Congratulations to Ixias for winning May's Card of the Month with:
Foul Inspiration 4B
Sorcery
Destroy two target nonenchantment permanents. If those permanents were controlled by the same player, that player may search his or her library for a card, put it into his or her hand, then shuffle his or her library.
We really liked the strategic depth and decision-making this card creates while being relatively simple. An honorable mention goes to Stairc for his extremely well-crafted answer to a poetic challenge:
Malfegor's LimerickUBBR
Sorcery
Destroy target creature or land.
Discard every card in your hand.
For each card discarded
Return up to two target
Creatures to their owners' hands. A demon will not be published and a dragon will not be critiqued.
We've only got one image and a tag line to go on. For all we know the portrait could just have been 'taken' on a gloomy day and the world could be populated by Pegasus's, squid-folk, and bear people who sing songs about friendship and ride rainbow rafts of chocolate.
This card is a combination of unplayable, overpowered, totally out-of-color, and unnecessarily complicated.
There is no reason for it to hit anything other than creatures. None. Monoblack does not get vindicate. Heck, monoblack doesn't even get Twinstrike for 5 mana. It definitely doesn't get Rack and Ruin, even if you put it on a card with a ludicrously swingy drawback. What are you smoking?
And the whole "This can also be a five-mana bone splinters" thing isn't worth the extra complexity.
Why do people think this is well-designed card? This thread makes no sense.
This card is a combination of unplayable, overpowered, totally out-of-color, and unnecessarily complicated.
There is no reason for it to hit anything other than creatures. None. Monoblack does not get vindicate. Heck, monoblack doesn't even get Twinstrike for 5 mana. It definitely doesn't get Rack and Ruin, even if you put it on a card with a ludicrously swingy drawback. What are you smoking?
And the whole "This can also be a five-mana bone splinters" thing isn't worth the extra complexity.
Why do people think this is well-designed card?
Hypothesis: Others have more examined intuitions than you do.
Example: Why does Black "definitely" not get Rack and Ruin?
And I could swear there in fact is a five mana two-creature killer.
The drawback is 'ludicrously swingy' according to you. So there's little power issue... except maybe the land destruction (which I underestimated).
What gives?
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Awesome avatar provided by Krashbot @ [Epic Graphics].
Interesting card. Probably should've been just creatures or lands, though. Black doesn't get artifact kill, and I think that white and green are the only colors so far to get planeswalker removal (O-Ring, Rootgrapple, Woodfall Primus, Celestial Purge). I like the way your design adds multiplayer utility that isn't completely useless in a duel - you could play this as a bad Bone Splinter or a really bad tutor in a pinch. In fact, multiplayer was the first thing I thought of when I looked at this card, but I haven't seen anybody bring it up in this thread.
And I could swear there in fact is a five mana two-creature killer.
There's Dead Ringers, but the targeting restriction is so narrow that I think Reckless Spite is a better comparrison.
The way I see it, this card does bleed the color pie a bit but it does it for a good reason: the mechanic is cool, fun, interesting, and playable. Black doesn't get targeted artifact destruction, it's true, but black does have a history of forcing opponents to sacrifice cards of any permanent type so it's not that big of a stretch and it doesn't hurt black's identity as being self-vulnerable nearly as much as being able to target enchantments would. It would probably be more faithful to the color pie if it said "non-enchantment, non-artifact, non-planeswalker permanent", but that's sacrificing a lot of elegance and depth for the sake of avoiding a bleed.
Further, it fits black's history of hurting itself (i.e., targeting one of its own permanents) to get a powerful effect. Vindicate isn't so far off of monoblack when you add the extra cost of sacing a creature or extra land.
Finally, monocolored hybrid mana costs have taught us that bleeding the color pie doesn't really hurt the game if the cost is high enough. At 5 mana this won't ever outshine Vindicate or Rack and Ruin or Diabolic Tutor or anything else you could compare it to.
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i like the fact that it has the versatility for a use as a tutor, i think it's well balanced, is pretty original and would also be good in a multiplayer game. kudos.
a very interesting card; id be willing to bet timmy, johnny, and spike would all consider playing this card, which is quite a feat. also, i think it shouldnt be able to hit artifacts, but i can see that by adding '...nonartifact...' the text would have to be shrunk.
I love the art on this... although, I'm not a fan of the white space on either side - I might have been tempted to photoshop that into tendrils or something vampiric... or something.
Foul Inspiration :4mana::symb:
Sorcery
Destroy two target lands i.e. make your opponent cry. As a consolation, he may search his library for a land to play next turn...
i think this isn't one of the better cards this contest has made..
i agree it has to be 4 to cast to make it ok..
i agree too that the name AND picture isn't the best for the card.. i mean.. it "looks and sounds" more like a "draw X cards, lose X life, sac X permanent or something" kindda card..
This card is a combination of unplayable, overpowered, totally out-of-color, and unnecessarily complicated.
There is no reason for it to hit anything other than creatures. None. Monoblack does not get vindicate. Heck, monoblack doesn't even get Twinstrike for 5 mana. It definitely doesn't get Rack and Ruin, even if you put it on a card with a ludicrously swingy drawback. What are you smoking?
And the whole "This can also be a five-mana bone splinters" thing isn't worth the extra complexity.
Why do people think this is well-designed card? This thread makes no sense.
haha! i half agree with you.. i agree that i don't understand why people think it's well-designed.. but i don't agree it's overpowered.. with all the cascades around, if i search for a cascade card, i get back 2 cards for one spell.. or just search for any card that gives card advantage like the planewalkers..
Hypothesis: Others have more examined intuitions than you do.
Example: Why does Black "definitely" not get Rack and Ruin?
And I could swear there in fact is a five mana two-creature killer.
The drawback is 'ludicrously swingy' according to you. So there's little power issue... except maybe the land destruction (which I underestimated).
What gives?
I like this card.
Honestly, my first thought upon seeing it was abuse in multiplayer, not any of the slightly more creative things you other commenters have posted.
We really liked the strategic depth and decision-making this card creates while being relatively simple. An honorable mention goes to Stairc for his extremely well-crafted answer to a poetic challenge:
Current New Favorite Person™: Mallory Archer
She knows why.
Remaking Magic - A Podcast for those that love MTG and Game Design
The Dungeon Master's Guide - A Podcast for those that love RPGs and Game Design
Sig-Heroes of the Plane
Current New Favorite Person™: Mallory Archer
She knows why.
Remaking Magic - A Podcast for those that love MTG and Game Design
The Dungeon Master's Guide - A Podcast for those that love RPGs and Game Design
Sig-Heroes of the Plane
It's a very good card though.
And I absolutely love Malfegor's Limerick.
But on topic: Both cards are well made, gratz to the winner!
Sorry about that, folks. The first post should be fixed now and the main page should be updated soon.
Current New Favorite Person™: Mallory Archer
She knows why.
Also, Malfegor's Limerick... That made me laugh.
And had more :symb:, unless Ixias was proposing artifact destruction could be Black.
I don't see the connection of name to effect.
Yet, here's another good mechanic from CotM.
Awesome avatar provided by Krashbot @ [Epic Graphics].
There is no reason for it to hit anything other than creatures. None. Monoblack does not get vindicate. Heck, monoblack doesn't even get Twinstrike for 5 mana. It definitely doesn't get Rack and Ruin, even if you put it on a card with a ludicrously swingy drawback. What are you smoking?
And the whole "This can also be a five-mana bone splinters" thing isn't worth the extra complexity.
Why do people think this is well-designed card? This thread makes no sense.
To the victor go the spoils.
who brought the art of silent war.
Hypothesis: Others have more examined intuitions than you do.
Example: Why does Black "definitely" not get Rack and Ruin?
And I could swear there in fact is a five mana two-creature killer.
The drawback is 'ludicrously swingy' according to you. So there's little power issue... except maybe the land destruction (which I underestimated).
What gives?
Awesome avatar provided by Krashbot @ [Epic Graphics].
That would be ridiculous. You forget you could target your own stuff, and searching for anything and putting it into play could be pretty ridiculous.
"Blow up my darksteel citadels, go get Colossus/Progenitus/Akroma".
The wording on it is fine, can work as an admittedly bad tutor if you needed it to.
Absolutely love the limerick.
There's Dead Ringers, but the targeting restriction is so narrow that I think Reckless Spite is a better comparrison.
The way I see it, this card does bleed the color pie a bit but it does it for a good reason: the mechanic is cool, fun, interesting, and playable. Black doesn't get targeted artifact destruction, it's true, but black does have a history of forcing opponents to sacrifice cards of any permanent type so it's not that big of a stretch and it doesn't hurt black's identity as being self-vulnerable nearly as much as being able to target enchantments would. It would probably be more faithful to the color pie if it said "non-enchantment, non-artifact, non-planeswalker permanent", but that's sacrificing a lot of elegance and depth for the sake of avoiding a bleed.
Further, it fits black's history of hurting itself (i.e., targeting one of its own permanents) to get a powerful effect. Vindicate isn't so far off of monoblack when you add the extra cost of sacing a creature or extra land.
Finally, monocolored hybrid mana costs have taught us that bleeding the color pie doesn't really hurt the game if the cost is high enough. At 5 mana this won't ever outshine Vindicate or Rack and Ruin or Diabolic Tutor or anything else you could compare it to.
Current New Favorite Person™: Mallory Archer
She knows why.
very nice. /no1
Also, Timmy wouldn't use Foul Inspiration.
Awesome avatar provided by Krashbot @ [Epic Graphics].
i think this isn't one of the better cards this contest has made..
i agree it has to be 4 to cast to make it ok..
i agree too that the name AND picture isn't the best for the card.. i mean.. it "looks and sounds" more like a "draw X cards, lose X life, sac X permanent or something" kindda card..
Edit:
haha! i half agree with you.. i agree that i don't understand why people think it's well-designed.. but i don't agree it's overpowered.. with all the cascades around, if i search for a cascade card, i get back 2 cards for one spell.. or just search for any card that gives card advantage like the planewalkers..
There use to be two THREE mana two-creature remover.. Ashes to Ashes and Reckless Spite.. Barter in Blood kindda qualifies too.. and Damnation just kills everything at 4 mana..
Honestly, my first thought upon seeing it was abuse in multiplayer, not any of the slightly more creative things you other commenters have posted.
Vintage: Dredge | Legacy: Burn, Goblins, Soldier | Standard: Mono-Red Aggro
Commander: Nicol Bolas, Sliver Overlord, Rafiq
Casual: Selesnya Saproling Smackdown, Izzet Labs, Rebel
Played since June 2004, mostly inactive June 2011 to March 2018
Other usernames include AlanFromRochester, homerthebeerbaron
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