January MCC -- Round 1 -- Harmony in Asymmetry

Rithaniel · Post by **Rithaniel** » 1 year ago

(This month's banner is my own creation, made with Blender and a little math.)

January MCC

Harmony in Asymmetry

Welcome to the January 2023 Monthly Card Competition. This month, our fancy animated banner says it all: we are playing with color. Each of the four rounds for this month will have main challenges relating to color in some way, mildly increasing in difficulty as we go. Pretty much every card this month is going to be multicolor in some way, so I hope you enjoy those cards as much as I do.

Now, this first round's challenge is a going to be a little abstract, so it will need a little explanation. I'm giving a "one liner" expression of the main challenge, and putting the details in the clarifications below.

Main Challenge -- Design a monocolored or two-colored card with three colors in its color identity, and which has "asymmetric" colors. _{(See clarifications)}

Subchallenge 1 -- The card uses hybrid mana somewhere.

Subchallenge 2 -- The card is rare or mythic.

Clarifications

Show

Hide

Main Challenge -- Okay, so, trivial things first. If you need to know, color identity is the culmination of all color symbols that appear anywhere on the card, whereas colors are (most often) determined solely by mana cost. What you want is a card that is one or two colors, but which has three colors in its full identity.

But what does "asymmetric" mean? Well, the easiest way to express it would be to suppose that we've already picked three colors. Let's call them . Go to the most modern card you can find which is those three colors and look at how they are ordered in the mana cost. If they're ordered , then an asymmetric card with that color identity cannot be colorless, the color, or the colors.

For example, Mythos of Snapdax would be symmetric, and would not satisfy this challenge. Meanwhile Mardu Warshrieker and Brutal Hordechief both would.

For another example, Isu the Abominable and Jedit Ojanen, Mercenary are both asymmetrical and would pass, but Sunscape Master would fail.

EDIT - If you need further clarification, you can refer to the list in the spoiler below. In that list, each of the ten possible three-color combinations are listed, together with the colors that a card cannot be, if it has those three colors in its identity.

The List

Show

Hide

For -- colors must NOT be U or WB.
For -- colors must NOT be B or UR.
For -- colors must NOT be R or BG.
For -- colors must NOT be G or RW.
For -- colors must NOT be W or GU.
For -- colors must NOT be B or GW.
For -- colors must NOT be R or WU.
For -- colors must NOT be G or UB.
For -- colors must NOT be W or BR.
For -- colors must NOT be U or RG.

Subchallenge -- Hybrid manas include , , , , , , , , , , , , , , and . Phyrexian manas are excluded because they remove a requirement for mana, rather than blurring between two kinds of mana.

DEADLINES

Design deadline: Monday, January 9th 23:59 -- Eastern Standard Time

Judging deadline: Thursday, January 12th 23:59 -- Eastern Standard Time

RUBRIC

MCC Rubric

Show

Hide

The MCC Rubric is given below, in an easily "copy and pasted" form.

Code: Select all

[b]Design[/b]
[b](X/3) Appeal[/b] - Do the different player psychographics (Timmy/Johhny/Spike) have a use for the card?
[b](X/3) Elegance[/b] - Is the card easily understandable at a glance? Do all the flavor and mechanics combined as a whole make sense?
 
[b]Development[/b]
[b](X/3) Viability[/b] - How well does the card fit into the color wheel? Does it break or bend the rules of the game? Is it the appropriate rarity?
[b](X/3) Balance[/b] - Does the card have a power level appropriate for contemporary constructed/limited environments without breaking them? Does it play well in casual and multiplayer formats? Does it create or fit into a deck/archetype? Does it create an oppressive environment?
 
[b]Creativity[/b]
[b](X/3) Uniqueness[/b] - Has a card like this ever been printed before? Does it use new mechanics, ideas, or design space? Does it combine old ideas in a new way? Overall, does it feel "fresh"?
[b](X/3) Flavor[/b] - Does the name seem realistic for a card? Does the flavor text sound professional? Do all the flavor elements synch together to please Vorthos players?
 
[b]Polish[/b]
[b](X/3) Quality[/b] - Points deducted for incorrect spelling, grammar, and templating.
[b](X/2) Main Challenge (*)[/b] - Was the main challenge satisfied? Was it approached in a unique or interesting way? Does the card fit the intent of the challenge?
[b](X/2) Subchallenges[/b] - One point awarded per satisfied subchallenge condition.
 
[b]Total: X/25[/b]
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.

JUDGES

Rithaniel
Ink-Treader
void_nothing (potentially)

If you want to consider judging, I say the more the merrier: Sign ups are here.

PLAYERS

If you want to play, just post a card anytime before the deadline. The first round is usually a little bit longer, to allow people enough of a chance to get in, but don't forget!

OneAndOnly · Post by **OneAndOnly** » 1 year ago

( withdrawn )

kwanyeegor-ii · Post by **kwanyeegor-ii** » 1 year ago

Black Poplar Sniper 1G
Creature - Treefolk Shaman Archer (Rare)
T: Black Poplar Sniper deals 1 damage to target creature with flying or artifact creature.
1{W/B}: Black Poplar Sniper gains lifelink until end of turn.
1{B/G}: Black Poplar Sniper gains deathtouch until end of turn.
1{G/W}, Sacrifice a land: Untap Black Poplar Sniper.
0/5

marioguy3 · Post by **marioguy3** » 1 year ago

Wizard of Alchemist Village
Creature - Cat Golem Wizard (Mythic Rare)
Whenever a blue permanent you control is turned face down, you may pay . If you do, create a token that's a copy of another target face-up permanent.
Whenever a green permanent you control is shuffled into your library, you may pay . If you do, exile the bottom card of each player's library, then draw a card.
Shuffle a land you control into its owner's library: Create a 3/4 blue, red, and green Cat Golem creature token.
: Target land you control becomes blue and green until end of turn.
4/4

slimytrout · Post by **slimytrout** » 1 year ago

Risher, the Deathclaw 3R
Legendary Creature - Viashino Wizard (R)
Whenever you cast a creature spell from your hand, you may pay {b/r}. If you do, exile a creature card from your graveyard. Create a token that's a copy of that card except it has haste and "Sacrifice this creature at end of turn."
Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell from your hand, you may pay {u/r}. If you do, exile an instant or sorcery card from your graveyard. Copy that card. You may cast the copy without paying its mana cost.
3/3

Subject16 · Post by **Subject16** » 1 year ago

Oryn, Careless Crafter 1U
Legendary Creature — Gnome Artificer (R)
Ward
Whenever you discard an artifact card, you you may cast it from your graveyard by paying 1R rather than paying its mana cost. If you do, it gains haste and "At the beginning of the next end step, sacrifice this permanent."
2W, Discard a card: Return target artifact card from your graveyard to your hand.
1/3

bravelion83 · Post by **bravelion83** » 1 year ago

Indatha Grimalkin 2G
Creature — Cat Nightmare Beast (M)
Indatha Grimalkin gets an additional +1/+1 for each counter on it.
3G: Put a +1/+1 counter on Indatha Grimalkin.
{G/W}: If Indatha Grimalkin doesn't have vigilance, put a vigilance counter on it.
{W/B}: If Indatha Grimalkin doesn't have lifelink, put a lifelink counter on it.
{B/G}: If Indatha Grimalkin doesn't have deathtouch, put a deathtouch counter on it.
1/1

netn10 · Post by **netn10** » 1 year ago

Is the card fits the challenge?

Blood Canvas
Artifact (Rare)
As Blood Canvas enters the battlefield, pay any amount of life between 1 and 5.
, T: Draw X cards, where X is the life paid as Blood Canvas entered the battlefield. If only black mana was spent to activate this ability, you lose X life.

Henlock · Post by **Henlock** » 1 year ago

Outcast of the Heavens bg
Creature - Angel (r)
Deathtouch.
Escape -- 2ww, Exile four other cards from your graveyard.(You may cast this card from your graveyard for its escape cost.)
Outcast of the Heavens escapes with a flying counter and with a vigilance counter on it
3/1

Hope I got it right

haywire · Post by **haywire** » 1 year ago

Witchbolt
Enchantment — Aura {R}
Enchant creature
You may cast Witchbolt from exile by paying in addition to paying its other costs.
At the beginning of enchanted creature's controller's upkeep, you may pay . When you do, enchanted creature gets -3/-3 until end of turn and its controller loses 3 life. If enchanted creature would die this turn, instead exile it, then exile Witchbolt.
: Tap enchanted creature and put a stun counter on it, then exile Witchbolt. Activate only once per turn.
Bedridden survivors report a flash of black light followed by the feeling of death and illness. But the cathars' autopsies on the less fortunate reveal no magical causes, or at least none that remain.

Freyleyes · Post by **Freyleyes** » 1 year ago

Cyntia, Wrath Incarcerate WWW
Legendary Creature - Angel {M}
Flying, first strike
When Cyntia, Wrath Incarnate enters the battlefield, exile up to one target legendary permanent.
{U/R}{U/R}: Exile Cyntia. Return her to the battlefield with a -1/-1 counter on her. Activate only once each turn.
"I may not last this onslaught, but pray that you do not face my eldest sister..."
— Cyntia to Valrac the Black
4/3

Post by **void_nothing** » 1 year ago

Lich of Twinned Elements 4B
Creature - Elemental Zombie Wizard (R)
Pay 4 life: Lich of Twinned Elements gains your choice of flying, trample, indestructible, or haste until end of turn.
2{G/U}: Choose up to two target creature cards in graveyards. Their owners shuffle those cards into their libraries. For each of those cards that has flying and/or trample, if you own it, put a +1/+1 counter on Lich of Twinned Elements, and if an opponent owns it, spells that player casts cost 1 more to cast this turn.
"May earth crumble and sky fade if they don't obey me."
4/4

MonoRedMage · Post by **MonoRedMage** » 1 year ago

The Firemarrow Excavator 2{R/G}{R/G}
Legendary Artifact {M}
Whenever a creature you control deals combat damage to a player, exile target card in your graveyard with the same mana value as that creature. You may play that card this turn.
T, Put three cards from your graveyard on the bottom of your library: Add BBB. Spend this mana only to cast spells from your graveyard or exile.
To its makers there could be no such thing as "digging too deeply."

Rithaniel · Post by **Rithaniel** » 1 year ago

Alright, round is closed. @Ink-Treader and I will now proceed to go through and evaluate who goes on to the next round.

I have rolled dice to try and make the groups as random as possible. Top four from each group go through. Let's get the scores in by Thursday. If we get done early, I won't post the thread until the beginning of Friday the 13th (I just now realized that it's gonna be Friday the 13th), in case we want to make some last minute edits to our scoring.

Rithaniel's Group
bravelion83
Freyleyes
haywire
marioguy3
netn10
void_nothing

Ink-Treader's Group
kwanyeegor-ii
Henlock
MonoRedMage
slimytrout
Subject16

Ink-Treader · Post by **Ink-Treader** » 1 year ago

(Also, Rithaniel, can I just thank you for making the rubric so nicely copyable. Or whomever it is, but this seems to be the first MCC where it's templated so.)

Alright, I'm pleased with how this looks.

kwanyeegor-ii

Show

Hide

Design
(1.5/3) Appeal - I don't think this is too exciting for Timmy. Johnny can enjoy both trying to add flying/artifact typing to other creatures, and of course the untap ability. Spike's more on the fence, but repeatable creature removal can be nice, even if the target selection is limited.
(3/3) Elegance - A lot of abilities, but they're all pretty short, though the first ability would read better as 'artifact creature or creature with flying'. I don't have an example that it should be so, however.

Development
(3/3) Viability - Green is right for the base ability (though artifact creatures is... we'll get to that in Uniqueness), and the color costs for the other 3 are all appropriate. Pingers tend to be uncommon, but with the ability to straight up kill targets of any toughness (and multiple times a turn), rare feels right.
(2.5/3) Balance - Strong in its niche to be sure. I do think the lifelink is overcosted by 1, and perhaps the untap could cost more and have a somewhat less severe drawback than sacrificing a land. I understand not wanting the untap to be abused, but it feels really steep as is.

Creativity
(3/3) Uniqueness - Gremlin Mine seems to be the only card that can deal damage to specifically artifact creatures. That alone is pretty unique. There are a few cards like this that can untap, but none that seem to be able to get temporary abilities like this.
(2.5/3) Flavor - The only card bearing the 'Black Poplar' name (Black Poplar Shaman) is notably black. That being said, I don't have much problem with this card being green, and black features pretty prominently in the effects that evoke the Black Poplar Shaman's flavor. I would say Shaman feels extraneous in the typeline. Not much room for flavor text.

Polish
(3/3) Quality - Other than what was mentioned in Elegance, this is fine.
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) - As B is the central color of the BGW identity, this looks to be correct.
(2/2) Subchallenges - Contains hybrid mana, and is rare.

Total: 22.5/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.

Henlock

Show

Hide

Design
(2/3) Appeal - A recurring Angel is appealing enough for Timmy, and Spike as well I'd say. Johnny doesn't see anything too crazy here.
(3/3) Elegance - That's quite straightforward.

Development
(2/3) Viability - Deathtouch for black/green is fine, and getting flying and vigilance is fine for white, but it would have been fine for black and green again as well. The fact that you can technically get a deathtouch creature for just white here is a bit inappropriate. Recurring flying deathtouch does probably warrant rare, though uncommon could work. Deathtouch and vigilance on a high power/low toughness creature is weird, but I think works with this is doing.
(3/3) Balance - I think the costs are all appropriate.

Creativity
(2/3) Uniqueness - Escaping with keyword counters and off-color escape costs are new, though the combined package doesn't result in anything particularly novel.
(2/3) Flavor - Sure. It feels a little weird that it 'escapes' back into the heavens when you stop to think about it, but not overmuch so. There certainly was room for some flavor text to help out.

Polish
(2/3) Quality - Keywords don't end in periods (Deathtouch.), and the final line of text should end in a period.
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) - GW are the flanking colors of BGW, so this is correct.
(1/2) Subchallenges - Rare, but no hybrid mana to be seen.

Total: 19/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.

MonoRedMage

Show

Hide

Design
(2/3) Appeal - Timmy kind of likes what they see here, though it's a bit weird. Johnny is all onboard with the potential, and Spike also likes what they see, but doesn't appreciate the exile being mandatory.
(2.5/3) Elegance - There's quite a bit going on here, but it reads fine.

Development
(2/3) Viability - This feels unorthodox for green, even if the effects are technically things it can do. It's even more weird for red, being much rarer effects for it to get. Mythic seems fine.
(2.5/3) Balance - The exile being mandatory can be a drawback, but this can do very nasty things with evasive creatures and cheap removal/draw spells, as long as you can keep casting them as they get exiled.

Creativity
(3/3) Uniqueness - This seems to be a unique form of recursion, in terms of conditions. The mana ability also feels pretty novel, though there are some similar abilities (Altar of the Lost was first to come to mind)
(2.5/3) Flavor - It's certainly an excavator, and the forced exile does evoke the carelessness the flavor text suggests. I want to hear more about this 'Firemarrow', however.

Polish
(2.5/3) Quality - Squee, the Immortal suggests the mana ability should be 'from your graveyard or from exile.'
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) - The side colors of BRG are BG, so this is correct.
(2/2) Subchallenges - Contains hybrid mana and is mythic.

Total: 21/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.

slimytrout

Show

Hide

Design
(3/3) Appeal - Timmy can very much enjoy this, as can Johnny. Spike finds the combat stats unimpressive, as well as it being vulnerable, but recognizes how strong those abilities are if they get to take advantage of them.
(2.5/3) Elegance - It's wordy, and the abilities to function a little differently from each other.

Development
(3/3) Viability - This is fine for red, though the former ability is somewhat novel for it in construction. Black and blue are also fine, though as noted the card would look fine as monored, but I must concede that Streets of New Capenna definitely proves WoTC is willing to just slap on extra colors via hybrid just for Commander. Rare is certainly appropriate.
(2/3) Balance - This card feels like an "answer or die" kind of deal. Get some expensive things in the yard and bring them out for rather cheap using low mana value creatures or instants/sorceries. Needing to match card types helps, but there's a lot of cheap cards of those types that can help in getting the expensive cards to the graveyard. At least it has no protection.

Creativity
(2/3) Uniqueness - It's reminiscent of Riku of Two Reflections, in a way, though it's recursion instead of copying. The exact package is unique, but the parts are quite familiar.
(2/3) Flavor - First ability is deathly enough, second ability less so. I would expect a 'Deathclaw' to perhaps require combat, or more direct dying.

Polish
(3/3) Quality - This looks correct.
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) - B is the center color of UBR, so this is correct.
(2/2) Subchallenges - Contains hybrid mana, and is rare.

Total: 21.5/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.

Subject16

Show

Hide

Design
(2.5/3) Appeal - Timmy sees that it can do some splashy stuff, but this is more a Johnny and Spike card.
(3/3) Elegance - Wordy, but there's nothing unusual with the abilities here.

Development
(3/3) Viability - Blue seems right. Twobrid ward is a bit weird, but there is some precedent for taxes that one color can handle better (Norn's Annex.) Red for the second ability is certainly correct, and white is fine for the third, though more red could have worked here too, or even blue potentially, if the environment called for it, but as it's a potential commander I'll be lenient about that. Rare is fine.
(1.5/3) Balance - One is not going to do anything fair with this card, especially coming down as quick as this can and with some protection to boot. The second ability is the star of the show, with the third ability only needed when cheaper enablers aren't at hand, or payoffs in hand.

Creativity
(2/3) Uniqueness - Weird ward, a kind of artifact specific madness, and some fairly mundane (well in terms of being commonish. I don't think it dull) temporary artifact recursion. Enough oddities to stand out, but nothing impressively fresh feeling.
(3/3) Flavor - They do feel quite careless, though their craft is impressive. Always a bit of waste going on.

Polish
(2.5/3) Quality - "you you may cast" in the second ability.
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) - R is the central color of RUW, so this is correct.
(2/2) Subchallenges - Contains hybrid (well twobrid, but it's still hybrid) mana and is rare.

Total: 21.5/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.

Scores (bold advance)

Show

Hide

kwanyeegor-ii: 22.5
slimytrout: 21.5
Subject16: 21.5
MonoRedMage: 21
Henlock: 19

Rithaniel · Post by **Rithaniel** » 1 year ago

Ink-Treader wrote: ↑
1 year ago
(Also, Rithaniel, can I just thank you for making the rubric so nicely copyable. Or whomever it is, but this seems to be the first MCC where it's templated so.)

No problemo. I'm glad it was helpful.

Judgments

Show

Hide

bravelion83

Show

Hide

bravelion83 wrote: ↑
1 year ago
Indatha Grimalkin 2G
Creature — Cat Nightmare Beast (M)
Indatha Grimalkin gets an additional +1/+1 for each counter on it.
3G: Put a +1/+1 counter on Indatha Grimalkin.
{G/W}: If Indatha Grimalkin doesn't have vigilance, put a vigilance counter on it.
{W/B}: If Indatha Grimalkin doesn't have lifelink, put a lifelink counter on it.
{B/G}: If Indatha Grimalkin doesn't have deathtouch, put a deathtouch counter on it.
1/1

Design
(2.5/3) Appeal - Timmy likes the big stompy creature part, but is disappointed that it's a 1/1 at first. Johnny is putting this in their "play around with counters" deck right away. Spike would probably love this creature, given the right deck for it.
(3/3) Elegance - After you read the third ability you don't even need to read the rest because it's obvious what they're going to be. That's elegance, right there.

Development
(3/3) Viability - As far as color identity is concerned, it's undoubtable on-point. As far as rarity is concerned, I think it definitely works. This feels like a particularly splashy rare, making it work as a mythic.
(2/3) Balance - I'm not sure how powerful exactly this winds up being, but it is at least "great." This is in green, so this guy could come down on turn 2, and then get pumped up to a 4/4 with vigilance, lifelink, and deathtouch and then swing on turn 3. That's not bad, no matter what else you're trying to run, but then, next turn, it can keep on getting bigger and splashier. If it doesn't get answered immediately, it gives a swing of 8 life, leaving it up as a huge, deathtouch blocker in the meantime. Like, this cat could easily define a "green rush" deck. There are environments where that strategy wouldn't win, of course, but this guy is still crazy strong.

Creativity
(3/3) Uniqueness - Using mana as a way to "unlock more features of the card" is a fun idea, though also one we've seen many times before, as with the levelers in Rise of the Eldrazi or Monstrous creatures from Theros. Of course, this is a new take on the idea. The fact that it's all about the number of any kind of counter on the creature makes it unique enough, even if it's just another "filler mythic beatstick."
(2/3) Flavor - The mechanics feel like a very "green" take on this three-color combo, so that gives some good "meta-flavor." It's good on that front. I also like the nod to "Indatha" to establish why we're using keyword counters. However, those two points simple ground the mechanics of the card in the flavor of the color pie or the flavor of a world, while the card's flavor comes down to the rarity and the word "Grimalkin," which is indeed flavor, but isn't a lot.

Polish
(2.5/3) Quality - Judging from Luxior, Giada's Gift, that "an additional" shouldn't be there, but I think it's good idea to have.
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) - Yep, it's asymmetric.
(2/2) Subchallenges - Yep, it's mythic and uses hybrid mana.

Total: 22/25

Freyleyes

Show

Hide

Freyleyes wrote: ↑
1 year ago
Cyntia, Wrath Incarcerate WWW
Legendary Creature - Angel {M}
Flying, first strike
When Cyntia, Wrath Incarnate enters the battlefield, exile up to one target legendary permanent.
{U/R}{U/R}: Exile Cyntia. Return her to the battlefield with a -1/-1 counter on her. Activate only once each turn.
"I may not last this onslaught, but pray that you do not face my eldest sister..."
— Cyntia to Valrac the Black
4/3

Design
(2/3) Appeal - Timmy likes the badass angel. Johnny doesn't see a whole lot of use for this creature, except perhaps in making arbitrary permanents legendary and to improve that ETB ability, but that's a stretch. Meanwhile, spike is all over this card.
(1/3) Elegance - Things don't fully come together for this card. Why does it have the -1/-1 counter? Why does she hose legendary permanents? It feels like the design is just doing things without a unifying idea behind it.

Development
(1.5/3) Viability - You know, I've always had a particular "favorite mechanic bleed," and that was specifically "blink in red," but I have to admit that it's still technically a bleed. Technically, you could justify it by saying, since the card itself is white, the activation cost shouldn't matter, but then the counter to that is "what does the red actually provide, then?" I think it would have been better as a red/white card with a white/blue hybrid activation cost. Other that that, I think it pulls off mythic quite well.
(1/3) Balance - So, this card is usually a 4/3 evasive that comes down turn 3 in a mono-white deck, making it already quite powerful. This creature would be a very difficult-to-answer threat, as it has flying, so you have to target it with removal, most of the time, but if the player can get the blinking active, even that removal doesn't work. Add, on top of that, the ETB effect means, in some circumstances, this is also repeated removal. I mean, the blink and the mana cost are both very color intensive, making it difficult to activate, but, even with that, it winds up being way too good.

Creativity
(3/3) Uniqueness - Well, between the blue/red blink and the legendary-hosing, this is definitely in unexplored waters. The flavor even prevents the "big mythic angel" from feeling bland. Full points on uniqueness.
(2/3) Flavor - There is certainly flavor here. I like how it hints at a larger world, but it could be arranged more clearly. It feels like its a quote from the middle of a fight, but, unfortunately, it makes me wonder more about the fight than about Cynthia's older sister. Also, I don't see how the mechanics tie back to the flavor.

Polish
(1.5/3) Quality - Gendered pronouns are only used for Planeswalkers, otherwise the card refers to itself as "it." Also, the "blink and then immediate return cards" are worded as "Exile ~, then return it."
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) - Yep, it's asymmetric.
(2/2) Subchallenges - Yep, it's mythic and uses hybrid mana.

Total: 16/25

haywire

Show

Hide

haywire wrote: ↑
1 year ago
Witchbolt
Enchantment — Aura {R}
Enchant creature
You may cast Witchbolt from exile by paying in addition to paying its other costs.
At the beginning of enchanted creature's controller's upkeep, you may pay . When you do, enchanted creature gets -3/-3 until end of turn and its controller loses 3 life. If enchanted creature would die this turn, instead exile it, then exile Witchbolt.
: Tap enchanted creature and put a stun counter on it, then exile Witchbolt. Activate only once per turn.
Bedridden survivors report a flash of black light followed by the feeling of death and illness. But the cathars' autopsies on the less fortunate reveal no magical causes, or at least none that remain.

Design
(1.5/3) Appeal - Timmy doesn't have a whole lot of stuff to enjoy about this card. Johnny, on the other hand, is scheming about making infinite resources by somehow looping this card through exile over and over again. Spike likes the repeated removal, but dislikes how mana intensive it is.
(1.5/3) Elegance - This card feels like a swiss army knife, with different functions more or less "glued together," but you can get a sense of how the card is meant to play. If the opponent has smaller creatures, it gets rid of them. If the opponent has larger creatures, it keeps them locked down. One thing I would point out is that "activate only once per turn" is mildly confusing, considering that it just prevents consecutive activations, since casting it again removes the restriction. I think just having it be sorcery-speed activation would have made it more intuitive. Also, I'm not sure if you need to make this be an aura.

Development
(3/3) Viability - Repeatable removal is rare-appropriate, the trigger ability warrants black, and the activated ability feels white/blue. Viability is good, in my opinion.
(1.5/3) Balance - So, the big issue that I see is that this card is too mana intensive and too color intensive. For two mana you get something that does nothing until you pay more mana. If you have four mana to cast it and then use it, then this either gives a creature -3/-3 and makes its controller lose 3 life, or it taps and stuns a creature. Both are fairly underwhelming for four mana. This can be , which is a lot of commitment to black mana for just -3/-3. Also, I throw the words "repeatable removal" a lot, but every further "-3/-3 and 3 life" costs a full . To be fair, it can cause repeated, more-or-less-unblockable lifeloss, while keep creatures locked down, so it seems good for a control deck, but I do believe that the steep mana requirements prevent it from really shining.

Creativity
(3/3) Uniqueness - Casting stuff from exile almost unconditionally is particularly unexplored territory.
(3/3) Flavor - I like this flavor. A curse that hides itself, and which either kills or incapacitates through illness, before choosing a new victim. It's simple idea, but well-conveyed and fun.

Polish
(0.5/3) Quality - So, from One Thousand Lashes, this should be "At the beginning of the upkeep of enchanted creature's controller." Also, the exiling replacement effect should be "exile Witchbolt and it" Also, at 13 lines of text, you deep in microtext land.
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) - Yep, it's asymmetric.
(2/2) Subchallenges - Yep, it's rare and uses hybrid mana.

Total: 18/25

marioguy3

Show

Hide

marioguy3 wrote: ↑
1 year ago
Wizard of Alchemist Village
Creature - Cat Golem Wizard (Mythic Rare)
Whenever a blue permanent you control is turned face down, you may pay . If you do, create a token that's a copy of another target face-up permanent.
Whenever a green permanent you control is shuffled into your library, you may pay . If you do, exile the bottom card of each player's library, then draw a card.
Shuffle a land you control into its owner's library: Create a 3/4 blue, red, and green Cat Golem creature token.
: Target land you control becomes blue and green until end of turn.
4/4

Design
(3/3) Appeal - Timmy doesn't know what's going on, but likes all the things this guy does. Johnny also doesn't know what's going on, but sees loads of ways to utilize this card. Spike fully understands this card as a token generator with some filler text to the top and bottom. Spike also really likes this card.
(1/3) Elegance - I don't know what this card is doing. It's turning lands green and blue, exiling cards from the bottom of libraries, copying permanents, watching for things being turned face-down, and watching for things being shuffled into libraries. It's all over the place. The only thing really tying any of it together is that three of its abilities play off of each other, but the things that those abilities are doing don't make sense. Like, it paints a land green and blue, transforms the land into a cat, and then exiles the bottom card of each player's library and draws a card. Then, after all that, it is also watching for things being turned face down? What is this supposed to be doing?

Development
(1/3) Viability - So, the real challenge for this round was to make a card that makes sense for the color combo that you chose. You went for red with a tiny splash of green and huge dash of blue. So, you would need to make a card that is primarily red, but justifies the splashes. Unfortunately, this should be mono-blue. Green barely gets copy effects, and so the inclusion of in that line feels out of place. The only thing that doesn't require blue is the token making ability, which can pass in red, but can also fully pass in blue. That being said, I suppose it does feel mythic.
(0.5/3) Balance - So, you have one major issue with this design, and that's the fact that the token-creation ability has no limit on how much it can be used, so, if you have five lands (let's assume you just cast it), you can just shuffle all your lands into your library and have a total of 19 power on the board (five 3/4s and one 4/4). You might argue that doing so leaves you with no lands, but that's the big thing: you don't have to go all-in, and it still ends up being too much. Just shuffling two cards into your library still gives you 10 power, with the option for more. The closest thing to this design is Precursor Golem, but it's no competition, in my opinion, since the cat golem can produce so many more tokens, lacks the weaknesses of the non-cat golem, and has additional advantages. This card is way too strong.

Creativity
(3/3) Uniqueness - Yeah, pretty much everything here is new in some way or another. There's no question that this is a unique card.
(1.5/3) Flavor - I don't know what the flavor is supposed to be, because this card is mostly mechanics and I don't have a sense for what the mechanics are meant to represent. I suppose this is a land-and-reality-warping golem cat? Why does "alchemist village" have a cat golem wizard? Like, I feel as though you have flavor ideas here, but they don't come across clearly.

Polish
(2.5/3) Quality - You're in "microtext range," for sure.
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) - Yep, it's asymmetric.
(2/2) Subchallenges - Yep, it's mythic and uses hybrid mana.

Total: 16.5/25

netn10

Show

Hide

netn10 wrote: ↑
1 year ago
Is the card fits the challenge?

Blood Canvas
Artifact (Rare)
As Blood Canvas enters the battlefield, pay any amount of life between 1 and 5.
, T: Draw X cards, where X is the life paid as Blood Canvas entered the battlefield. If only black mana was spent to activate this ability, you lose X life.

Design
(1.5/3) Appeal - Timmy doesn't like having to pay so much life for card draw. Johnny uses this as a way to dig for his combo, but doesn't see much use in it beside that. Spike, on the other hand, loves this card.
(3/3) Elegance - Yep, makes sense. I particularly like this color combination as a way to express the idea. Black/red brings the life loss and black/blue brings the card draw. It's also good as a rare. I'm a little iffy on it being an artifact, but colored artifacts have been normalized at this point, so I think it's good.

Development
(3/3) Viability - Oh yeah, you're 100% viable, here. This works in both as a red card with a blue activated ability or as a monoblack card. It's also impressive enough to be rare. I think there is one point of contention, where this might not work in hybrid black/red, since, as a mono-red card it doesn't do anything, but I think the fact that it's "pay life first and then draw cards later" matches up with the idea of "pay red first and then pay blue later."
(1/3) Balance - So, we have a Necropotence variant? Those are always potentially dangerous. I think this one might end up being too dangerous, in fact. I can't imagine a world where a player doesn't always pay 5 life. All the player has to do is run one blue mana and they don't have to take any further life loss, while drawing five cards a turn for only two mana. In fact, even if it were capped at 3 life and the card always incurred life loss, I think it'd still end up too strong.

Creativity
(3/3) Uniqueness - I would say that the use of color here puts the card in fully new territory, but the benefit from avoiding black mana is also a new idea, so you're solid on uniqueness.
(2/3) Flavor - This could use a little more flavor. The name does convey some of what the idea is meant to be: It's an "evil source of ideas." But the particulars of the flavor could be more fleshed out with a single line of flavor text. Something to elucidate how this artifact is meant to work.

Polish
(3/3) Quality - Yep, seems good.
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) - Yep, it's asymmetric.
(2/2) Subchallenges - Yep, it's rare and uses hybrid mana.

Total: 20.5/25

void_nothing

Show

Hide

void_nothing wrote: ↑
1 year ago
Lich of Twinned Elements 4B
Creature - Elemental Zombie Wizard (R)
Pay 4 life: Lich of Twinned Elements gains your choice of flying, trample, indestructible, or haste until end of turn.
2{G/U}: Choose up to two target creature cards in graveyards. Their owners shuffle those cards into their libraries. For each of those cards that has flying and/or trample, if you own it, put a +1/+1 counter on Lich of Twinned Elements, and if an opponent owns it, spells that player casts cost 1 more to cast this turn.
"May earth crumble and sky fade if they don't obey me."
4/4

Design
(1.5/3) Appeal - Timmy is impressed by the cool, powerful lich, but doesn't like having to pay 4 life for a keyword ability. Johnny might use this for infinite recursion. Spike is underwhelmed overall.
(2/3) Elegance - So, I have some minor gripes with the keywords being inconsistent between the two abilities. One cares about flying, trample, indestructible, and haste while the other only cares about flying and trample. Also, the second ability either buffs the lich or makes cards cost more, which are two effects that don't "match-up" well. These are ultimately just minor complaints, though. The card ends up pretty straight-forward.

Development
(2/3) Viability - So, green doesn't get cost-increasing effects. That's much more of a white effect. Blue can also get it, on occasion, but Hum of the Radix is the only card that does this in green. I'd even argue that green would provide the opposite effect, most of the time. However, that being said, I think everything else fits into place quite well.
(2/3) Balance - So, I'm pretty convinced that this is underpowered. It's usually a 4/4 for 5, making it a Fomori Nomad. The first ability requires 4 life to get any keywords for a turn. One of those abilities being indestructible makes the 4 life feel worth it, but the other three feel like way too little to warrant a 4 life cost. Like, paying 4 life for a 4/4 with haste is too much. Paying 8 life for a 4/4 with flying and trample? Way too much. The only way you would use that ability is to save it from destruction. The second ability, on the other hand, is useful, but ultimately too slow. It can allow this creature to become larger, but requires you to specifically have creatures with flying and trample in your graveyard, which makes it somewhat obscure and difficult to enable. It's not impossible to enable, of course, but its difficult enough that I wouldn't really expect to see it work often, unless you're bending over backwards to enable it. All that being said, of course, there is stuff that this creature does do, so it isn't terrible, but I do think it could use a little bit of a buff.

Creativity
(3/3) Uniqueness - An activated ability that makes your opponent's spells cost more is definitely new. A card that cares about specifically flying and/or trample is also new. You're in fresh territory.
(2.5/3) Flavor - So, I see something of a flavor idea here, but not everything clicks. The nod to "earth and sky" is good as an explanation for what the activated ability is supposed to be representing, and it strengthens the green/blue activation cost. Overall, this feels like a really black-mana take on this color trio. In fact, the only issue I have is that I don't get the meaning of the words "Twinned Elements."

Polish
(2.5/3) Quality - You're in "microtext range," for sure.
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) - Yep, it's asymmetric.
(2/2) Subchallenges - Yep, it's rare and uses hybrid mana.

Total: 19.5/25

Scores

Show

Hide

Bold Advance:

bravelion83 - 22
netn10 - 20.5
void_nothing - 19.5
haywire - 18
marioguy3 - 16.5
Freyleyes - 16

Your Community

Top Sections

Deck Formats

Cards & Previews

Delve Further

Community Content

Game Tools

Site Tools

Other Resources

January MCC -- Round 1 -- Harmony in Asymmetry

Artisan Brewery: Jumping the Gun, Are We?

Artisan Saloon: Doc's Our Huckleberry

Thunder Junction: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly

Artisan Brewery: I Want YOU!

Dual Land Directory