Chromatic hatchling | Chromatic dragon

[newZaranir]

Chromatic hatchling
4

Effect and cost only can be paid by your highest quanta.
8: Transforms into Lesser Chromatic dragon.
2|8

Lesser chromatic dragon
8

Airborne.
Effect and cost only can be paid by your highest quanta.
12: Transforms into Greater Chromatic dragon.
Rewind only transforms it back to Chromatic hatchling.
5|12

12 Greater Chromatic dragon
Airborne. Token.
Rewind only transforms it back to Lesser chromatic dragon.
10|15

Note: Ability cost always matches the quanta the card way paid by.

Edit: Nerfed the upped version because Regrade combos.
Edit2: Added 2 grades of hatching and a flavor effect for Rewind. Currently, the Greater could be used to be played from random quanta pool. This can be changed, but yet it seems too complicated to pull anything off with it.
Edit3: Now the effect can be paid from any quanta, but it still uses only the highest you have. Also, the effect costs the same as the upgraded form, which I feel is a good middle ground in costs.

[sael]

Hey, I think that adding some creatures to rainbow is a really worthwhile idea! and a chromatic dragon sounds super interesting.
First, a question: when you say "of your highest quanta" , let's say I have 8 and 7 . If it needs 7 , would it take 4 of and 3 of  , or would it take the 7 from  ?
Another note (this is a personal opinion) but I feel like rather than using the upgrade game mechanic that is actually oriented to a different use, maybe it could be better to give the hatchling a paid ability for it to become lesser? You could even add another one to the lesser, even more expensive, for it to become greater! Very iconic.
One final note, a creature paid with any chroma has like a giant advantage, because it will always use the element that you have a surplus with. So maybe they should be weaker?? idk , just a thought. You can't underestimate the advantage of using any quanta surplus, it's huge.

Setting criticism aside, I think the idea has potential.

[newZaranir]

First, it takes 7 of a single quanta, so in this example, 7 .

Well, the Regrade idea was something that I noticed later, the original idea is to have a "vanilla" creature for all quanta, without being broken in rainbow. And I like cards that provide different uses in upp/unupp by slight changes.

And I like the 2. upgrade idea, also an unRegradeable dragon form is more balanced.

Edit: And yes, it has a huge advantage on rainbow, because you can pay from any quanta with it, but it also needs to be good enough to be put into monos. Or at least, considered. I'm thinking about how to balance it out.

[sael]

Uooouu the rewind idea is awesome! very flavoury.
I'm not sure about the ability cost retaining quanta identity thou. I think that plays with the idea of the dragon transforming into a certain element, instead of being all elements at the same time (and so using any quanta at any time).

As for power balance, think also about the chromatic pillars . They make three quanta per turn, instead of the regular 1. That makes me think that this dragon should be at least 2x times more expensive, or even 3x times, to hit around the same a regular dragon does. I honestly haven't thought about its mono application, it is something worth  considering. But nonetheless I think, if you have a mono  , it should be always obvious and more advantageous to use the  dark dragon instead of the  chromatic one. If not, then every mono dragon would become obsolete. I think that plays too against the idea of always paying the same quanta for ability. I think the deck you would want to see a chromatic dragon instead of a mono dragon, would be a deck that has AT LEAST two different elements, so it's design should be oriented to multiple element usage.

So IDK, I'm just gonna throw a stab in the air to see how it looks like:

Chromatic hatchling
4
Costs 4 of your highest quanta.
6?: Transforms into Lesser Chromatic dragon.
1|3

Lesser chromatic dragon
Airborne. Token.
12?: Transforms into Greater Chromatic dragon.
Rewind only transforms it back to Chromatic hatchling.
4|6

Greater Chromatic dragon
Airborne. Token.
Rewind only transforms it back to Lesser chromatic dragon.
14|16

So in here, it's both the strongest and the most expensive dragon of all. With the first upgrade, you have +3|+3 for 6 , which is ok, if a little underpowered. On the second one +10|+10 for 12 is super duper cheap, since you pay 10 for a 10|5 dragon. maybe it needs nerfing? haha
It would also only be accessible by playing the Hatchling first, and then you get to the Greater one by the third turn. The good part is that you pay in quotas haha !

Another last idea could be making the hatchling and each subsequent growth consume one of your pillars as part of the cost? like, besides regular, it also devours a whole pillar. That would be neat and maybe help with balancing a little?

sael

[Naii_the_Baf]

So in here, it's both the strongest and the most expensive dragon of all. With the first upgrade, you have +3|+3 for 6 , which is ok, if a little underpowered. On the second one +10|+10 for 12 is super duper cheap, since you pay 10 for a 10|5 dragon. maybe it needs nerfing? haha

White Dragon is 10|10 for 12

[newZaranir]

As for power balance, think also about the chromatic pillars . They make three quanta per turn, instead of the regular 1. That makes me think that this dragon should be at least 2x times more expensive, or even 3x times, to hit around the same a regular dragon does. I honestly haven't thought about its mono application, it is something worth  considering. But nonetheless I think, if you have a mono  , it should be always obvious and more advantageous to use the  dark dragon instead of the  chromatic one. If not, then every mono dragon would become obsolete. I think that plays too against the idea of always paying the same quanta for ability. I think the deck you would want to see a chromatic dragon instead of a mono dragon, would be a deck that has AT LEAST two different elements, so it's design should be oriented to multiple element usage.
sael

Yeah, the main reason why I don' want it to use is because the 3 times generation, also Supernova and Cremation. However, I think I can find a middle ground, not by linking the ability to a certain element, but by making both the card and the ability use the highest quanta you have. This also means the cost will need increasing, but gladly, not by tripling it.

Also, I think it's okay for the 2. form to be the upgraded form, otherwise it will need 6 card ideas. And I personally prefer Regrade, to be usable in both positively and also negatively on it.

So, the reason why I think it does not conflict with most dragons is the stats. Most dragons are statted offensively or just give a massive amount of stats for it's cost. So, for example, in  or  , you will not choose which is better than the other, but whether you need something offensive or defensive.