrificed.

Shared Sacrifice
Sorcery
Sacrifice a permanent you control of your choice.
Each opponent sacrifices a permanent they control of their choice with that shares a type with the permanent you sacrificed.

Overheat Matrices
Sorcery
Each player may sacrifice any number of enchantments they control.
Then each enchantment deals 3 damage to its controller, then each Aura attached to a creature deals 3 damage to the creature it's attached to.

Essence Flames
Sorcery
Essence Flames can't be countered by spells or abilities.
Exile target permanent.

Gift to the Shadows
Instant
Exile target permanent or target card from graveyard. You gain life equal to it's converted mana cost plus two.

Enliven Enchantment
Instant
Exile target enchantment. It's controller gains an X/X blue illusion creature token, where X is the converted mana cost of that enchantment.

Crushing Animation
Instant
Destroy target artifact. It can't be regenerated. It's controller gains a 2/3 colorless artifact creature token.

Send Beyond
Instant
Exile target permanent and all permanents on the battlefield with the same name as it.

Desert Twister

Final Banishment
Sorcery
Exile target permanent. If the exiled permanent is not a basic land, cards with the same name as the exiled card can't be played for the rest of the game.

Demystify

Erase

Earthforge
Instant
Exile target artifact.

Revoke Existence

Enchantment Reversal
Instant
Exile target artifact or enchantment.

Lost to the Ages
Instant
Exile target artifact or enchantment.

Unravel Enchantment
Sorcery
Unravel Enchantment is colorless.
Destroy target enchantment.
If any was used to cast Unravel Enchantment, draw a card.

Disassemble Artifact
Sorcery
Disassemble Artifact is colorless.
Destroy target artifact.
If any was used to cast Disassemble Enchantment, draw a card.

Look at it this way:

Divination is a fair card. Mindsorting's effect is strictly better than Divination, because it has the same effect as Divination if you discard the last card you draw, but it also gives you the option to discard any of the other cards in your hand. This means you're always going up in card quality, even if you technically only +1 in card advantage.

Mindsorting is also an instant, which means you can use it as an end-of-turn mana sink after holding up counterspell mana. This more than justifies the additional in the mana cost. (Heavy colored mana costs are also easier to hit in your set because of the powerful dual lands you chose to include.)

Hence, Mindsorting is bah-roken.

Why the decision to give artifact and/or enchantment removal to all colors?

Strict color pie restrictions like that was something I never really liked. I don't like the idea of a color being _completely_ unable to deal with something even at high CMCs or in wonkier ways.

As for mindsorting, I'm going to shelve the issue for now and revisit it when I build up the list of draw spells, as I may be slightly upping the power of draw in general, as well as touching on it in different ways in all colors (although I'll keep it most restricted from white). Of course, different colors will handle it differently and at different qualities, with blue generally being the best in terms of draw.

Maybe I'll start some of that:

Mind Spring

Inspired Genius
Instant
Draw X cards.

Make a Plan
Sorcery
Draw two cards.

Rapid Planning
Instant
Draw two cards.

Divination

Weave Fate

Concentrate

Burst of Ingenuity

Tidings

Discover
Instant
Draw 4 cards.

That seems like a good core base for the blue draw cards that do more than just replace themselves, but nothing except you drawing cards. You pay more for flexibility in the X cost ones (or for going beyond 4 cards). You also pay more for the less restrictive mana costs of Divination and Weave Fate, or for drawing more than 2 cards. Instant spells cost more than sorcery spells, usually by (or is that always?). The most efficient plain drawing never is more restrictive than .

Edit: Changed mana cost on Make a Plan

Some removal:

Murder

Execution
Sorcery
Destroy target creature.

Diabolic Edict

Loss of Innocence
Sorcery
As an additional cost to cast this spell, sacrifice a creature you control.
Each other player sacrifices a creature.

Disfigure

Internal Bleeding
Sorcery
Target creature gets -3/-3 until end of turn.

Bodily Warping
Instant
Target creature gets -4/-4 until end of turn.

Pulverization
Sorcery
Target creature gets -5/-5 until end of turn.

Blood Curse
Sorcery
As an additional cost to cast this spell, pay 4 life.
Target creature gets -7/-7 until end of turn.

Dark Banishment
Sorcery
Exile target creature.

Extinguish Soul
Instant
Exile target creature.

Blade of Justice
Instant
Deal 3 damage to target attacking creature.

Celestial Flare

Order of Banishment
Sorcery
Exile target creature.

Sentence to Beyond
Instant
Exile target creature.

Lightning Bolt
Sorcery
Deal 3 damage to target creature or player
((Modified to Sorcery))

Shock

Flame Slash

Heat Ray

Volcanic Wave
Instant
Volcanic Wave deals X damage to target creature or player. If a creature dealt damage this way would die this turn, exile it instead.

Blaze

Burn to Ash
Instant
Burn to Ash deals 3 damage to target creature or player. If a creature dealt damage this way would die this turn, exile it instead.

Lightning Connection
Sorcery
Deal 3 damage to target creature and 3 damage to that creature's controller.

Pyromancer's Outrage

Super Gravity
Instant
Choose one -

• Deal 4 damage to target creature with flying.
• Target creature without flying can't attack this turn.

Envenom
Instant
Target creature gains deathtouch until end of turn.

Prey Upon

Mark for the Hunt
Instant
Target creature you control fights another target creature. (Each deals damage equal to its power to the other.)

Hunter's Rage
Instant
Target creature you control gets +2/+2 until end of turn and fights another target creature. (Each deals damage equal to its power to the other.)

Venomous Hunting
Sorcery
Target creature you control gains deathtouch until end of turn and fights another target creature. (Each deals damage equal to its power to the other.)

Beast Heart
Instant
Destroy target creature. Its controller puts a 3/3 green Beast creature token onto the battlefield.

Unsummon

Essence Scatter

Simple Beast
Sorcery
Exile target creature. Its controller puts a 2/2 colorless Beast creature token onto the battlefield.

Sheepify
Sorcery
Exile target creature. Its controller puts a 0/1 colorless Sheep creature token with defender onto the battlefield.

Time Ebb

Time Ripple
Sorcery
Put target nonland permanent on top of its owner's library.

Repel

Reverse Form
Instant
Put target nonland permanent on top of its owner's library.

Unform Life
Sorcery
Exile target creature.

Edit: I changed Mindsorting back to how I had it originally, at least for now.
Edit2: Changed Deadly Ritual to Execution and changed mana cost to color flexible.

Discover is the same as Opportunity.

Your removal is really strong. In black, compare Last Gasp and Grasp of Darkness. Blue also has very powerful removal options. Sheepify in particular is essentially a colorshifted Murder at no penalty.

Discover doesn't target, thus follows the pattern with the others I used. Opportunity can be used on the opponent or redirected.

I just changed Sheepify and Simple Beast to sorceries, due to your point about Murder comparison.

Edit: And I think the black removal is fine as is, given what else is already there. Black is, of course, supposed to be the primary color for creature removal. Note the scaling up and going between instants and sorceries, and later on adding a life cost.

Other color card draw:

White:

Hearts and Minds
Sorcery
Draw two cards and gain 4 life.

Blue:

See above

Black:

Sign in Blood

Altar's Reap

Harrowing Journey

Grave Fuel
Instant
Exile as many target cards from any number of target players' graveyards as you choose.
If you exiled at least six cards total, you may draw three cards.

Red:

Impulsiveness
Sorcery
Exile the top two cards of your library. Until end of turn, you may play cards exiled this way. (If you cast a spell this way, you still pay its costs. You can play a land this way only if you have an available land play remaining.)

Dangerous Wager

Act on Impulse

Phoenix Pass
Sorcery
Each player discards his or her hand, then draws seven cards.
Each player shuffles their graveyard into their library at the start of their next upkeep.

Mind of the Phoenix
Instant
Discard your hand, then draw seven cards.
If you discarded at least 4 cards this way, gain life equal to the number of cards discarded.
Shuffle your graveyard into your library at the start of your next upkeep.

Green:

Warriors' Lesson

Living Legacy
Sorcery
As an additional cost to cast Living Legacy, sacrifice a creature.
Draw cards equal to the sacrificed creature's power.

Harmonize

Shamanic Lifedance
Sorcery
Draw a card for each creature you control.
Gain life equal to the toughness of the creature you control with the most toughness or tied for the most toughness.

Momentous Fall

Soul's Majesty

White 1 drop creatures:

Devout Squire
Creature - Human Soldier
Exalted (Whenever a creature you control attacks alone, that creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.)
1/1

Loyal Retainer
Creature - Human Soldier
Challenge 1 (When this blocks or becomes blocked, it gets +1/+1 until end of turn.)
1/1

Yeah, challenge is just a re-written bushido.

Battleflow Initiate
Creature - Human Monk
Prowess
Whenever you cast a non-creature spell, Battleflow Initiate gains First Strike until end of turn.
1/1

Trained Hawk
Creature - Bird
Flying
1/1

Inspired Teammate
Creature - Human Soldier
Whenever Inspired Teammate and at least two other creatures attack, Inspired Teammate gets +2/+2 until end of turn.
1/1

Elite Vanguard

Sanctuary Cat

Tundra Wolves

Yoked Ox

Inspired Guardian
Creature - Human Soldier
Flash
1/1

Cathedral Sanctifier

Patrol Knight
Creature - Human Knight
If you control at least three plains, Patrol Knight gets +1/+1.
If you control at least five plains, Patrol Knight gets an additional +0/+2 and vigilance.
1/1

Soulmender

Talented Healer
Creature - Human Cleric
, : You gain 2 life.
When Talented Healer dies, you gain 2 life.
1/1

Blue 1 drop creatures:

Zephyr Sprite

Kraken Hatchling

Inspired Skirmisher
Creature - Human Scout
Flash
1/1

Merfolk Tactician
Creature - Merfolk Soldier
1/2

Village Sage
Creature - Human Wizard
When Village Sage enters the battlefield, look at the top four cards of your library, then put them back in any order.
1/1

Lonely Seer
Creature - Human Wizard
When Lonely Seer enters the battlefield, Scry 2. (Look at the top two cards of your library, then put any number of them on the bottom of your library and the rest on top in any order.)
1/1

Hired Diviner
Creature - Human Wizard
, : Scry 1. (Look at the top card of your library. You may put that card on the bottom of your library.)
1/1

Vault Staff Initiate
Creature - Human Monk
Prowess
Whenever you cast a non-creature spell, Vault Staff Initiate gains Flying until end of turn.
1/1

Member of the School
Creature - Merfolk Wizard
If you control at least three Islands, Member of the School gets +1/+1.
If you control at least five Islands, Member of the School gets an additional +1/+0 and flying.
1/1

Black 1 drop creatures:

Vampiric Hound
Creature - Vampire Hound
Lifelink
1/1

Angry Viper
Creature - Snake
Deathtouch
1/1

Deathgreeter

Sudden Spook
Creature - Spirit
When Sudden Spook enters the battlefield, target creature can't block until end of turn.
1/1

Shadow Thug
Creature - Human Rogue
Whenever another black creature enters the battlefield, target creature can't block until end of turn.
1/1

Unsteady Zombie
Creature - Zombie
Unsteady Zombie enters the battlefield tapped.
If Unsteady Zombie blocks, tap it.
Whenever Unsteady Zombie becomes tapped, it doesn't untap during your next untap step.
2/2

Essence of Corruption
Creature - Spirit
If you control at least three swamps, essence of corruption gets +1/+1.
If you control at least five swamps, essence of corruption gets an additional +0/+2 and deathtouch.
1/1

Phantom of Decay
Creature - Spirit
Wither (This deals damage to creatures in the form of -1/-1 counters.)
1/1

Essence Filled Cultist
Creature - Human Wizard
Sacrifice Essence Filled Cultist: Gain 3 life and look at the top card of target player's library.
1/1