February MCC, Round 2 - The Holy Ritual

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void_nothing
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Post by void_nothing » 1 year ago

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February MCC, Round 2 - The Holy Ritual

Welcome to the February MCC! It's Mana Production Month here at the MCC.

Main Challenge: Design an instant or sorcery card that produces mana as part of its effect.
Subchallenge 1: Your card is not red
Subchallenge 2: Your card has one or more mana symbols in its text that are of a color the card is not

DEADLINES

Design deadline: Tuesday, March 7th 23:59 EDT

Judging deadline: Friday, March 10th 23:59 EDT

Clarifications
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Main Challenge: The card must say "Add(s) {some mana}" in the effect it has upon resolution. Making Treasure tokens, granting things mana abilities, reducing mana costs: None of these count for the main challenge. It does not matter, however, what player(s) add the mana in question.

Subchallenge 2: Yes, this is intentionally the same as the prior round's subchallenge.
MCC Rubric
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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:
void_nothing

Players:
@Rithaniel
@Freyleyes
@slimytrout
@Subject16
@Riria
@netn10
@kwanyeegor-ii
@bravelion83
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Riria
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Post by Riria » 1 year ago

Orthodoxy Commission 1U
Sorcery (U)
Add 2W. Spend this mana only to cast an artifact spell.
Whenever a spell is cast with this mana, if it is a white spell, proliferate.
Corrupted - The mana can be spent to cast an artifact or Phyrexian creature spell instead if an opponent has three or more poison counters.
While the main goal of the Progress Engine is, well, progress, you gotta make income somehow.

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bravelion83
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Post by bravelion83 » 1 year ago

Jungle's Nurturing 1G
Sorcery (U)
Add RGW. Spend this mana only to cast creature spells, and those spells can't be countered. Each of those creatures enters the battlefield with an additional +1/+1 counter on it.
"Naya's jungle is just like a gargantuan mother to her cubs: its ground nourishes you while also sheltering you under its canopy."
—Faryal, Cylian godtracker
Last edited by bravelion83 1 year ago, edited 5 times in total.
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MCC - Winner (9): Oct 2014, Apr Nov 2017, Jan 2018, Apr Jun 2019, Jan Mar 2022, Apr 2023 || Host (30): Dec 2014, Apr Jul Aug Dec 2015, Mar Jul Aug Oct 2016, Feb Jul 2017, Jun Nov 2018, Feb Jul 2019 (last on MTGS), Aug 2019 (first on MTGN) Oct 2019, Jan Jun 2020 Apr Oct 2021, Feb May Sep Dec 2022, Mar Jun Sep Dec 2023, Mar 2024 || Judge (58): every month from Nov 2014 to Nov 2016 except Oct 2015, every month from Feb to Jul 2017 except Apr 2017, then Oct 2017, May Jun Nov 2018, Feb Jul 2019 (last on MTGS), every month from Aug 2019 (first on MTGN) to Feb 2020, May Jun 2020, Mar Apr Sep Oct 2021, Feb May Sep Dec 2022, Mar May Jun Sep Dec 2023, Jan Mar 2024
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Subject16
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Post by Subject16 » 1 year ago

Grim Ritual 1G
Sorcery (U)
Add BBB.
Delirium — If there are four or more card types among cards in your graveyard, instead add X mana in any combination of colors, where X is the number of different types among cards in your graveyard.

netn10
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Post by netn10 » 1 year ago

Settle the Houses 2B
Sorcery (Rare)
Create a 1/1 white Spirit creature token with flying, then put a +1/+1 counter on it.
Choose one -
* Add W for each creature you control.
* Add G for each +1/+1 counter among creatures you control.

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Freyleyes
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Post by Freyleyes » 1 year ago

The Fifth Dawn 2GG
Sorcery {R}
Add WWUUBBRR. This mana can't be spent to pay generic mana costs.
Until end of turn, if all mana produced this way was spent, you may put a creature card from your hand onto the battlefield.
All suns burn brightest in unity with the coming of the fifth dawn.
Last edited by Freyleyes 1 year ago, edited 2 times in total.

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Rithaniel
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Post by Rithaniel » 1 year ago

Stanza of the Old Song
Sorcery R
Add . If that mana is spent on an artifact or enchantment spell, that artifact or enchantment has "Spells you cast with the same mana cost as this permanent cost less to cast. This effect reduces only the amount of colored mana you pay."
Draw a card.
". . . And no door is ever forever closed,
unless you choose to leave it."
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"Why are numbers beautiful? It's like asking why is Beethoven's Ninth Symphony beautiful. If you don't see why, someone can't tell you. I know numbers are beautiful. If they aren't beautiful, nothing is."
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slimytrout
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Post by slimytrout » 1 year ago

Harness the Maelstrom 4G
Sorcery (R)
Add WUBRG. Draw a card.
Spells you cast from your hand this turn have cascade.
Whenever you cast your fifth spell each turn, you may return Harness the Maelstrom from your graveyard to your hand.
Power beyond measure, chaos beyond reason.

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Post by kwanyeegor-ii » 1 year ago

Rite of the Devkarin G
Instant (Uncommon)
Add B. Rite of the Devkarin deals 1 damage to you.
Until end of turn, creatures you control gain "T: Add B. This creature deals 1 damage to you."
Some in the Golgari Swarm still bow down to idols of Svogthir, clandestinely and in deep shadow.
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I'm a simple Magic player since several years ago from China. Now I live in New Jersey.

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void_nothing
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Post by void_nothing » 1 year ago

Okay, round is closed and it's time for me to judge!

Just to be clear, the top 4 scorers will move on to round 3.
Psst, check the second page of Custom Card Contests & Games! Because of the daily contests, a lot of games fall down to there.

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Post by void_nothing » 1 year ago

Riria
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Design
(1/3) Appeal - Primarily a Jxnny card - this is too niche and fiddly for both Txmmy and Spike.
(1/3) Elegance - For an uncommon mana-making sorcery, this is more complicated than it needs to be - adding both colorless and colored mana, which is very rare; having a restriction on what to spend the mana on that changes based on corrupted; and adding a triggered ability to casting a spell with this mana also only under certain conditions.

Development
(1.5/3) Viability - Uncommon is fine for a complicated but low-key card like this. Blue definitely makes mana for artifacts, but usually as a mana ability of a permanent - being a sorcery is technically fine but aesthetically odd, adding nonblue colored mana is a slight bend, and potentially being able to spend the mana on a creature spell seems beyond the pale.
(3/3) Balance - As noted, this card has a niche function, which is just fine! If I'm interpreting correctly you could spend the mana to cast several spells and repeatedly proliferate, which could be a huge deal, but that's still overall difficult.

Creativity
(2/3) Uniqueness - Plenty new going on here, but a fair amount of this is based on restrictions rather than additional capabilities.
(0.5/3) Flavor - I always appreciate any thought put into the background machinery of how Magic's world's work. The thing is, I don't think this is how New Phyrexia works - "income" isn't really something Phyrexians are concerned with, because they don't have something we'd recognize as an economy. They understand resources, sure, but not necessarily trade, and especially not money. The informal writing tone of the flavor text is just odd to me.

Polish
(1.5/3) Quality - The mana added should say CCW, and that triggered ability ought to go like "Whenever you spend this mana to cast a white spell…"
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) - Done.
(2/2) Subchallenges - And done.

Total: 14.5/25
bravelion83
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Design
(3/3) Appeal - Txmmy wants mana to play multicolored creatures and make them bigger. Jxnny definitely has things in mind for up to three different creatures all with extra +1/+1 counters. Spike appreciates the efficiency and mana fixing, and the anti-counterspell tech.
(2.5/3) Elegance - A bit wordy, but this card definitely gets its point across.

Development
(3/3) Viability - Green (and Naya-themed) to the bone. This card feels like an uncommon, although I actually think you could go to rare, especially for Limited.
(2.5/3) Balance - This card does three different things, all useful, and that might be too much for two mana. The most "efficient" use case is using the mana to cast three different CMC 1 creatures… of course, that requires you to use four cards, so I think this is pushed but fine in the end. This spell not being uncounterable in itself does help.

Creativity
(2/3) Uniqueness - Basically a mashup of all previous similar effects, plus the added twist of Naya-colored mana.
(3/3) Flavor - Love this. Great flavor text writing.

Polish
(3/3) Quality - Looks fine.
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) - Done.
(2/2) Subchallenges - And done.

Total: 23/25
Subject16
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Design
(3/3) Appeal - If you pitch "Tarmogoyf Lotus Ritual" to any of the player psychographics, they are going to be on board.
(2.5/3) Elegance - The delirium bonus is wordy and involves a little bookkeeping, but is also pretty easy to understand.

Development
(3/3) Viability - Definitely green (with a splash of black), and I'd say this feels like an uncommon.
(2/3) Balance - Delirium takes some effort to turn on, but once it IS on, you can make some crazy plays happen with this card. Maxing it out might be as much of a pipe dream as Tarmo at full size, but just like the 'goyf, even when the number of card types is four or five, you're still looking good.

Creativity
(2/3) Uniqueness - A straightforward mana ritual that uses a unique twist on delirium and goes for the rare and potent "any combination of colors".
(1.5/3) Flavor - Name is fitting but generic, and some flavor text would have been great here!

Polish
(3/3) Quality - Looks fine.
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) - Done.
(2/2) Subchallenges - And done.

Total: 21/25
netn10
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Design
(3/3) Appeal - Txmmy always likes an excuse to have a whole bunch of tokens or +1/+1 counters, Jxnny sees a lot of moving parts to play with, and Spike likes that you get a 2/2 flyer AND an uncapped quantity of mana.
(2/3) Elegance - A bit fiddly, given that it creates a token with a counter on it and has a choice between variable amounts of mana.

Development
(2.5/3) Viability - If the token didn't have flying, this would surely feel more red - mana rituals have moved color, but having one in black nevertheless still seems somewhat fine.
(2.5/3) Balance - This could be REALLY effective and a 2/2 flying token is good in a lot of situations. Still, needs setup even to the point of being a little win-more.

Creativity
(3/3) Uniqueness - Plenty of interesting things going on here.
(2/3) Flavor - Not really 100% sure what that name means: Is this supposed to have poltergeist-like flavor? Or is it an Abzan-esque ancestor worship ritual?

Polish
(2.5/3) Quality - The mode adding green mana should probably come first because even effects tend to follow the same order as mana symbols in mana costs.
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) - Looks good.
(2/2) Subchallenges - And done.

Total: 21.5/25
Freyleyes
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Design
(3/3) Appeal - Txmmy, Jxnny, and Spike all find appeal in BIG mana and cheating things out.
(2/3) Elegance - This produces a long string of differently colored mana and has a restriction, and also sets up a delayed triggered ability. However, what this card actually does is obvious.

Development
(3/3) Viability - Definitely green, and definitely rare (maybe even mythic).
(1/3) Balance - While the Jegantha, the Wellspring restriction makes this card much harder to use, the fact remains that four net mana is very powerful, especially in four different colors. If you can spend it all (after all, you just need another GG to cast Progenitus) and get the extra free creature, this card can set up game-ending situations.

Creativity
(3/3) Uniqueness - Multiple unique aspects here, even if there's not one single unprecedented thing.
(3/3) Flavor - Looks good to me, and properly represents the origin of Lyese (the fifth, green sun of Mirrodin).

Polish
(2.5/3) Quality - I'm actually not sure how to word that delayed triggered ability, but this isn't quite right. Maybe "When you spend the last of this mana…"?
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) - Done.
(2/2) Subchallenges - And done.

Total: 21.5/25
Rithaniel
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Design
(2/3) Appeal - Txmmy would appreciate getting WUBRG off lots of spells, but would really prefer a more straightforwardly powerful and splashy cost reduction effect. I think Jxnny and Spike, or more precisely Jxnny-Spikes, would have a lot to do with this card.
(1/3) Elegance - This is a long block of text that may need careful reading to parse out, and it imparts a somewhat complicated static ability to an artifact or enchantment permanently.

Development
(2/3) Viability - I get the use of blue here, but I'm not sure white is the right secondary color. I guess WU together have an "artifacts and enchantments" theme? Anyhow, this is for sure rare.
(2/3) Balance - This is hard to evaluate. Worst case, this card's a fairly bad, out of color Manamorphose. Best case… you pay for some kind of bicolor or tricolor artifact/enchantment and get a massive advantage, but you'd have to seriously build around the same mana costs… Yeah. I don't know WHAT to say here, other than it seems safe just because of the difficulty of use.

Creativity
(3/3) Uniqueness - Heck yes this card is unique.
(3/3) Flavor - This flavor is very abstract yet evocative. That's more than appropriate for an effect like this.

Polish
(3/3) Quality - Looks alright.
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) - Done.
(2/2) Subchallenges - And done.

Total: 20/25
slimytrout
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Design
(3/3) Appeal - A Txmmy/Jxnny/Spike home run, with everyone wanting to get in on the five-color cascading action.
(1.5/3) Elegance - Has a lot going on, to put it mildly - however, despite the fact that this is a card that involves a lot of actions, it certainly closes out games.

Development
(2.5/3) Viability - I don't think I have to say this is a rare. Any single color can get cascade, but granting it to other things always feels either blue or red.
(1/3) Balance - This looks really strong, maybe to the point of being overpowered - granting mass cascade is a very powerful ability, and on a spell that pays for itself AND self-replaces, it's easy for this to be fuel for essentially any combo using any pieces to start with. The self-recursion is just gravy, although if you're casting five spells in a turn something crazy is happening anyway, so I'll allow it as fun win-more shenanigans.

Creativity
(2.5/3) Uniqueness - A fair number of cards now exist that grant cascade to other spells, but this has a number of new twists.
(3/3) Flavor - Yup, flavor and function match perfectly.

Polish
(3/3) Quality - Good.
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) - Done.
(2/2) Subchallenges - And done.

Total: 20.5/25
kwanyeegor-ii
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Design
(2/3) Appeal - Txmmy would prefer to get mana out of their creatures in other ways, but Jxnny and Spike both like this card.
(2.5/3) Elegance - Granting creatures a tap ability is a bit wordy and adds in a bit of complexity.

Development
(2.5/3) Viability - Feels like an uncommon. Green self-damaging is a bend these days but the older-card reference excuses it.
(2.5/3) Balance - Making a black mana for "free" might push this over the top as a combo card. Still, Battle Hymn and the like are fair comparisons most of the time.

Creativity
(1/3) Uniqueness - There are a number of existing cards that make mana based on your creatures, and this is an Elves of Deep Shadow homage so it's inherently got old elements to it.
(3/3) Flavor - This card definitely excels in this category, and is an effective callback to a classic card.

Polish
(3/3) Quality - Looking good.
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) - Done.
(2/2) Subchallenges - And done.

Total: 20.5/25
Totals (Bold advance)
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bravelion83 23
netn10 21.5
Freyleyes 21.5
Subject16 21

kwanyeegor-ii 20.5
slimytrout 20.5
Rithaniel 20
Riria 14.5
Psst, check the second page of Custom Card Contests & Games! Because of the daily contests, a lot of games fall down to there.

The greatest (fake) pro wrestling on the internet - Collaborative Create-A-Booster - My random creations (updated regularly)

Important Facts: Colorless is not a color, Wastes is not a land type, Changeling is not a creature type

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