Spells
Leaping Drag - Incantation - corporeal creature
Level 1 war
4 mana - range 0-2.
Until end of turn, when target creature moves from a zone, you may push one corporal enemy creature from that zone toward the target creature.
Art shows a leaping Orc Butcher tackling a Gray Angel that flew too low to the ground. The orc is rushing forward, passing the angel, and he has the Angel's neck in the crook of his arm lariat style. The angel is being overbalanced backward, wings cramped, sword useless.
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Bull Rush - Enchantment - Living non-flying creature
Level 2 Nature
2 mana cast, 4 mana reveal - range 0-2
When this creature moves from a zone, you may push one corporeal enemy creature without flying in from zone toward this creature.
Art shows the panther Cervere, The Forest Shadow charging a Warlock. Cervere is surrounded by the blue ghostly outline of a bull, head lowered in a charge. In the distant background, the sky is hidden by a large Wall of Thorns.
Reason:
To give melee oriented midrange decks a bit more board control against fast agro decks by dragging their key pieces out of place. Also gives swarm decks the ability to push back against Few Big creature strategies, and brings push out of solely the force school to encourage more tactical board play. These cards also provide alternatives to teleport, which are important to have if a metagame hoser is being developed against that very powerful spell,
Tactical notes:
Fast and elusive creatures love these spells, as noted in the art for Bull Rush. The spells can trigger twice for creatures that can move twice, but note that the pushed creature still hinders. A fast elusive creature will be able to attack after moving twice and all creatures will be able to attack after moving once, unless they are slow.
Fireproof imps can drag enemies through walls of flame (without additional cost), or level 1 foxes can rush enemies into a wall of thorns. Climbing creatures may bash their targets against stone walls. Necropian Vampiress and Blue Gremlin are legal targets for these spells, and they too can do the bash trick.
Charging creatures like the Highland Unicorn can use this spell to gain the charge attack against creatures they share a square with.
Mages can both use and suffer from these attacks, usually with the intent of isolating the target.
While Leaping Drag would allow a goblin to push Adramelech one square, they won't help stall an attack that much; Adramelech will just move back. And no one will be dragging the immovable golems because the spells use the push mechanic.
Balance:
The costs for both cards are low because they require a creature to help push. Bull Rush excludes flyers for balance reasons as well as flavor, to prevent an enchanted falcon from making a circuit and repeatedly pushing things around without a chance of reprisal. Leaping Drag includes flyers because it's less repeatable/abuseable, and the flavor supports it. These spells do give pests a limited bodyguard use, which can be corrected--if required--by adding more text.
