So I just entered a card in the CCL for the first time, and I ended up with a few rejected designs that didn't quite work out. I figure this is probably going to be a regular thing, so I'm making this thread to gather up those cards for public consumption. Comments welcomed, but these are pretty throwaway designs; they don't need to be perfect, just to make me better for the next batch.
Godchide Initiate2W
Creature - Human Cleric {U} Heroic - Whenever you cast a spell targeting Godchide Initiate, you may return target enchantment to its owner's hand.
2/2 "If we are to be bound by the laws of gods, then let the gods be bound by the laws of humanity!"
-Fenna, Godchide Matriarch
Saernex, the Monster-Queen4RG
Legendary Creature - Hydra {MR}
Trample 2RG: Monstrosity 4.
Whenever another creature you control becomes monstrous, put X +1/+1 counters on it, where X is the number of +1/+1 counters on that creature.
7/7
Karata, Claimed by the Wilds1RG
Legendary Creature - Human Beast {R} Heroic - Whenever you cast a spell targeting Karata, if she isn't monstrous, put a +1/+1 counter on her. 1RG: Monstrosity 2.
When Karata becomes monstrous, she fights target creature an opponent controls.
2/2
Treikos, Isolate Champion3WB
Legendary Creature - Human Warrior {MR} Heroic - Whenever you cast a spell targeting Treikos, Isolate Champion, each player sacrifices a permanent. If you control no permanents other than Treikos, you win the game.
5/5
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Call me Fortuna, please. Ms. Imperatrix Mundi is the empress of the world.
Godchide Initiate2W
Creature - Human Cleric {U} Heroic - Whenever you cast a spell targeting Godchide Initiate, you may return target enchantment to its owner's hand.
2/2 "If we are to be bound by the laws of gods, then let the gods be bound by the laws of humanity!"
-Fenna, Godchide Matriarch
This is Triton Cavalry, slightly altered. I don't think White gets enchantment bounce. If you made it "enchantment you control" it might be an acceptable bend, since it would then start to resemble Aviary Mechanic.
Oh, bother. Theros was so long ago... alright, how about
Godchide Initiate2WW
Creature - Human Cleric {U} Heroic - Whenever you cast a spell targeting Godchide Initiate, target enchantment's owner shuffles it into their library.
1/2
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Call me Fortuna, please. Ms. Imperatrix Mundi is the empress of the world.
Treikos, Isolate Champion is a design I am very fond of. It's a good stax creature that isn't too powerful and it has a cheeky but desperate yet viable alternate win condition. I would have loved to see flavor text on this one. Bravo.
I really like the storytelling on Karata and I like Treikos a lot as a card.
I'm not really familiar with the CCL. Why were your cards rejected? (I.e. What areas do you need improvement in?)
Oh, no, you misunderstand - I rejected them. You only get to submit one card, and I had a whole bunch of ideas and decided these weren't as good as the one I entered. Although with the good feedback on Treikos I'm considering switching him in.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Call me Fortuna, please. Ms. Imperatrix Mundi is the empress of the world.
Round 2 of the CCL is up for the month, so it's time for another batch of rejects!
Lost in the Dark(G/W)
Instant {C}
Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt by target creature this turn. You may prevent all combat damage that would be dealt to that creature this turn. The grandest army in the world is no good to anyone wandering in the woods.
Strength From Suffering2(B/G)
Enchantment - Aura {U}
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +2/+2 for each -1/-1 counter on it.
Strength From Suffering1(B/R) (Version 2)
Enchantment - Aura {U}
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +2/+0 for each -1/-1 counter on it.
Fengobbler4(B/G)(B/G)
Creature - Frog {U}
Deathtouch
Whenever a creature blocking or blocked by Fengobbler dies, you gain life equal to its toughness. 1(B/G), Q: Target creature blocks Fengobbler this turn if able.
3/5
Bone Dance2(W/B)(W/B)(W/B)(W/B)
Enchantment {R}
When Bone Dance comes into play, put up to two target creature cards from your graveyard onto the battlefield with a puppet counter on them.
At the beginning of each upkeep, you may put target creature card from a graveyard onto the battlefield with a puppet counter on it.
At the beginning of each end step, exile a creature you control with a puppet counter on it. If you don't, sacrifice Bone Dance.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Call me Fortuna, please. Ms. Imperatrix Mundi is the empress of the world.
Lost in the Dark struck me as being maybe overcomplicated for common but not really worthy of an uncommon slot. Strength from Suffering just felt too obvious a design - it didn't really click flavourwise, either. Fengobbler and Bone Dance are fine designs, but I usually prefer to submit something with as few moving parts as possible to that sort of contest - my actual entry has a single activated ability and no other rules text.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Call me Fortuna, please. Ms. Imperatrix Mundi is the empress of the world.
Bone Dance2(W/B)(W/B)(W/B)(W/B)
Enchantment {R}
When Bone Dance comes into play, put up to two target creature cards from your graveyard onto the battlefield with a puppet counter on them.
At the beginning of each upkeep, you may put target creature card from a graveyard onto the battlefield with a puppet counter on it.
At the beginning of each end step, exile a creature you control with a puppet counter on it. If you don't, sacrifice Bone Dance.
I like your cards. My only comment is that I would change Bone Dance to this:
Bone Dance2(W/B)(W/B)(W/B)(W/B)
Enchantment {R}
When Bone Dance enters the battlefield, return up to two target creature cards from your graveyard to the battlefield. Each of those cards enters the battlefield with a puppet counter on it.
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may put target creature card from your graveyard onto the battlefield with a puppet counter on it.
At the beginning of your end step, exile a creature you control with a puppet counter on it. If you control no creatures with puppet counters on them, sacrifice Bone Dance.
Beyond some templating changes, I changed the upkeep and end step triggers to only trigger on your turn, because otherwise I feel the card is doing too much. If it triggers every turn, twice a turn, it feels like a time-suck and is annoying for both players to keep track of.
I also changed the second ability to only your graveyard for consistency with the first ability. I think it's easier to remember if the abilities are consistent.
My hat's off to you for having created so many cards for this challenging challenge. I personally was stumped for quite some time.
Aw, thank you. I think the trick was (apart from Strength From Suffering) that this challenge really called for top-down designs, or at least flavour-aware. Shadowmoor is the dark fairy tale plane, and there's a lot of cultural material to draw on there, as well as a really strong aesthetic that, if you tap into it, basically hands you cards like Lost in the Dark and Bone Dance. On the other hand, hybrid doesn't give you all that much in the way of mechanical hooks. (With the last challenge it was pretty much the other way around - Heroic and Monstrosity are rich design spaces that haven't really been plumbed all that deeply, and the flavour of Theros doesn't speak to me much.)
Bone Dance2(W/B)(W/B)(W/B)(W/B)
Enchantment {R}
When Bone Dance comes into play, put up to two target creature cards from your graveyard onto the battlefield with a puppet counter on them.
At the beginning of each upkeep, you may put target creature card from a graveyard onto the battlefield with a puppet counter on it.
At the beginning of each end step, exile a creature you control with a puppet counter on it. If you don't, sacrifice Bone Dance.
I like your cards. My only comment is that I would change Bone Dance to this:
Bone Dance2(W/B)(W/B)(W/B)(W/B)
Enchantment {R}
When Bone Dance enters the battlefield, return up to two target creature cards from your graveyard to the battlefield. Each of those cards enters the battlefield with a puppet counter on it.
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may put target creature card from your graveyard onto the battlefield with a puppet counter on it.
At the beginning of your end step, exile a creature you control with a puppet counter on it. If you control no creatures with puppet counters on them, sacrifice Bone Dance.
Beyond some templating changes, I changed the upkeep and end step triggers to only trigger on your turn, because otherwise I feel the card is doing too much. If it triggers every turn, twice a turn, it feels like a time-suck and is annoying for both players to keep track of.
I also changed the second ability to only your graveyard for consistency with the first ability. I think it's easier to remember if the abilities are consistent.
Overall, though, a fun and flavorful card!
I think those are some good changes, although I think your change to the exile/sacrifice ability is functionally different - as you have it worded, I believe you sacrifice Bone Dance at the same time as you exile your last puppet? Possibly better would be:
Bone Dance2(W/B)(W/B)(W/B)(W/B)
Enchantment {R}
When Bone Dance enters the battlefield, return up to two target creature cards from your graveyard to the battlefield. Each of those cards enters the battlefield with a puppet counter on it.
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may put target creature card from your graveyard onto the battlefield with a puppet counter on it.
At the beginning of your end step, if you control no creatures with puppet counters, sacrifice Bone Dance. Otherwise, exile a creature you control with a puppet counter on it.
I'm really glad the flavour comes through on this one - it's a reasonably complicated design, with not much room for flavourful flourishes, so I'm pleased that just the mechanics and the name can convey the idea behind it.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Call me Fortuna, please. Ms. Imperatrix Mundi is the empress of the world.
So, as it turns out, this latest round of the MCC also led to me making a bunch of designs. For those not familiar, the MCC tends to have much stricter criteria than the CCL - you're designing to a rather narrower slot. So it's funny how varied this bunch look at first glance. If you're not following the MCC, try to guess what criteria I was working from when I designed these!
Magnet for TroubleRR
Instant (R)
Target creature becomes the target of each spell and ability with a single target that could target it. "That's the fifth piano I've dodged today!"
Earthing Tower3U
Artifact Creature - Construct (R)
Flash
Defender
When Earthing Tower enters the battlefield, change one target of target spell or ability to Earthing Tower. 1U: Change one target of target spell or ability to Earthing Tower. If you do, Earthing Tower can attack as though it didn't have defender this turn.
2/4
Earthing Golem3U
Artifact Creature - Construct (U)
Flash
When Earthing Golem enters the battlefield, change one target of target spell to Earthing Golem. If you do, put a number of +1/+1 counters on Earthing Golem equal to that spell's converted mana cost.
2/4
Breath of Redemption3WW
Instant (R)
Each creature you control gains "When this creature dies, return it to the battlefield under its owner's control" until end of turn.
Shroud in Stone4UG
Instant (R)
Creatures target player controls become colorless artifacts and lose all other types and abilities until end of turn.
Chronal Hiccup3UU
Instant (R)
The current player takes an extra turn after this one. End the turn.
And finally, my actual entry, which I've decided to start including in these reject roundups so people can tell me if I have a much better design I should use instead.
Seal in Stone2WW
Enchantment - Aura {U}
Flash
Enchant permanent
Enchanted permanent is a colorless artifact and loses all abilities and other types. 2WW: Return Seal in Stone to its owner's hand. A prison and a sanctuary look much the same from within the rock.
EDIT: Seal in Stone fails one of the subchallenges, so my current entry is Hold in Amber.
Hold in AmberWU
Enchantment (R)
When Hold in Amber enters the battlefield, exile target spell until Hold in Amber leaves the battlefield. (That spell returns to the stack under its owner's control, and its owner may choose new modes and targets for it.) One moment in time, preserved forever.
Another round, another batch. Today the CCL wants us to do faction mechanics, so presented below is a selection thereof.
Gambit <cost>(You may cast this card for its gambit cost as though it had flash. If you do, sacrifice it at the beginning of the next end step.)
Or on creatures (You may cast this card for its gambit cost as though it had flash. If you do, the permanent it becomes has haste. Sacrifice it at the beginning of the next end step.)
Gambit is a mechanic intended for the Mirrans, and designed to be centred in white and red, although it can be used by other colours. The idea here is to create a feeling of desperation, of being on the back foot and cleverly turning the game around.
Concealed Blade2
Artifact - Equipment {C}
When Concealed Blade enters the battlefield, you may attach it to target creature you control.
Equipped creature gets +2/+0.
Equip 1
Gambit R(You may cast this card for its gambit cost as though it had flash. If you do, sacrifice it at the beginning of the next end step.)
Desperate Rebel1W
Creature - Human Warrior (C)
Gambit R(You may cast this card for its gambit cost as though it had flash. If you do, it has haste. Sacrifice it at the beginning of the next end step.)
3/1 "Our lives are nothing beside the cause. If we must die, then let it be with a blade in the monsters' side."
-Kandar the Incompleat
Incant <number>(Whenever this creature attacks or blocks, you may tap up to <number> other untapped creatures you control. This creature gets +1/+1 for each creature tapped this way.)
Incant is intended as a Selesnya mechanic. It's a fairly simple way of taking the guild's classic go wide approach and channeling it into something a bit taller.
Sanctuary Guard1W
Creature - Dryad Soldier {C}
Incant 2 (Whenever this creature attacks or blocks, you may tap up to two untapped creatures you control. This creature gets +1/+1 for each creature tapped this way.)
1/2
Wandering Chantbeast4GG
Creature - Beast {C}
Trample, incant 4 (Whenever this creature attacks or blocks, you may tap up to 4 untapped creatures you control. This creature gets +1/+1 for each creature tapped this way.)
4/4 Selesnya's older members often forget about little impediments like buildings on their preferred walks.
Linger(When this creature dies, if it isn't a token, create a token copy of it that's a Spirit in addition to its other types. Sacrifice that token at the beginning of your next end step.)
Linger is meant to be an Orzhov mechanic. I don't much like it, and it's included for completeness only.
Soulbound Initiate1B
Creature - Human Cleric {C}
Linger (When this creature dies, if it isn't a token, create a token copy of it that's a Spirit in addition to its other types. Sacrifice that token at the beginning of your next end step.)
2/1
Meditate(Choose a form of meditation available to you and do that action.)
Meditate is a rather weird sort of Ojutai mechanic, although it could also be extended into Jeskai. The idea is that cards let you meditate, and cards let you meditate by performing an action. Every time a card tells you to meditate, you choose one form of meditation available to you and perform it. I worry about rules headaches and linearity, though.
Sage of a Thousand Sunrises3WU
Creature - Human Monk {R}
At the beginning of your upkeep, meditate. (Choose a form of meditation from one of your cards and perform that action.)
You may meditate by drawing a card.
3/4
Master of the Hidden Kata3U
Creature - Human Monk {U} T: Meditate. (Choose a form of meditation from one of your cards and perform that action.)
You may meditate by tapping target creature an opponent controls.
3/2
And finally, my current entry, Charge <cost>(<cost>: Exile this card from your hand. You may cast it as long as it remains in exile. Charge only as a sorcery.)
This is, of course, an Izzet mechanic, although notably I believe it's the first Izzet mechanic that you could put on a permanent without breaking things. It acts like Kicker, but with an option to pay the kicker cost in advance. Some examples:
Resonance Bolt1R
Instant {C}
Resonance Bolt deals 3 damage to target creature or player. If it was cast from exile, it deals 5 damage to that creature or player instead.
Charge 2R(2R: Exile this card from your hand. You may cast it as long as it remains exiled. Charge only as a sorcery.)
HyperglaciateU
Instant {C}
Tap target creature. If Hyperglaciate was charged, that creature doesn't untap during its controller's next untap step.
Charge 1U(1U: Exile this card from your hand. You may cast it as long as it remains exiled. Charge only as a sorcery.)
Annihilation CascadeR
Sorcery {R}
Annihilation Cascade deals 2+X damage to target creature or player, where X is the number of doom counters it was cast with. 2R: Put a doom counter on Annihilation Cascade. Play this ability only while <name> is in exile.
Charge R(R: Exile this card. You may cast it as long as it remains in exile. Charge only as a sorcery.)
And my actual entry with my entered mechanic:
Glimpse the Firemind1R
Sorcery (C)
Draw two cards. If Glimpse the Firemind wasn't charged, discard two cards.
Charge 1U(1U: Exile this card from your hand. You may cast it as long as it remains exiled. Charge only as a sorcery.) The Firemind means genius to the bold, madness to the unprepared.
I like your meditate mechanic, but I also feel like it has too many variables in it. It needs simplification to really work.
Looks an awful lot like your Battlegird mechanic, in point of fact. Not that I'm accusing or complaining - I think you're right that it needed tightening up, and battlegird looks an awful lot more developable than meditate.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Call me Fortuna, please. Ms. Imperatrix Mundi is the empress of the world.
Yeah, you're quite right! I did take more than zero inspiration from your work. Reflavoring and tying it to a consistent trigger, I think, did a lot of work for it.
I think you made the right choice going with Charge.
Gambit is fine and dandy, but doesn't feel fresh or all that interesting. It feels like a mechanic that would support a more major one in a set, and that doesn't play well with the idea of a faction mechanic which should be more self sufficient.
Incant is a neat idea, and understand capping the number of creatures that you can tap. In a sense it's a flexible exalted. However, capping it with a large variable of numbers makes it pretty complex with having different number incants all on the battlefield. Its a lot to keep track of.
Meditation is deceptively powerful and obviously a bit linear. It has potential with refinement as willows has shown.
I think Gambit would work perfectly well as a Mirran faction mechanic in a return to New Phyrexia. RtNP isn't (hypothetically) quite so strongly factional as the other sets we're working with, if it follows on from Scars simply. But, as you say, it's not super flashy or exciting, and it's not gonna make any grab-me designs. I pretty much agree with your assessment of the other two - Meditation needs refinement, and Incant makes combat math a nightmare and isn't all that flashy.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Call me Fortuna, please. Ms. Imperatrix Mundi is the empress of the world.
Yes, I think you're right. There is a bit more leeway with Mirran/Phyrexia in terms of faction mechanics, especially since they tend to get multiple that could work together. However, one additional thing that has come to mind is the name "gambit." A lot of faction mechanics are used to define the story and character behind the group. What does gambit say about mirrans? They take risk? It's pretty lose and doesn't evoke a lot of flavor. Incant is a little on the weaker side flavor/narrative wise too.
On the other hand, meditate sounds like a great name for an Oujutai mechanic, and with refinement could hammer out the mechanic in an evocative way that's really powerful. Charge has a strong narrative as well that also fits how the mechanic works. It's the most evocative of the four since it both fits that idea of the Izzet and how the mechanic functions.
Double post, but I think I have an idea for a meditate that takes the track willow took in creating battlegrid but formats it allowing some key differences.
Ojutai Clearmind1U
Creature - Aven Warrior (C)
Flying
Meditate (At the beginning of your endstep, choose one of the following effects among permanents you control with meditate.)
• Scry 1
1/1
Doing it this way allows for some tricks.
Ojutai Warmind1WU
Creature - Human Monk (U)
Meditate (At the beginning of your endstep, choose one of the following effects among permanents you control with meditate.)
• Target creature doesn't untap during its controller's next untap step.
• Untap target creature.
2/3
Or taken to the extreme...
Alabrask, the New Favored4WU
Legendary Creature - Aven Monk (M)
When you meditate, you may choose up to three effects among permanents you control instead of one.
Meditate (At the beginning of your endstep, choose one of the following effects among permanents you control with meditate.)
• You gain 4 life.
• Put two +1/+1 counters on target creature you control.
• Draw a card.
4/4
Thoughts? (not saying these are at all balanced. It's about 4 am here and I need to go to sleep.)
That's certainly an interesting way to approach it! The visual of option bullets on a card with only one option is quite odd but I think you're on the right track with polishing meditate.
That is interesting, although I think the reminder text could use some work. I can't tell whether you mean to choose an option for each meditate creature (or permanent!) you control, or just to choose one from among all your options at the end of the turn. The latter could run into some issues with being antilinear - multiple cards competing for the same resource (this is a concern I have with battlegird as well). The former feels like it could use some different reminder text, although I'm not sure exactly what - I'll think on it some and try to come back with some ideas.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Call me Fortuna, please. Ms. Imperatrix Mundi is the empress of the world.
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
Godchide Initiate 2W
Creature - Human Cleric {U}
Heroic - Whenever you cast a spell targeting Godchide Initiate, you may return target enchantment to its owner's hand.
2/2
"If we are to be bound by the laws of gods, then let the gods be bound by the laws of humanity!"
-Fenna, Godchide Matriarch
Saernex, the Monster-Queen 4RG
Legendary Creature - Hydra {MR}
Trample
2RG: Monstrosity 4.
Whenever another creature you control becomes monstrous, put X +1/+1 counters on it, where X is the number of +1/+1 counters on that creature.
7/7
Karata, Claimed by the Wilds 1RG
Legendary Creature - Human Beast {R}
Heroic - Whenever you cast a spell targeting Karata, if she isn't monstrous, put a +1/+1 counter on her.
1RG: Monstrosity 2.
When Karata becomes monstrous, she fights target creature an opponent controls.
2/2
Treikos, Isolate Champion 3WB
Legendary Creature - Human Warrior {MR}
Heroic - Whenever you cast a spell targeting Treikos, Isolate Champion, each player sacrifices a permanent. If you control no permanents other than Treikos, you win the game.
5/5
Godchide Initiate 2WW
Creature - Human Cleric {U}
Heroic - Whenever you cast a spell targeting Godchide Initiate, target enchantment's owner shuffles it into their library.
1/2
UBRKess, Dissident MageUBR - Controlling Dissidents
GRhonas the IndomitableG - Indomitable Four Drops
WUBOloro, Ageless AsceticWUB - Loot & Renanimate
I'm not really familiar with the CCL. Why were your cards rejected? (I.e. What areas do you need improvement in?)
Oh, no, you misunderstand - I rejected them. You only get to submit one card, and I had a whole bunch of ideas and decided these weren't as good as the one I entered. Although with the good feedback on Treikos I'm considering switching him in.
Lost in the Dark (G/W)
Instant {C}
Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt by target creature this turn. You may prevent all combat damage that would be dealt to that creature this turn.
The grandest army in the world is no good to anyone wandering in the woods.
Strength From Suffering 2(B/G)
Enchantment - Aura {U}
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +2/+2 for each -1/-1 counter on it.
Strength From Suffering 1(B/R) (Version 2)
Enchantment - Aura {U}
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +2/+0 for each -1/-1 counter on it.
Fengobbler 4(B/G)(B/G)
Creature - Frog {U}
Deathtouch
Whenever a creature blocking or blocked by Fengobbler dies, you gain life equal to its toughness.
1(B/G), Q: Target creature blocks Fengobbler this turn if able.
3/5
Bone Dance 2(W/B)(W/B)(W/B)(W/B)
Enchantment {R}
When Bone Dance comes into play, put up to two target creature cards from your graveyard onto the battlefield with a puppet counter on them.
At the beginning of each upkeep, you may put target creature card from a graveyard onto the battlefield with a puppet counter on it.
At the beginning of each end step, exile a creature you control with a puppet counter on it. If you don't, sacrifice Bone Dance.
Bone Dance 2(W/B)(W/B)(W/B)(W/B)
Enchantment {R}
When Bone Dance enters the battlefield, return up to two target creature cards from your graveyard to the battlefield. Each of those cards enters the battlefield with a puppet counter on it.
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may put target creature card from your graveyard onto the battlefield with a puppet counter on it.
At the beginning of your end step, exile a creature you control with a puppet counter on it. If you control no creatures with puppet counters on them, sacrifice Bone Dance.
Beyond some templating changes, I changed the upkeep and end step triggers to only trigger on your turn, because otherwise I feel the card is doing too much. If it triggers every turn, twice a turn, it feels like a time-suck and is annoying for both players to keep track of.
I also changed the second ability to only your graveyard for consistency with the first ability. I think it's easier to remember if the abilities are consistent.
Overall, though, a fun and flavorful card!
Aw, thank you. I think the trick was (apart from Strength From Suffering) that this challenge really called for top-down designs, or at least flavour-aware. Shadowmoor is the dark fairy tale plane, and there's a lot of cultural material to draw on there, as well as a really strong aesthetic that, if you tap into it, basically hands you cards like Lost in the Dark and Bone Dance. On the other hand, hybrid doesn't give you all that much in the way of mechanical hooks. (With the last challenge it was pretty much the other way around - Heroic and Monstrosity are rich design spaces that haven't really been plumbed all that deeply, and the flavour of Theros doesn't speak to me much.)
I think those are some good changes, although I think your change to the exile/sacrifice ability is functionally different - as you have it worded, I believe you sacrifice Bone Dance at the same time as you exile your last puppet? Possibly better would be:
Bone Dance 2(W/B)(W/B)(W/B)(W/B)
Enchantment {R}
When Bone Dance enters the battlefield, return up to two target creature cards from your graveyard to the battlefield. Each of those cards enters the battlefield with a puppet counter on it.
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may put target creature card from your graveyard onto the battlefield with a puppet counter on it.
At the beginning of your end step, if you control no creatures with puppet counters, sacrifice Bone Dance. Otherwise, exile a creature you control with a puppet counter on it.
I'm really glad the flavour comes through on this one - it's a reasonably complicated design, with not much room for flavourful flourishes, so I'm pleased that just the mechanics and the name can convey the idea behind it.
Magnet for Trouble RR
Instant (R)
Target creature becomes the target of each spell and ability with a single target that could target it.
"That's the fifth piano I've dodged today!"
Earthing Tower 3U
Artifact Creature - Construct (R)
Flash
Defender
When Earthing Tower enters the battlefield, change one target of target spell or ability to Earthing Tower.
1U: Change one target of target spell or ability to Earthing Tower. If you do, Earthing Tower can attack as though it didn't have defender this turn.
2/4
Earthing Golem 3U
Artifact Creature - Construct (U)
Flash
When Earthing Golem enters the battlefield, change one target of target spell to Earthing Golem. If you do, put a number of +1/+1 counters on Earthing Golem equal to that spell's converted mana cost.
2/4
Breath of Redemption 3WW
Instant (R)
Each creature you control gains "When this creature dies, return it to the battlefield under its owner's control" until end of turn.
Shroud in Stone 4UG
Instant (R)
Creatures target player controls become colorless artifacts and lose all other types and abilities until end of turn.
Chronal Hiccup 3UU
Instant (R)
The current player takes an extra turn after this one. End the turn.
And finally, my actual entry, which I've decided to start including in these reject roundups so people can tell me if I have a much better design I should use instead.
Seal in Stone 2WW
Enchantment - Aura {U}
Flash
Enchant permanent
Enchanted permanent is a colorless artifact and loses all abilities and other types.
2WW: Return Seal in Stone to its owner's hand.
A prison and a sanctuary look much the same from within the rock.
EDIT: Seal in Stone fails one of the subchallenges, so my current entry is Hold in Amber.
Hold in Amber WU
Enchantment (R)
When Hold in Amber enters the battlefield, exile target spell until Hold in Amber leaves the battlefield. (That spell returns to the stack under its owner's control, and its owner may choose new modes and targets for it.)
One moment in time, preserved forever.
I like these designs; they're all pretty elegant. Nothing really outclasses your entry. The "Stone" mechanic is really cool.
I'll try to be back with some more specific comments.
Gambit <cost> (You may cast this card for its gambit cost as though it had flash. If you do, sacrifice it at the beginning of the next end step.)
Or on creatures (You may cast this card for its gambit cost as though it had flash. If you do, the permanent it becomes has haste. Sacrifice it at the beginning of the next end step.)
Gambit is a mechanic intended for the Mirrans, and designed to be centred in white and red, although it can be used by other colours. The idea here is to create a feeling of desperation, of being on the back foot and cleverly turning the game around.
Concealed Blade 2
Artifact - Equipment {C}
When Concealed Blade enters the battlefield, you may attach it to target creature you control.
Equipped creature gets +2/+0.
Equip 1
Gambit R (You may cast this card for its gambit cost as though it had flash. If you do, sacrifice it at the beginning of the next end step.)
Desperate Rebel 1W
Creature - Human Warrior (C)
Gambit R (You may cast this card for its gambit cost as though it had flash. If you do, it has haste. Sacrifice it at the beginning of the next end step.)
3/1
"Our lives are nothing beside the cause. If we must die, then let it be with a blade in the monsters' side."
-Kandar the Incompleat
Incant <number> (Whenever this creature attacks or blocks, you may tap up to <number> other untapped creatures you control. This creature gets +1/+1 for each creature tapped this way.)
Incant is intended as a Selesnya mechanic. It's a fairly simple way of taking the guild's classic go wide approach and channeling it into something a bit taller.
Sanctuary Guard 1W
Creature - Dryad Soldier {C}
Incant 2 (Whenever this creature attacks or blocks, you may tap up to two untapped creatures you control. This creature gets +1/+1 for each creature tapped this way.)
1/2
Wandering Chantbeast 4GG
Creature - Beast {C}
Trample, incant 4 (Whenever this creature attacks or blocks, you may tap up to 4 untapped creatures you control. This creature gets +1/+1 for each creature tapped this way.)
4/4
Selesnya's older members often forget about little impediments like buildings on their preferred walks.
Linger (When this creature dies, if it isn't a token, create a token copy of it that's a Spirit in addition to its other types. Sacrifice that token at the beginning of your next end step.)
Linger is meant to be an Orzhov mechanic. I don't much like it, and it's included for completeness only.
Soulbound Initiate 1B
Creature - Human Cleric {C}
Linger (When this creature dies, if it isn't a token, create a token copy of it that's a Spirit in addition to its other types. Sacrifice that token at the beginning of your next end step.)
2/1
Meditate (Choose a form of meditation available to you and do that action.)
Meditate is a rather weird sort of Ojutai mechanic, although it could also be extended into Jeskai. The idea is that cards let you meditate, and cards let you meditate by performing an action. Every time a card tells you to meditate, you choose one form of meditation available to you and perform it. I worry about rules headaches and linearity, though.
Sage of a Thousand Sunrises 3WU
Creature - Human Monk {R}
At the beginning of your upkeep, meditate. (Choose a form of meditation from one of your cards and perform that action.)
You may meditate by drawing a card.
3/4
Master of the Hidden Kata 3U
Creature - Human Monk {U}
T: Meditate. (Choose a form of meditation from one of your cards and perform that action.)
You may meditate by tapping target creature an opponent controls.
3/2
And finally, my current entry, Charge <cost> (<cost>: Exile this card from your hand. You may cast it as long as it remains in exile. Charge only as a sorcery.)
This is, of course, an Izzet mechanic, although notably I believe it's the first Izzet mechanic that you could put on a permanent without breaking things. It acts like Kicker, but with an option to pay the kicker cost in advance. Some examples:
Resonance Bolt 1R
Instant {C}
Resonance Bolt deals 3 damage to target creature or player. If it was cast from exile, it deals 5 damage to that creature or player instead.
Charge 2R (2R: Exile this card from your hand. You may cast it as long as it remains exiled. Charge only as a sorcery.)
Hyperglaciate U
Instant {C}
Tap target creature. If Hyperglaciate was charged, that creature doesn't untap during its controller's next untap step.
Charge 1U (1U: Exile this card from your hand. You may cast it as long as it remains exiled. Charge only as a sorcery.)
Annihilation Cascade R
Sorcery {R}
Annihilation Cascade deals 2+X damage to target creature or player, where X is the number of doom counters it was cast with.
2R: Put a doom counter on Annihilation Cascade. Play this ability only while <name> is in exile.
Charge R (R: Exile this card. You may cast it as long as it remains in exile. Charge only as a sorcery.)
And my actual entry with my entered mechanic:
Glimpse the Firemind 1R
Sorcery (C)
Draw two cards. If Glimpse the Firemind wasn't charged, discard two cards.
Charge 1U (1U: Exile this card from your hand. You may cast it as long as it remains exiled. Charge only as a sorcery.)
The Firemind means genius to the bold, madness to the unprepared.
Looks an awful lot like your Battlegird mechanic, in point of fact. Not that I'm accusing or complaining - I think you're right that it needed tightening up, and battlegird looks an awful lot more developable than meditate.
Gambit is fine and dandy, but doesn't feel fresh or all that interesting. It feels like a mechanic that would support a more major one in a set, and that doesn't play well with the idea of a faction mechanic which should be more self sufficient.
Incant is a neat idea, and understand capping the number of creatures that you can tap. In a sense it's a flexible exalted. However, capping it with a large variable of numbers makes it pretty complex with having different number incants all on the battlefield. Its a lot to keep track of.
Meditation is deceptively powerful and obviously a bit linear. It has potential with refinement as willows has shown.
On the other hand, meditate sounds like a great name for an Oujutai mechanic, and with refinement could hammer out the mechanic in an evocative way that's really powerful. Charge has a strong narrative as well that also fits how the mechanic works. It's the most evocative of the four since it both fits that idea of the Izzet and how the mechanic functions.
Ojutai Clearmind 1U
Creature - Aven Warrior (C)
Flying
Meditate (At the beginning of your endstep, choose one of the following effects among permanents you control with meditate.)
• Scry 1
1/1
Doing it this way allows for some tricks.
Ojutai Warmind 1WU
Creature - Human Monk (U)
Meditate (At the beginning of your endstep, choose one of the following effects among permanents you control with meditate.)
• Target creature doesn't untap during its controller's next untap step.
• Untap target creature.
2/3
Or taken to the extreme...
Alabrask, the New Favored 4WU
Legendary Creature - Aven Monk (M)
When you meditate, you may choose up to three effects among permanents you control instead of one.
Meditate (At the beginning of your endstep, choose one of the following effects among permanents you control with meditate.)
• You gain 4 life.
• Put two +1/+1 counters on target creature you control.
• Draw a card.
4/4
Thoughts? (not saying these are at all balanced. It's about 4 am here and I need to go to sleep.)