Disremember(U/B)(U/B)
Sorcery (U)
You look at each player's hand and may have that player discard a nonland card of your choice. If you do, that player draws a card.
Above As Below1(W/U)(W/U)
Enchantment (U)
Whenever a creature without flying enters the battlefield under an opponent’s control, you may put a 1/1 blue and white spirit creature token with flying onto the battlefield. What happens on the earth is mirrored in the Heavens above.
— Grand Hegemon Lucas
Charfeather Witch(B/R)(B/R)(B/R)
Creature - Human Shaman (U)
Flash
Whenever an opponent gains life, put that many 1/1 colorless Devil creature tokens onto the battlefield.
2/2
Incessant Digging4(U/R)(U/R)
Sorcery {U}
Draw four cards, then discard four cards.
Deplete (U/R)(U/R)(You may cast this card for its deplete cost. If you do, skip your next untap step.)
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
GENERATION 12: The first time you see this, copy and paste it into your sig and add 2 to the generation. social experiment.
My Namesake: Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.
Take Hostage(U/R)(U/R)(U/R)
Sorcery (U)
Gain control of target creature an opponent controls. Untap that creature. It gains haste until end of turn.
At the beginning of the next end step, choose a creature you control. That opponent gains control of it.
Harsh Deflection(W/U)(W/U)
Instant (U)
Target player returns an attacking or blocking creature to their hand. If the creature has a toughness of 2 or less, exile it instead.
Nurturing Growth 2{G/W}
Sorcery (U)
Search your library for a Forest or Plains card and put it into play tapped.
Gain 1 life for each land you control. "May your branches shelter us and may your bounties sustain us"
-Setessan prayer
The round is closed. Let the judging begin! Brackets are in the OP.
Judgment is final.
Design/development: I mentally divide points equally among subsections, assign them, then add them up.
Challenges: what counts is always the letter of the law.
Quality: half a point deducted for any error in wording, spelling, or grammar; a whole point for particularly serious errors.
No complaints unless I got something objectively wrong.
Sultai Pit Viper(B/G)
Creature - Snake (U)
Deathtouch
Morph 2BG(You may cast this card face down as a 2/2 creature for 3. Turn it face up any time for its morph cost.)
When Sultai Pit Viper is turned face-up, you may destroy target non-land permanent.
1/1
Design (8/10) Creativity – A morph with a "turned face up" trigger is nothing new, but there's never been one with this particular effect. Elegance – All good here. Potential – Timmy doesn't care. Johnny can maybe try to do something with the trigger. Spike absolutely loves this card, as he sees this as double removal: a kind of Maelstrom Pulse when turned face up, and then there's deathtouch. He can get a lot of value out of this.
Development (8.5/10) Viability – Perfectly within the color pie. I could see this at rare nowadays, with the new R&D policy on removal. But I like this very much as a pushed uncommon too. Balance – Costs look right. A 1/1 deathtouch can easily cost (B/G). To get the removal effect you have to pay seven mana (three to cast the morph and four to turn it face up), and that feels about right, even considered the fact that you can spread that costs over two turns. Turning this face up on the fourth turn is certainly strong but doesn't look broken, as it also mean you probably did nothing else on your third and fourth turns. A "must play" in limited if you are in its colors. If you haven't decided your colors yet, this will absolutely push you towards BG. In that, this remembers me of the famous cycles of uncommons R&D started putting in recent sets to push themes for the color pairs in limited. I feel this is very playable in constructed too. Creative Writing – Name is fine. MSE tells me a single line of flavor text can fit here while still including reminder text for morph, but there is none.
Polish Challenge (1/2) – Subchallenge 1 NOT met: there are non-hybrid mana symbols in the rules text. Subchallenge 2 met. Quality (2/3) – The numeral 3 in reminder text should be a mana symbol 3 (half a point deducted). The hyphens shouldn't be there, it should be "turned face up" and "nonland permanent" (half a point deducted).
Garungi Brushguard
Creature - Human Warrior (U)
First strike
If you control a Forest you may cast Garungi Brushguard as though it had flash. Legends say that the trees of the Garungi forests are alive. No one has lived long enough to correct them.
3/1
Design (8/10) Creativity – Somewhat reminiscent of cards like Qasali Ambusher, but more than different enough to be new. Elegance – All good here. Potential – Not big enough for Timmy to care. Johnny may try to do something with the flash ability. Spike loves that ability, as it lets him get a lot of value out of the surprise factor, for example using this as a surprise blocker in a Selesnya, Gruul or Naya deck.
Development (7.5/10) Viability – Flash is neither red nor white, but as it requires a Forest, it's fine. First strike on a hybrid RW card is perfect. Rarity looks perfect too: this would be too strong as a common but underwhelming as a rare. Qasali Ambusher is conveniently uncommon too. Balance – A 3/1 first strike alone costs at least three mana (see Porcelain Legionnaire), when not four (see Halberdier or Viashino Shanktail, that is more recent but has an additional ability). This can sometimes be cast with flash in addition to that, so it's surely undercosted by at least one mana, maybe even two. Very playable in limited, especially at that cost. I don't think this is enough for constructed, though. Creative Writing – Name is fine. The flavor text is also fine, but to me it almost makes this feel like a druid, but that's just a minor point.
Polish Challenge (2/2) – Both met. Quality (2.5/3) – A comma is missing after "If you control a Forest" (half a point deducted).
Dream Maze2(W/U)
Enchantment (U)
When Dream Maze enters the battlefield, untap all creatures.
Creatures don’t untap during each players untap step.
All creatures have vigilance. The Champion and her companions couldn’t rest as they passed the Sphinx’s temple garden, as they knew closed eyes would never open again.
—The Theriad
Design (7.5/10) Creativity – Very original and innovative idea. Full points here. Elegance – Not immediate, but it takes little time to get a good grasp of this. Potential – This is a Johnny card at heart. Timmy obviously doesn't care. Spike doesn't like to give vigilance to the opponent's creatures too.
Development (6/10) Viability – I think you went the "build-around-me" uncommon route, but this totally feels like a rare to me. It just changes too much the normal flow of the game. Angel's Trumpet is indeed uncommon, but that was many years ago. I think today this would surely be rare. About the color pie, vigilance was blue only in Planar Chaos, and that set is the one set you should almost never take as a precedent of the modern color pie. A little amount of bleed is allowed sometimes in hybrid cards, but vigilance feels out of place on an hybrid WU card. Balance – Cost looks right. I don't think I would normally play this in my limited deck, unless under very specific circumstances. Playable in constructed provided that you built your deck around it, otherwise I don't see this played there. Creative Writing – All good here.
Polish Challenge (1/2) – Subchallenge 1 NOT met: there is a non-hybrid mana symbol in the mana cost (1). Subchallenge 2 met. Quality (2.5/3) – It should be "during their controllers' untap steps" (see Intruder Alarm, half a point deducted).
Undead Champion(W/B)(W/B)(W/B)
Creature-Zombie{c}
Whenever Undead Champion would be put into the graveyard from the battlefield, put it onto the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it instead His failure to live brought him great pain, his failure to die brought him great triumph.
1/1
Design (6/10) Creativity – You took undying and turned it into a replacement effect. Indeed new, but not very original. Elegance – The concept is clear once you understand that this never leaves the battlefield at all if it would die (more on that later), so the "put it onto the battlefield" part is a bit misleading. Potential – Maybe Timmy could be interested in the "unkillability" of this (if that's a word). Johnny would surely play this with sacrifice outlets. I don't think Spike would be interested much.
Development (7/10) Viability – Reanimation is white and black so no problems there. This is probably simple enough to be at common under NWO, provided that the wording is corrected. Balance – This isn't undying, but it's a replacement effect (the word "instead" gives it away). It isn't a triggered ability either, as the word "whenever" implies. As it is, its ability has the trigger of a triggered ability with the effect of a replacement effect. Something just doesn't add up here. Let's suppose it's a replacement effect, which I think is the intent. In that case, this doesn't leave the battlefield at all if it would die, because its death is replaced by another event, so it never actually happens. This also implies that there's no need to "put it onto the battlefield", as it's always been there and it never moved from there at all. All this can easily be corrected via wording (see "Quality"), but I'm also putting this here because it both gives way to a lot of confusion and, most of all, it directly affects the balance of the card: if this gets a +1/+1 counter every time it would die, the cost can be right, but maybe it's borderline uncommon. Otherwise, if this doesn't get bigger than 2/2, 3 mana can be a little bit much. In both cases, it would be playable in limited but certainly not in constructed. Creative Writing – All good here.
Polish Challenge (2/2) – Both met. Quality (1/3) – If that ability is supposed to be a replacement effect, as I guess, "Whenever" should be "If" (half a point deducted). Also, about "the graveyard": which graveyard? If it's your graveyard, it should be specified. If it's any graveyard, it should simply be "dies". In both cases, the wording is not correct (half a point deducted). "Put it onto the battlefield" isn't needed, as this never leaves the battlefield at all if it would die (half a point deducted). A period is missing at the end of the ability (half a point deducted).
Season of Rain (G/U)(G/U)(G/U)
Enchantment (U) (G/U)(G/U): Reveal the top card of your library. If it's a creature, add one mana
of that creature's color to your mana pool.
Design (7/10) Creativity – I can't find an effect like that already existing. It feels like one of those effects that makes you go "How come this isn't already printed?", so full points here. Elegance – All good here. Potential – Timmy doesn't care. Johnny could maybe play this in some strange combo I can't think of right now. Spike doesn't like this both because it consumes mana instead of generating it and because you have to hit a creature so it's not reliable enough.
Development (5.5/10) Viability – The effect feels more green than blue, but sometimes blue has had cards that add mana, even though often restricted for use on artifact spells. Rarity can be fine, it's certainly not a rare as not only it doesn't ramp your mana, but you actually have to spend more mana than you generate (more on that in "Balance"). Balance – The cost of the ability feels too high. As it is, you spend more mana than the amount you generate from the ability, and that's quite weak. I can see using that ability if you're playing a 3+ colored deck and you're color screwed, hoping to reveal a card of one of the colors you're missing. But in all other cases, this ability doesn't ramp your mana, but it costs you mana. The mana cost looks high too: Rampant Growth costs two mana, for three mana I expect at least a repeatable one, but this is worse than it, both because it's only one shot, while Rampant Growth gives you the land permanently, and because you have to hit a creature, which you won't do every time. I probably wouldn't play this in limited, and I surely wouldn't in constructed. Creative Writing – Name is fine. MSE tells me there's room for multiple lines of flavor text, but there is none.
Polish Challenge (2/2) – Both met. Quality (2/3) – I add one mana of which color if the card I reveal is multicolored? If I can choose one of the colors, the ability should say it (half a point deducted). Also, while the card is revealed it's still on the top of my library and not on the battlefield, so it's a "creature card" or simply a "card" and not a "creature". Alternatively, you could refer to it with "revealed card". The ability should say so in both instances (see Chrome Mox for a similar wording, half a point deducted). Putting it all together, this should say "If it's a creature card, add one mana of any of the revealed card's colors to your mana pool". "any of that card's colors" and "any of its colors" would have been acceptable too.
Shadowfire Imp(B/R)(B/R)(B/R)(B/R)
Creature - Imp {U}
When Shadowfire Imp or another creature you control with (B/R) in it's mana cost enters the battlefield, Shadowfire Imp deals damage to target creature equal to the amount of red mana used to pay that creature's mana cost, and target player loses life equal to the amount of black mana used to pay that creature's mana cost.
2/2 "Beware the shadow that shirks not from the flame."
Design (8.5/10) Creativity – I can't remember any card explicitly looking for hybrid mana symbols like this, so full points here. Elegance – A bit wordy, but very clear. Potential – This is a card for Spike, as it gives you a whole lot of value, and it's repeatable too. Timmy doesn't care. Johnny may try to recur this and use it as a win condition abusing the "target player loses life" part.
Development (7.5/10) Viability – The "damage to a creature" part is mandatory, so I wouldn't advise casting this in an empty board, as this would have to kill itself. That's a limiting factor, but I don't feel like it's enough to prevent this to be a rare. The color pie is perfectly satisfied. Balance – This looks very strong, only counting itself it already deals 4 damage to a creature and makes a player lose 4 life. Talk about a card that immediately affects the battlefield as it enters! Very probably a first pick in limited. Surely playable in constructed too. Creative Writing – All good here.
Polish Challenge (2/2) – Both met. Quality (1.5/3) – "it's mana cost" should be "its mana cost" without apostrophe, as it's possessive and not a contraction of "it is" (half a point deducted). "amount of red mana" should be "amount of R" and the same for black mana (see Karametra's Acolyte and the Oracle text of some very old cards like Sacrifice, half a point deducted). Conveniently, this wouldn't have let you satisfy subchallenge 1, by the way. Finally, mana isn't "used" but "spent" (see Firespout for mana spent on a spell and the Oracle text of Ice Cauldron for mana spent on abilities, half a point deducted).
MCC - Winner (6): Oct 2014, Apr Nov 2017, Jan 2018, Apr Jun 2019 || Host (15): Dec 2014, Apr Jul Aug Dec 2015, Mar Jul Aug Oct 2016, Feb Jul 2017, Jun Nov 2018, Feb Jul 2019 (last one here) || Judge (34): 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 one here) CCL - Winner (3): Jul 2016 (tied with Flatline), May 2017, Jul 2019 (last one here) || Host (5): Feb 2015, Mar Apr May Jun 2016 DCC - Winner (1): Mar 2015 (tied with Piar) || Host (3): May Oct 2015, Jan 2016
• The two public custom sets I've been part a part of the design team for: "Brotherhood of Ormos" - Blog post with all info - set thread - design skeleton / card list || "Extinctia: Homo Evanuit" - Blog post with all info - set thread - card list spreadsheet
• "The Lion's Lair", my article series about MTG and custom card design in particular. Latest article here. Here is the article index.Rather outdated by now, and based on the old MCC rubric, but I'm leaving this here for anybody that might be interested anyway.
• My only public attempt at being a writer: the story of my Leonin custom planeswalker Jeff Lionheart. (I have a very big one that I'm working on right now but that's private for now, and I don't know if I will ever actually publish it, and I also have ideas for multiple future ones, including one where I'm going to reprise Jeff.)
Incessant Digging4(U/R)(U/R)
Sorcery {U}
Draw four cards, then discard four cards.
Deplete (U/R)(U/R)(You may cast this card for its deplete cost. If you do, skip your next untap step.)
Design (7.5/10) –
Creativity – The base effect is as old as careful study. The deplete option makes it distinct.
Elegance – Very easy to understand
Potential – Timmy hates cards like this. Johnny will enjoy coming up with ways to abuse the discard. However, this is more a Spike card then any, as the deplete option screams combo piece digger.
Development (7.5/10) –
Viability – This fits into either Blue or Red without much of a push, even if red tends to discard first these days. Uncommon makes this forgivable, and is the right rarity.
Balance – This card is almost exclusively about its deplete cost, as it's regular mana cost is overcosted, even with the flexibility of its options. It's a dangerous dig card thanks to deplete.
Creative Writing – The name matches the mechanics of the card, and even the mechanic, deplete is a reference to digging. There was enough space for flavor text on this however, and you chose not take that step.
Polish – (4/5)
Challenge (1/2) – Sub challenge one is not met with a 4 in it's cost. Sub challenge two is (uncommon.)
Quality (3/3) – No issues here.
From the Bushes(B/G)
Sorcery (U)
Put a 1/1 black and green Warrior creature token with Haste and Deathtouch onto the battlefield. "It's fine if the hills have eyes. I'm more worried that the shrubs have spears."
Design (7.5/10)
Creativity – A sorcery that makes a deathtouch creature is unique, particularly one with haste.
Elegance – It's an easy to understand card, but the flavor is a smidgen off for me.
Potential – Timmy is ok with this, but not excited. Johnny might like playing with a potent token but otherwise is uninterested. Spike likes the value of a deathtouch creature added with haste. At least in limited.
Development (7.0/10)
Viability – While both green and black get deathtouch creatures, haste is tertiary for green and extremely rare in black making it an odd choice for a hybrid at any rarity, though the overall power of the effect is uncommon.
Balance – Power wise this is on point (Wasteland Viper says it's ok) but still feels off because of the haste color wise.
Creative Writing – The flavor of this falls short of inspiring deathtouch. I get the sense of surprise, making haste a good fit flavorfully but spearmen in of themselves make me think first strike, not deathtouch.
Polish (4/5)
Challenge (2/2) – Both sub challenges have been met.
Quality (2/3) – Neither haste nor deathtouch should be capitalized while referencing a token creature's abilities.
Unstable Force
Creature - Elemental (U)
Trample, haste
Echo (At the beginning of your upkeep, if this came under your control since the beginning of your last upkeep, sacrifice it unless you pay its echo cost.)
Unstable Force gets -1/-1 for each tapped land you control.
4/4
Design (7.0/10)
Creativity – The unique drawback on the pushed creature makes it very distinct.
Elegance – While mechanically it's not hard to understand, it does evoke a bit of a shock in analysis exactly how effective it really is.
Potential – Timmy and Johnny have very little interest in a drawback hewn beater. Spike wants to see how abusive this is, because past the second turn after you play it it'll be easy to keep it a 4/4 for a turn or two.
Development (9/10) –
Viability – This card seems about right for the most part rarity and color wise, except the drawback of being penalize for tapped lands doesn't feel quite mono green.
Balance – Balance wise I think this evens out, because while it's an aggressive beater, the first two turns it is automatically gimped, and even afterward playing things in your second main phase to keep its power maxed for attacks wont get around 4 tapped lands killing it, so it'll need help to stay alive without limiting your mana. It works hard to limit itself.
Creative Writing – There wasn't enough room for flavor text. Mechanically the flavor matches the name.
Polish (5/5)
Challenge (2/2) – Both challenges met.
Quality (3/3) – Looks good to me.
Call of Command(U/R)(U/R)(U/R)
Instant (Uncommon)
Gain control of target creature an opponent controls until end of turn. Untap that creature. Until end of turn, it gets +1/-1 and gains haste.
Design (7.0/10) –
Creativity – Adding a +1/-1 to a temporary gain control effect is a little different but itsn't the first take control spell to change P/T. Overall doesn't push the scope of things terribly far.
Elegance – It is elegant. but I'm not quite getting flavorfully where the power/toughness change come from.
Potential – Timmy doesn't mind taking their biggest beater and making it bigger, though it's not quite his style. Johnny doesn't have much to do with this besides the usually stolen creature "no take backsies" shenanigans. Spike appreciates the versatility of the cost and the effect, appreciating it as a kill spell in a niche.
Development (5.5/10) –
Viability – This card is no longer a mono blue effect as an instant, and hasn't been for a long time. Temporary stealing creatures this way is mono red. You reference Ray of Command in the card name so I imagine you realize that this is out of date.
Balance – Power wise this is fine for legacy formats, but it steps outside the scope of fairness in standard for sure and is inappropriate for modern. I might expect to see in a commander deck.
Creative Writing – This card had plenty of room for flavor text but you chose not to include any. Call of command is a specific reference, but does not explain why there is a P/T change associated with this.
Polish (4.5/5)
Challenge (2/2) – Both challenges met.
Quality (2.5/3) – "End of turn" clause should be at the end of the sentence, not the beginning (see Flowstone Strike for an exact example.)
Charfeather Witch(B/R)(B/R)(B/R)
Creature - Human Shaman (U)
Flash
Whenever an opponent gains life, put that many 1/1 colorless Devil creature tokens onto the battlefield.
2/2
Design (8.5/10) –
Creativity – Punishing life gain by making devil creature tokens is unique as fair as I know/can tell.
Elegance – Pretty simple to understand with justifiable flavor, but why are the devils colorless and not red?
Potential – Timmy doesn't like this card, Johnny will have fun forcing the opponent to gain life in a massive way for there benefit, Spike likes the hate.
Development (6.0/10) –
Viability – The addition of flash seems like an inappropriate add on here to push the card. Additionally, this card is very red with the creation of devils and black with the idea of a witch but this makes it more of a black and red card then a hybrid that solos as either.
Balance – Balance wise, outside of probably being a multicolor card instead of a hybrid, this card is quite fine.
Creative Writing – I believe there is enough room on here for a quip of flavor text, especially if there wasn't the flash. Also, devils are not colorless, and should be red.
Polish (5/5)
Challenge (2/2) – Both challenges are met.
Quality (3/3) – Seems spot on.
Fatebinder(W/B)(W/B)(W/B)
Creature - Human Cleric (U)
When Fatebinder enters the battlefield, put a soul counter on target creature you control and target creature you don't control.
Whenever creature with a soul counter on it dies, each player sacrifices each creature he or she controls with a soul counter on it. Bonded for life and death.
2/2
Design (8.5/10)
Creativity – I'm pretty sure there isn't a card quite like this. It fits its niche pretty well.
Elegance – I think the jives mechanically and flavorful quite well. The flow together extremely well in fact.
Potential – This isn't a Timmy card. Johnny would like abusing the ETB trigger to distribute counters. Spike likes the removal but isn't a fan of the delay behind it nor the counters being meaningless if Fatebinder is gone.
Development (7/10)
Viability – The sacrificing of creatures might seem off for white if it wasn't symmetrical, so I'll give it a pass. However as worded, this card should probably care about whether a creature already has a soul counter on it or not. Stacking soul counters on one of your creatures and several of theres seems to sloppy. Additionally, the fact that if this is off the field soul counters doesn't matter weakens the design. It might be better suited just putting soul counters on opponents creatures and having an on death trigger for itself to sacrifice the others.
Balance – It's a bit of an oddball with blink effects/multiples stacking multiple counters on one of your creatures and versus numerous ones of theres (though that involves some effort. Otherwise it seems fair.
Creative Writing – The flavor the card eeks seems great. The mechanics are almost perfectly in tune with it too (minus the multi counter stacking hiccup.)
Polish (4/5)
Challenge (2/2) – Both challenges met
Quality (2/3) – The card leaves holes in its templating, as discussed above.
Design:
Creativity – Haven't seen the first ability since Haakon, Stromgald Scourge, but at least you can cast it from your hand.
Elegance – No problems here.
Potential – It's a Johnny card.
7/10.
Development:
Viability – The recent reprints of Spectral Procession show that the reminder text of how “twobrid” works isn't necessarily needed.
Balance – Six mana is a bit much for a 2/2 that can't block, even if you can play it from your graveyard. I think (2/B)(2/B) is better.
Creative Writing – No problems here.
8/10
Polish:
Challenges – Both met.
Quality – No problems here.
5/5
Total: 20/25
Design:
Creativity – It's a little meh, but at least it hasn't been done before.
Elegance – No problems here.
Potential – Johnny might play with it.
8/10.
Development:
Viability – Personally, I can see this as just white.
Balance – I think this should cost more, since you're getting a flying creature for each nonflying creature your opponent gets. Unless your opponent has Windstorm or something, it's kind of unfair.
Creative Writing – No problems here.
8/10
Polish:
Challenges – Non-hybrid mana in mana cost.
Quality – “... put a 1/1 white and blue Spirit creature token...”
3/5
Total: 19/25
Design:
Creativity – It's Unsummon that hates weenies.
Elegance – No problems here.
Potential – Spike will like it.
8/10.
Development:
Viability – It's definitely multicoloured, but I don't see this with a hybrid mana cost.
Balance – No problems here.
Creative Writing – Some flavour text would have been nice.
8/10
Polish:
Challenges – Both met.
Quality – It should be ”Return target attacking or blocking creature to its owner's hand. If that creature has toughness 2 or less, exile it instead.
3/5
Total: 19/25
Design:
Creativity – Not exactly a stretch of the imagination, but I'm surprised this hasn't been printed yet.
Elegance – No problems here.
Potential – This card is good in limited.
8/10.
Development:
Viability – No problems here.
Balance – Ressurection and Zombify each cost 4 mana, so it makes sense for this to cost two, though, preferably, it should be 1(W/B)
Creative Writing – Some flavour text would have been nice.
9/10
Polish:
Challenges – Both met.
Quality – No problems here.
5/5
Total: 22/25
Design:
Creativity – It's like Act of Treason, except you don't necessarily return the creature you took.
Elegance – No problems here.
Potential – Johnny and Spike would play with this.
9/10.
Development:
Viability – It's definitely multicoloured, but I don't see this as having hybrid mana.
Balance – This is heavy in coloured mana, so it makes sense compared to Switcheroo. Still, I think it could cost 1 more, like 2(U/R)(U/R)
Creative Writing – No problems here.
8/10
Polish:
Challenges – Both met.
Quality – No problems here.
5/5
Total: 22/25
Design:
Creativity – A nontoken Saproling? Sure.
Elegance – No problems here.
Potential – I can think a few ways to abuse this.
9/10.
Development:
Viability – No problems here.
Balance – I was going to argue the card's mana cost, thinking getting an 8/8 token for one mana is ridiculous, but then I remembered Wake the Reflections. And, in a sense, your card is better than Wake in that Wake needs a token to populate, whereas yours just waits for a token to come.
Creative Writing – Some flavour text would have been nice.
9/10
Polish:
Challenges – Both met.
Quality – I'm certain it's “creature token.”
4/5
Total: 22/25
Trivmvirate had to retire from judging this month because of private reasons. I wish him the best of luck. I'm going to judge his bracket myself, then round 2 will have 4 brackets of 5 players each with the top 2 from each bracket advancing to round 3.
Round 2 will be posted in 2.5 hours (at midnight CET = 6 PM EST).
Design/development: I mentally divide points equally among subsections, assign them, then add them up.
Challenges: what counts is always the letter of the law.
Quality: half a point deducted for any error in wording, spelling, or grammar; a whole point for particularly serious errors.
No complaints unless I got something objectively wrong.
Chaos Lasher(B/R)
Creature - Devil (U)
Haste (B/R): Target creature you control gains haste until end of turn. You lose life equal to that creature's converted mana cost. "The sound of the whip making contact with the skin is the Rakdos equivalent of a heavenly choir."
(1/2)
Design (7.5/10) Creativity – The stats and the haste remind much of Monastery Swiftspear. The ability is something new. Elegance – All good here. Potential – Timmy doesn't care. Johnny may use this if he needs to give a creature haste for some purpose. Spike likes this very much, as it's certainly pushed more than enough.
Development (9/10) Viability – The ability feels more gold than hybrid: giving haste is red and the "losing life" part feels black. Other than that, everything's good here, including rarity (see Monastery Swiftspear, this trades prowess for the activated ability). Balance – Both the mana cost and the ability cost are pushed as low as they can but they don't look broken. Very playable in limited, I think it could easily be a first pick. I can easily see in constructed too, especially in some RDW style decks that are both very aggressive and have a low enough curve, so they can make good use of the haste-granting ability. Creative Writing – All good here.
Polish Challenge (2/2) – Both met. Quality (3/3) – All good here.
Nurturing Growth 2{G/W}
Sorcery (U)
Search your library for a Forest or Plains card and put it into play tapped.
Gain 1 life for each land you control. "May your branches shelter us and may your bounties sustain us"
-Setessan prayer
Design (5/10) Creativity – I can't remember them together in a single card, but these effects are nothing new. Elegance – It feels strange that I can pay only green mana to fetch Plains and vice versa (see "Viability"), but other than that everything's fine here. Potential – I can't see a single psychographic that would care for this. Maybe some Timmy that loves lifegain, but that's really stretching.
Development (6/10) Viability – There is some precedent for white cards fetching Plains from the library, but it feels strange to be able to pay only green mana and search for a Plains, or pay only white mana and search for a Forest. Also, with adequate mana cost, this should be common, as most effects like this are. Balance – The mana cost is too low, see Bountiful Harvest or even Joyous Respite, and this card has an additional effect. Playable in limited for sure. I can't see this in constructed. Creative Writing – Nature vs nurture is one of the ways to express the green/blue conflict, so it feels strange to see the word "Nurturing" in the name of a green card. Other than that, no problems here.
Polish Challenge (1/2) – Subchallenge 1 NOT met: there is a non-hybrid mana symbol (2) in the mana cost. Subchallenge 2 met. Quality (0/3) – "put it into play" should be "put it onto the battlefield" (this is a particularly serious mistake, as we should be used by now to post M10 wording, so one point deducted). This card has you search your library, but then it doesn't tell you to shuffle it (this is also a very serious mistake, as you know the order of your whole library after this resolves, one point deducted). Finally, it should say "You gain 1 life" (half a point deducted) and a period is missing at the end of the flavor text (half a point deducted). Mana tags are missing from the mana cost.
Swooping Hawk(W/U)(W/U)(W/U)
Creature - Bird (U)
Flash
Flying
When Swooping Hawk enters the battlefield, tap target creature an opponent controls. That creature doesn't untap during its controller's next untap step
2/3
Design (6.5/10) Creativity – There has never been a creature with these exact stats, but the effect is nothing new. Elegance – All good here. Potential – Timmy doesn't care. Johnny may try to find a way to recur the trigger trying to lock a creature out of the game permanently. Spike is excited by this card, as he can cast it at the most convenient times, has evasion and immediately affects the board.
Development (7.5/10) Viability – All looks good here. Balance – Cost looks right, as this costs the same amount of mana as Kor Hookmaster and Frost Lynx but with more colored mana, and one less mana than Dungeon Geists, but that locks the creature for as long as you control it instead of just a single turn. Very high pick in limited. It may be playable in constructed, but only in specific decks. Creative Writing – The name sounds uninspired but it's fine. MSE tells me that one line of flavor text could have fit there.
Polish Challenge (2/2) – Both met. Quality (2.5/3) – A period is missing at the end of the last ability (half a point deducted).
Emrakul’s Reveler(2/R)(2/R)(2/R)
Creature - Eldrazi Satyr {U}
Haste
When Emrakul’s Reveler attacks, you may pay (2/R)(2/R)(2/R)(2/R). If you do, defending player sacrifices a permanent. The age of the god Xenagos’s chaos now seemed like nothing.
4/1
Design (8/10) Creativity – Very innovative use of "twobrid" for Eldrazi, but you weren't the only one to think of that this round. Maybe it was just an easy place to go to. Elegance – All feels good here. Potential – Not all Timmies are interested in this, but the griefers surely are. Johnny may try to find ways to abuse the trigger, but the high mana cost associated with that limits him in his brewing. Spike is very interested as he first reads this, then when he realizes the cost of the trigger loses much of his interest.
Development (7/10) Viability – This makes sense as a monored card, even though making the opponent sacrifice a permanent isn't primary red. It also makes sense as a colorless card, but that's mostly because of the Eldrazi flavor and not because of mechanics. Rarity feels right. Balance – It's surely less oppressive than annihilator, as you have to pay at least 4 mana in a single color to get the same effect. That's probably a good thing after all, but the cost to make the opponent sacrifice something looks too high. Very playable in limited, I don't know if it would be a first pick, but it would be surely a high enough pick. I can see this in constructed too, especially if the sacrifice cost is lowered a bit. Creative Writing – I can't imagine an Eldrazi being a Satyr. The flavor text mentioning Xenagos and there being the word "Reveler" in the name helps with that, but it feels like they are there just to justify the creature types.
Polish Challenge (2/2) – Both met. Quality (3/3) – All looks good here.
Slithering Amphibeast(G/U)(G/U)
Creature - Fish Lizard (U)
Islandwalk, Forestwalk
Evolve Its ability to thrive in any environment makes it the epitome of Simic innovation.
1/1
Design (6.5/10) Creativity – Stalker Hag but with a Simic touch. New, but not groundbreaking. Elegance – All good here. Potential – Timmy has to wait too long for this to become big enough for him to care, but maybe a creature that grows the more beasts he plays can interest him. Johnny doesn't care. Spike would probably be interested if this had a point more of either base power or toughness. As it is, he just sees a 1/1 for two mana that could be evasive but just sometimes.
Development (9/10) Viability – All good here. Balance – Cost looks right. Playable in limited but I don't see it in constructed. Creative Writing – All good here. Particularly appreciable the choice of creature types, they just scream Simic! It's amazing how sometimes you can express such great flavor with only two words of a mechanical feature.
Polish Challenge (2/2) – Both met. Quality (2/3) – Stalker Hag tells us that multiple instances of landwalk should be ordered like mana symbols are, that is in WUBRG order. In green/blue cards, green comes before blue (remember you take the shortest path cycling around the color pie), so forestwalk should come before islandwalk (half a point deducted). Also, in a list of keywords only the first one is capitalized (half a point deducted). I would have liked the reminder text for evolve to be there, but I'm not penalizing you for that.
Disremember(U/B)(U/B)
Sorcery (U)
You look at each player's hand and may have that player discard a nonland card of your choice. If you do, that player draws a card.
Design (6.5/10) Creativity – Vendilion Clique's ETB ability, but for all players. Never done, but not very original. Elegance – Not immediate, but easy enough to understand. Potential – Timmy doesn't care. Johnny may use this, but if he does it will be to find the cards he needs from his own library. Spike is excited by this card, as it gives him a lot of strategic choices to make.
Development (6/10) Viability – Between the Clique in blue and all the discard effects black has, this feels good as a blue/black hybrid card, even though I'm not sure this effect belongs in monoblue. Rarity looks fine. Balance – Vendilion Clique does this for a single player, leaves a body behind, and costs three mana. This doesn't give you a creature, but is extended to all players, so it feels like it wants to have the same cost of the Clique. If this just targeted a single player, it would have been surely fine at two mana. It may be playable in limited if you have room for a noncreature spell like this in your deck. Not playable in constructed. Creative Writing – The name sounds too similar to Dismember, but the card is not a nod to it as the name would have you expect. No flavor text, even though MSE tells me there would have been room for three lines of it.
Polish Challenge (2/2) – Both met. Quality (2.5/3) – The wording should be that of Vendilion Clique's ability, but with "each player's hand" instead of "target player's hand" (half a point deducted).
MCC - Winner (6): Oct 2014, Apr Nov 2017, Jan 2018, Apr Jun 2019 || Host (15): Dec 2014, Apr Jul Aug Dec 2015, Mar Jul Aug Oct 2016, Feb Jul 2017, Jun Nov 2018, Feb Jul 2019 (last one here) || Judge (34): 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 one here) CCL - Winner (3): Jul 2016 (tied with Flatline), May 2017, Jul 2019 (last one here) || Host (5): Feb 2015, Mar Apr May Jun 2016 DCC - Winner (1): Mar 2015 (tied with Piar) || Host (3): May Oct 2015, Jan 2016
• The two public custom sets I've been part a part of the design team for: "Brotherhood of Ormos" - Blog post with all info - set thread - design skeleton / card list || "Extinctia: Homo Evanuit" - Blog post with all info - set thread - card list spreadsheet
• "The Lion's Lair", my article series about MTG and custom card design in particular. Latest article here. Here is the article index.Rather outdated by now, and based on the old MCC rubric, but I'm leaving this here for anybody that might be interested anyway.
• My only public attempt at being a writer: the story of my Leonin custom planeswalker Jeff Lionheart. (I have a very big one that I'm working on right now but that's private for now, and I don't know if I will ever actually publish it, and I also have ideas for multiple future ones, including one where I'm going to reprise Jeff.)
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Sorcery (U)
You look at each player's hand and may have that player discard a nonland card of your choice. If you do, that player draws a card.
Enchantment (U)
Whenever a creature without flying enters the battlefield under an opponent’s control, you may put a 1/1 blue and white spirit creature token with flying onto the battlefield.
What happens on the earth is mirrored in the Heavens above.
— Grand Hegemon Lucas
Host, December 2015: A Winter Wonderland? - R1|R2|R3|Top 8|Semifinals|Finals|Poll
Host, CCL April 2014: A Game of Fate - Signup|R1|R2|R3|Top 8|Semifinal|Finals|Poll
Host, CCL December 2012: Spy Games - Signup|R1|R2|R3|Top 8|Semifinals|Finals|Poll
Host, CCL November 2010: The Perfect Crime - Signup|R1|R2|R3|Top 8|Semifinals|Finals|Poll
Host, CCL August 2009: A Commander's Journey: Signups|R1|R2|R3|Top 8|Semifinals|Finals|Poll
I've got tons of art from the web. Want art for a render? PM me! Want to create your own collection? Start here!
Creature - Human Shaman (U)
Flash
Whenever an opponent gains life, put that many 1/1 colorless Devil creature tokens onto the battlefield.
2/2
GWU Bant Manifest - The Future Is Here. Or it will be at the end of turn. GWU
Sorcery {U}
Draw four cards, then discard four cards.
Deplete (U/R)(U/R) (You may cast this card for its deplete cost. If you do, skip your next untap step.)
My Namesake: Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.
Sorcery (U)
Gain control of target creature an opponent controls. Untap that creature. It gains haste until end of turn.
At the beginning of the next end step, choose a creature you control. That opponent gains control of it.
- My Full Mirrodin Cube (draft it here)
- My One-Drop Cube (draft it here)
MCC Winner Nov ‘14 & Nov ‘15
Instant (U)
Target player returns an attacking or blocking creature to their hand. If the creature has a toughness of 2 or less, exile it instead.
Modern
UBR Grixis Control
U Merfolk
Pauper
U Mono U Delver
Ancestral Visions is freed
Sorcery (U)
Search your library for a Forest or Plains card and put it into play tapped.
Gain 1 life for each land you control.
"May your branches shelter us and may your bounties sustain us"
-Setessan prayer
Judgment is final.
Design/development: I mentally divide points equally among subsections, assign them, then add them up.
Challenges: what counts is always the letter of the law.
Quality: half a point deducted for any error in wording, spelling, or grammar; a whole point for particularly serious errors.
No complaints unless I got something objectively wrong.
Design (8/10)
Creativity – A morph with a "turned face up" trigger is nothing new, but there's never been one with this particular effect.
Elegance – All good here.
Potential – Timmy doesn't care. Johnny can maybe try to do something with the trigger. Spike absolutely loves this card, as he sees this as double removal: a kind of Maelstrom Pulse when turned face up, and then there's deathtouch. He can get a lot of value out of this.
Development (8.5/10)
Viability – Perfectly within the color pie. I could see this at rare nowadays, with the new R&D policy on removal. But I like this very much as a pushed uncommon too.
Balance – Costs look right. A 1/1 deathtouch can easily cost (B/G). To get the removal effect you have to pay seven mana (three to cast the morph and four to turn it face up), and that feels about right, even considered the fact that you can spread that costs over two turns. Turning this face up on the fourth turn is certainly strong but doesn't look broken, as it also mean you probably did nothing else on your third and fourth turns. A "must play" in limited if you are in its colors. If you haven't decided your colors yet, this will absolutely push you towards BG. In that, this remembers me of the famous cycles of uncommons R&D started putting in recent sets to push themes for the color pairs in limited. I feel this is very playable in constructed too.
Creative Writing – Name is fine. MSE tells me a single line of flavor text can fit here while still including reminder text for morph, but there is none.
Polish
Challenge (1/2) – Subchallenge 1 NOT met: there are non-hybrid mana symbols in the rules text. Subchallenge 2 met.
Quality (2/3) – The numeral 3 in reminder text should be a mana symbol 3 (half a point deducted). The hyphens shouldn't be there, it should be "turned face up" and "nonland permanent" (half a point deducted).
Total: 19.5/25
Design (8/10)
Creativity – Somewhat reminiscent of cards like Qasali Ambusher, but more than different enough to be new.
Elegance – All good here.
Potential – Not big enough for Timmy to care. Johnny may try to do something with the flash ability. Spike loves that ability, as it lets him get a lot of value out of the surprise factor, for example using this as a surprise blocker in a Selesnya, Gruul or Naya deck.
Development (7.5/10)
Viability – Flash is neither red nor white, but as it requires a Forest, it's fine. First strike on a hybrid RW card is perfect. Rarity looks perfect too: this would be too strong as a common but underwhelming as a rare. Qasali Ambusher is conveniently uncommon too.
Balance – A 3/1 first strike alone costs at least three mana (see Porcelain Legionnaire), when not four (see Halberdier or Viashino Shanktail, that is more recent but has an additional ability). This can sometimes be cast with flash in addition to that, so it's surely undercosted by at least one mana, maybe even two. Very playable in limited, especially at that cost. I don't think this is enough for constructed, though.
Creative Writing – Name is fine. The flavor text is also fine, but to me it almost makes this feel like a druid, but that's just a minor point.
Polish
Challenge (2/2) – Both met.
Quality (2.5/3) – A comma is missing after "If you control a Forest" (half a point deducted).
Total: 20/25
Design (7.5/10)
Creativity – Very original and innovative idea. Full points here.
Elegance – Not immediate, but it takes little time to get a good grasp of this.
Potential – This is a Johnny card at heart. Timmy obviously doesn't care. Spike doesn't like to give vigilance to the opponent's creatures too.
Development (6/10)
Viability – I think you went the "build-around-me" uncommon route, but this totally feels like a rare to me. It just changes too much the normal flow of the game. Angel's Trumpet is indeed uncommon, but that was many years ago. I think today this would surely be rare. About the color pie, vigilance was blue only in Planar Chaos, and that set is the one set you should almost never take as a precedent of the modern color pie. A little amount of bleed is allowed sometimes in hybrid cards, but vigilance feels out of place on an hybrid WU card.
Balance – Cost looks right. I don't think I would normally play this in my limited deck, unless under very specific circumstances. Playable in constructed provided that you built your deck around it, otherwise I don't see this played there.
Creative Writing – All good here.
Polish
Challenge (1/2) – Subchallenge 1 NOT met: there is a non-hybrid mana symbol in the mana cost (1). Subchallenge 2 met.
Quality (2.5/3) – It should be "during their controllers' untap steps" (see Intruder Alarm, half a point deducted).
Total: 17/25
Design (6/10)
Creativity – You took undying and turned it into a replacement effect. Indeed new, but not very original.
Elegance – The concept is clear once you understand that this never leaves the battlefield at all if it would die (more on that later), so the "put it onto the battlefield" part is a bit misleading.
Potential – Maybe Timmy could be interested in the "unkillability" of this (if that's a word). Johnny would surely play this with sacrifice outlets. I don't think Spike would be interested much.
Development (7/10)
Viability – Reanimation is white and black so no problems there. This is probably simple enough to be at common under NWO, provided that the wording is corrected.
Balance – This isn't undying, but it's a replacement effect (the word "instead" gives it away). It isn't a triggered ability either, as the word "whenever" implies. As it is, its ability has the trigger of a triggered ability with the effect of a replacement effect. Something just doesn't add up here. Let's suppose it's a replacement effect, which I think is the intent. In that case, this doesn't leave the battlefield at all if it would die, because its death is replaced by another event, so it never actually happens. This also implies that there's no need to "put it onto the battlefield", as it's always been there and it never moved from there at all. All this can easily be corrected via wording (see "Quality"), but I'm also putting this here because it both gives way to a lot of confusion and, most of all, it directly affects the balance of the card: if this gets a +1/+1 counter every time it would die, the cost can be right, but maybe it's borderline uncommon. Otherwise, if this doesn't get bigger than 2/2, 3 mana can be a little bit much. In both cases, it would be playable in limited but certainly not in constructed.
Creative Writing – All good here.
Polish
Challenge (2/2) – Both met.
Quality (1/3) – If that ability is supposed to be a replacement effect, as I guess, "Whenever" should be "If" (half a point deducted). Also, about "the graveyard": which graveyard? If it's your graveyard, it should be specified. If it's any graveyard, it should simply be "dies". In both cases, the wording is not correct (half a point deducted). "Put it onto the battlefield" isn't needed, as this never leaves the battlefield at all if it would die (half a point deducted). A period is missing at the end of the ability (half a point deducted).
Total: 16/25
Design (7/10)
Creativity – I can't find an effect like that already existing. It feels like one of those effects that makes you go "How come this isn't already printed?", so full points here.
Elegance – All good here.
Potential – Timmy doesn't care. Johnny could maybe play this in some strange combo I can't think of right now. Spike doesn't like this both because it consumes mana instead of generating it and because you have to hit a creature so it's not reliable enough.
Development (5.5/10)
Viability – The effect feels more green than blue, but sometimes blue has had cards that add mana, even though often restricted for use on artifact spells. Rarity can be fine, it's certainly not a rare as not only it doesn't ramp your mana, but you actually have to spend more mana than you generate (more on that in "Balance").
Balance – The cost of the ability feels too high. As it is, you spend more mana than the amount you generate from the ability, and that's quite weak. I can see using that ability if you're playing a 3+ colored deck and you're color screwed, hoping to reveal a card of one of the colors you're missing. But in all other cases, this ability doesn't ramp your mana, but it costs you mana. The mana cost looks high too: Rampant Growth costs two mana, for three mana I expect at least a repeatable one, but this is worse than it, both because it's only one shot, while Rampant Growth gives you the land permanently, and because you have to hit a creature, which you won't do every time. I probably wouldn't play this in limited, and I surely wouldn't in constructed.
Creative Writing – Name is fine. MSE tells me there's room for multiple lines of flavor text, but there is none.
Polish
Challenge (2/2) – Both met.
Quality (2/3) – I add one mana of which color if the card I reveal is multicolored? If I can choose one of the colors, the ability should say it (half a point deducted). Also, while the card is revealed it's still on the top of my library and not on the battlefield, so it's a "creature card" or simply a "card" and not a "creature". Alternatively, you could refer to it with "revealed card". The ability should say so in both instances (see Chrome Mox for a similar wording, half a point deducted). Putting it all together, this should say "If it's a creature card, add one mana of any of the revealed card's colors to your mana pool". "any of that card's colors" and "any of its colors" would have been acceptable too.
Total: 16.5/25
Design (8.5/10)
Creativity – I can't remember any card explicitly looking for hybrid mana symbols like this, so full points here.
Elegance – A bit wordy, but very clear.
Potential – This is a card for Spike, as it gives you a whole lot of value, and it's repeatable too. Timmy doesn't care. Johnny may try to recur this and use it as a win condition abusing the "target player loses life" part.
Development (7.5/10)
Viability – The "damage to a creature" part is mandatory, so I wouldn't advise casting this in an empty board, as this would have to kill itself. That's a limiting factor, but I don't feel like it's enough to prevent this to be a rare. The color pie is perfectly satisfied.
Balance – This looks very strong, only counting itself it already deals 4 damage to a creature and makes a player lose 4 life. Talk about a card that immediately affects the battlefield as it enters! Very probably a first pick in limited. Surely playable in constructed too.
Creative Writing – All good here.
Polish
Challenge (2/2) – Both met.
Quality (1.5/3) – "it's mana cost" should be "its mana cost" without apostrophe, as it's possessive and not a contraction of "it is" (half a point deducted). "amount of red mana" should be "amount of R" and the same for black mana (see Karametra's Acolyte and the Oracle text of some very old cards like Sacrifice, half a point deducted). Conveniently, this wouldn't have let you satisfy subchallenge 1, by the way. Finally, mana isn't "used" but "spent" (see Firespout for mana spent on a spell and the Oracle text of Ice Cauldron for mana spent on abilities, half a point deducted).
Total: 19.5/25
AliasBot 19.5/25
Cardz5000 20/25
doomfish 17/25
niko52301 16/25
VeiledAssassin 16.5/25
Wearth 19.5/25
MCC - Winner (6): Oct 2014, Apr Nov 2017, Jan 2018, Apr Jun 2019 || Host (15): Dec 2014, Apr Jul Aug Dec 2015, Mar Jul Aug Oct 2016, Feb Jul 2017, Jun Nov 2018, Feb Jul 2019 (last one here) || Judge (34): 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 one here)
CCL - Winner (3): Jul 2016 (tied with Flatline), May 2017, Jul 2019 (last one here) || Host (5): Feb 2015, Mar Apr May Jun 2016
DCC - Winner (1): Mar 2015 (tied with Piar) || Host (3): May Oct 2015, Jan 2016
• The two public custom sets I've been part a part of the design team for:
"Brotherhood of Ormos" - Blog post with all info - set thread - design skeleton / card list || "Extinctia: Homo Evanuit" - Blog post with all info - set thread - card list spreadsheet
• "The Lion's Lair", my article series about MTG and custom card design in particular. Latest article here. Here is the article index. Rather outdated by now, and based on the old MCC rubric, but I'm leaving this here for anybody that might be interested anyway.
• My only public attempt at being a writer: the story of my Leonin custom planeswalker Jeff Lionheart. (I have a very big one that I'm working on right now but that's private for now, and I don't know if I will ever actually publish it, and I also have ideas for multiple future ones, including one where I'm going to reprise Jeff.)
8buffalo
Design (7.5/10) –
Creativity – The base effect is as old as careful study. The deplete option makes it distinct.
Elegance – Very easy to understand
Potential – Timmy hates cards like this. Johnny will enjoy coming up with ways to abuse the discard. However, this is more a Spike card then any, as the deplete option screams combo piece digger.
Development (7.5/10) –
Viability – This fits into either Blue or Red without much of a push, even if red tends to discard first these days. Uncommon makes this forgivable, and is the right rarity.
Balance – This card is almost exclusively about its deplete cost, as it's regular mana cost is overcosted, even with the flexibility of its options. It's a dangerous dig card thanks to deplete.
Creative Writing – The name matches the mechanics of the card, and even the mechanic, deplete is a reference to digging. There was enough space for flavor text on this however, and you chose not take that step.
Polish – (4/5)
Challenge (1/2) – Sub challenge one is not met with a 4 in it's cost. Sub challenge two is (uncommon.)
Quality (3/3) – No issues here.
Total: 19/25
Design (7.5/10)
Creativity – A sorcery that makes a deathtouch creature is unique, particularly one with haste.
Elegance – It's an easy to understand card, but the flavor is a smidgen off for me.
Potential – Timmy is ok with this, but not excited. Johnny might like playing with a potent token but otherwise is uninterested. Spike likes the value of a deathtouch creature added with haste. At least in limited.
Development (7.0/10)
Viability – While both green and black get deathtouch creatures, haste is tertiary for green and extremely rare in black making it an odd choice for a hybrid at any rarity, though the overall power of the effect is uncommon.
Balance – Power wise this is on point (Wasteland Viper says it's ok) but still feels off because of the haste color wise.
Creative Writing – The flavor of this falls short of inspiring deathtouch. I get the sense of surprise, making haste a good fit flavorfully but spearmen in of themselves make me think first strike, not deathtouch.
Polish (4/5)
Challenge (2/2) – Both sub challenges have been met.
Quality (2/3) – Neither haste nor deathtouch should be capitalized while referencing a token creature's abilities.
Total: 18.5/25
Design (7.0/10)
Creativity – The unique drawback on the pushed creature makes it very distinct.
Elegance – While mechanically it's not hard to understand, it does evoke a bit of a shock in analysis exactly how effective it really is.
Potential – Timmy and Johnny have very little interest in a drawback hewn beater. Spike wants to see how abusive this is, because past the second turn after you play it it'll be easy to keep it a 4/4 for a turn or two.
Development (9/10) –
Viability – This card seems about right for the most part rarity and color wise, except the drawback of being penalize for tapped lands doesn't feel quite mono green.
Balance – Balance wise I think this evens out, because while it's an aggressive beater, the first two turns it is automatically gimped, and even afterward playing things in your second main phase to keep its power maxed for attacks wont get around 4 tapped lands killing it, so it'll need help to stay alive without limiting your mana. It works hard to limit itself.
Creative Writing – There wasn't enough room for flavor text. Mechanically the flavor matches the name.
Polish (5/5)
Challenge (2/2) – Both challenges met.
Quality (3/3) – Looks good to me.
Total: 21/25
Design (7.0/10) –
Creativity – Adding a +1/-1 to a temporary gain control effect is a little different but itsn't the first take control spell to change P/T. Overall doesn't push the scope of things terribly far.
Elegance – It is elegant. but I'm not quite getting flavorfully where the power/toughness change come from.
Potential – Timmy doesn't mind taking their biggest beater and making it bigger, though it's not quite his style. Johnny doesn't have much to do with this besides the usually stolen creature "no take backsies" shenanigans. Spike appreciates the versatility of the cost and the effect, appreciating it as a kill spell in a niche.
Development (5.5/10) –
Viability – This card is no longer a mono blue effect as an instant, and hasn't been for a long time. Temporary stealing creatures this way is mono red. You reference Ray of Command in the card name so I imagine you realize that this is out of date.
Balance – Power wise this is fine for legacy formats, but it steps outside the scope of fairness in standard for sure and is inappropriate for modern. I might expect to see in a commander deck.
Creative Writing – This card had plenty of room for flavor text but you chose not to include any. Call of command is a specific reference, but does not explain why there is a P/T change associated with this.
Polish (4.5/5)
Challenge (2/2) – Both challenges met.
Quality (2.5/3) – "End of turn" clause should be at the end of the sentence, not the beginning (see Flowstone Strike for an exact example.)
Total: 17/25
Design (8.5/10) –
Creativity – Punishing life gain by making devil creature tokens is unique as fair as I know/can tell.
Elegance – Pretty simple to understand with justifiable flavor, but why are the devils colorless and not red?
Potential – Timmy doesn't like this card, Johnny will have fun forcing the opponent to gain life in a massive way for there benefit, Spike likes the hate.
Development (6.0/10) –
Viability – The addition of flash seems like an inappropriate add on here to push the card. Additionally, this card is very red with the creation of devils and black with the idea of a witch but this makes it more of a black and red card then a hybrid that solos as either.
Balance – Balance wise, outside of probably being a multicolor card instead of a hybrid, this card is quite fine.
Creative Writing – I believe there is enough room on here for a quip of flavor text, especially if there wasn't the flash. Also, devils are not colorless, and should be red.
Polish (5/5)
Challenge (2/2) – Both challenges are met.
Quality (3/3) – Seems spot on.
Total: 19.5/25
Design (8.5/10)
Creativity – I'm pretty sure there isn't a card quite like this. It fits its niche pretty well.
Elegance – I think the jives mechanically and flavorful quite well. The flow together extremely well in fact.
Potential – This isn't a Timmy card. Johnny would like abusing the ETB trigger to distribute counters. Spike likes the removal but isn't a fan of the delay behind it nor the counters being meaningless if Fatebinder is gone.
Development (7/10)
Viability – The sacrificing of creatures might seem off for white if it wasn't symmetrical, so I'll give it a pass. However as worded, this card should probably care about whether a creature already has a soul counter on it or not. Stacking soul counters on one of your creatures and several of theres seems to sloppy. Additionally, the fact that if this is off the field soul counters doesn't matter weakens the design. It might be better suited just putting soul counters on opponents creatures and having an on death trigger for itself to sacrifice the others.
Balance – It's a bit of an oddball with blink effects/multiples stacking multiple counters on one of your creatures and versus numerous ones of theres (though that involves some effort. Otherwise it seems fair.
Creative Writing – The flavor the card eeks seems great. The mechanics are almost perfectly in tune with it too (minus the multi counter stacking hiccup.)
Polish (4/5)
Challenge (2/2) – Both challenges met
Quality (2/3) – The card leaves holes in its templating, as discussed above.
Total: 19.5/25
8buffalo: 19
aftermarketradio: 18.5
Flatline: 21
Marco: 17
riliss: 19.5
Sagharri: 19.5
Creativity – Haven't seen the first ability since Haakon, Stromgald Scourge, but at least you can cast it from your hand.
Elegance – No problems here.
Potential – It's a Johnny card.
7/10.
Development:
Viability – The recent reprints of Spectral Procession show that the reminder text of how “twobrid” works isn't necessarily needed.
Balance – Six mana is a bit much for a 2/2 that can't block, even if you can play it from your graveyard. I think (2/B)(2/B) is better.
Creative Writing – No problems here.
8/10
Polish:
Challenges – Both met.
Quality – No problems here.
5/5
Total: 20/25
Creativity – It's a little meh, but at least it hasn't been done before.
Elegance – No problems here.
Potential – Johnny might play with it.
8/10.
Development:
Viability – Personally, I can see this as just white.
Balance – I think this should cost more, since you're getting a flying creature for each nonflying creature your opponent gets. Unless your opponent has Windstorm or something, it's kind of unfair.
Creative Writing – No problems here.
8/10
Polish:
Challenges – Non-hybrid mana in mana cost.
Quality – “... put a 1/1 white and blue Spirit creature token...”
3/5
Total: 19/25
Creativity – It's Unsummon that hates weenies.
Elegance – No problems here.
Potential – Spike will like it.
8/10.
Development:
Viability – It's definitely multicoloured, but I don't see this with a hybrid mana cost.
Balance – No problems here.
Creative Writing – Some flavour text would have been nice.
8/10
Polish:
Challenges – Both met.
Quality – It should be ”Return target attacking or blocking creature to its owner's hand. If that creature has toughness 2 or less, exile it instead.
3/5
Total: 19/25
Creativity – Not exactly a stretch of the imagination, but I'm surprised this hasn't been printed yet.
Elegance – No problems here.
Potential – This card is good in limited.
8/10.
Development:
Viability – No problems here.
Balance – Ressurection and Zombify each cost 4 mana, so it makes sense for this to cost two, though, preferably, it should be 1(W/B)
Creative Writing – Some flavour text would have been nice.
9/10
Polish:
Challenges – Both met.
Quality – No problems here.
5/5
Total: 22/25
Creativity – It's like Act of Treason, except you don't necessarily return the creature you took.
Elegance – No problems here.
Potential – Johnny and Spike would play with this.
9/10.
Development:
Viability – It's definitely multicoloured, but I don't see this as having hybrid mana.
Balance – This is heavy in coloured mana, so it makes sense compared to Switcheroo. Still, I think it could cost 1 more, like 2(U/R)(U/R)
Creative Writing – No problems here.
8/10
Polish:
Challenges – Both met.
Quality – No problems here.
5/5
Total: 22/25
Creativity – A nontoken Saproling? Sure.
Elegance – No problems here.
Potential – I can think a few ways to abuse this.
9/10.
Development:
Viability – No problems here.
Balance – I was going to argue the card's mana cost, thinking getting an 8/8 token for one mana is ridiculous, but then I remembered Wake the Reflections. And, in a sense, your card is better than Wake in that Wake needs a token to populate, whereas yours just waits for a token to come.
Creative Writing – Some flavour text would have been nice.
9/10
Polish:
Challenges – Both met.
Quality – I'm certain it's “creature token.”
4/5
Total: 22/25
Asrama: 19
Figurative: 19
Ninja Caterpie: 22
palanthas: 22
SelesnyaNewLife: 22
As always, no complaints, and it's not final until after the deadline.
Trivmvirate had to retire from judging this month because of private reasons. I wish him the best of luck. I'm going to judge his bracket myself, then round 2 will have 4 brackets of 5 players each with the top 2 from each bracket advancing to round 3.
Round 2 will be posted in 2.5 hours (at midnight CET = 6 PM EST).
Design/development: I mentally divide points equally among subsections, assign them, then add them up.
Challenges: what counts is always the letter of the law.
Quality: half a point deducted for any error in wording, spelling, or grammar; a whole point for particularly serious errors.
No complaints unless I got something objectively wrong.
Design (7.5/10)
Creativity – The stats and the haste remind much of Monastery Swiftspear. The ability is something new.
Elegance – All good here.
Potential – Timmy doesn't care. Johnny may use this if he needs to give a creature haste for some purpose. Spike likes this very much, as it's certainly pushed more than enough.
Development (9/10)
Viability – The ability feels more gold than hybrid: giving haste is red and the "losing life" part feels black. Other than that, everything's good here, including rarity (see Monastery Swiftspear, this trades prowess for the activated ability).
Balance – Both the mana cost and the ability cost are pushed as low as they can but they don't look broken. Very playable in limited, I think it could easily be a first pick. I can easily see in constructed too, especially in some RDW style decks that are both very aggressive and have a low enough curve, so they can make good use of the haste-granting ability.
Creative Writing – All good here.
Polish
Challenge (2/2) – Both met.
Quality (3/3) – All good here.
Total: 21.5/25
Design (5/10)
Creativity – I can't remember them together in a single card, but these effects are nothing new.
Elegance – It feels strange that I can pay only green mana to fetch Plains and vice versa (see "Viability"), but other than that everything's fine here.
Potential – I can't see a single psychographic that would care for this. Maybe some Timmy that loves lifegain, but that's really stretching.
Development (6/10)
Viability – There is some precedent for white cards fetching Plains from the library, but it feels strange to be able to pay only green mana and search for a Plains, or pay only white mana and search for a Forest. Also, with adequate mana cost, this should be common, as most effects like this are.
Balance – The mana cost is too low, see Bountiful Harvest or even Joyous Respite, and this card has an additional effect. Playable in limited for sure. I can't see this in constructed.
Creative Writing – Nature vs nurture is one of the ways to express the green/blue conflict, so it feels strange to see the word "Nurturing" in the name of a green card. Other than that, no problems here.
Polish
Challenge (1/2) – Subchallenge 1 NOT met: there is a non-hybrid mana symbol (2) in the mana cost. Subchallenge 2 met.
Quality (0/3) – "put it into play" should be "put it onto the battlefield" (this is a particularly serious mistake, as we should be used by now to post M10 wording, so one point deducted). This card has you search your library, but then it doesn't tell you to shuffle it (this is also a very serious mistake, as you know the order of your whole library after this resolves, one point deducted). Finally, it should say "You gain 1 life" (half a point deducted) and a period is missing at the end of the flavor text (half a point deducted). Mana tags are missing from the mana cost.
Total: 12/25
Design (6.5/10)
Creativity – There has never been a creature with these exact stats, but the effect is nothing new.
Elegance – All good here.
Potential – Timmy doesn't care. Johnny may try to find a way to recur the trigger trying to lock a creature out of the game permanently. Spike is excited by this card, as he can cast it at the most convenient times, has evasion and immediately affects the board.
Development (7.5/10)
Viability – All looks good here.
Balance – Cost looks right, as this costs the same amount of mana as Kor Hookmaster and Frost Lynx but with more colored mana, and one less mana than Dungeon Geists, but that locks the creature for as long as you control it instead of just a single turn. Very high pick in limited. It may be playable in constructed, but only in specific decks.
Creative Writing – The name sounds uninspired but it's fine. MSE tells me that one line of flavor text could have fit there.
Polish
Challenge (2/2) – Both met.
Quality (2.5/3) – A period is missing at the end of the last ability (half a point deducted).
Total: 18.5/25
Design (8/10)
Creativity – Very innovative use of "twobrid" for Eldrazi, but you weren't the only one to think of that this round. Maybe it was just an easy place to go to.
Elegance – All feels good here.
Potential – Not all Timmies are interested in this, but the griefers surely are. Johnny may try to find ways to abuse the trigger, but the high mana cost associated with that limits him in his brewing. Spike is very interested as he first reads this, then when he realizes the cost of the trigger loses much of his interest.
Development (7/10)
Viability – This makes sense as a monored card, even though making the opponent sacrifice a permanent isn't primary red. It also makes sense as a colorless card, but that's mostly because of the Eldrazi flavor and not because of mechanics. Rarity feels right.
Balance – It's surely less oppressive than annihilator, as you have to pay at least 4 mana in a single color to get the same effect. That's probably a good thing after all, but the cost to make the opponent sacrifice something looks too high. Very playable in limited, I don't know if it would be a first pick, but it would be surely a high enough pick. I can see this in constructed too, especially if the sacrifice cost is lowered a bit.
Creative Writing – I can't imagine an Eldrazi being a Satyr. The flavor text mentioning Xenagos and there being the word "Reveler" in the name helps with that, but it feels like they are there just to justify the creature types.
Polish
Challenge (2/2) – Both met.
Quality (3/3) – All looks good here.
Total: 20/25
Design (6.5/10)
Creativity – Stalker Hag but with a Simic touch. New, but not groundbreaking.
Elegance – All good here.
Potential – Timmy has to wait too long for this to become big enough for him to care, but maybe a creature that grows the more beasts he plays can interest him. Johnny doesn't care. Spike would probably be interested if this had a point more of either base power or toughness. As it is, he just sees a 1/1 for two mana that could be evasive but just sometimes.
Development (9/10)
Viability – All good here.
Balance – Cost looks right. Playable in limited but I don't see it in constructed.
Creative Writing – All good here. Particularly appreciable the choice of creature types, they just scream Simic! It's amazing how sometimes you can express such great flavor with only two words of a mechanical feature.
Polish
Challenge (2/2) – Both met.
Quality (2/3) – Stalker Hag tells us that multiple instances of landwalk should be ordered like mana symbols are, that is in WUBRG order. In green/blue cards, green comes before blue (remember you take the shortest path cycling around the color pie), so forestwalk should come before islandwalk (half a point deducted). Also, in a list of keywords only the first one is capitalized (half a point deducted). I would have liked the reminder text for evolve to be there, but I'm not penalizing you for that.
Total: 19.5/25
Design (6.5/10)
Creativity – Vendilion Clique's ETB ability, but for all players. Never done, but not very original.
Elegance – Not immediate, but easy enough to understand.
Potential – Timmy doesn't care. Johnny may use this, but if he does it will be to find the cards he needs from his own library. Spike is excited by this card, as it gives him a lot of strategic choices to make.
Development (6/10)
Viability – Between the Clique in blue and all the discard effects black has, this feels good as a blue/black hybrid card, even though I'm not sure this effect belongs in monoblue. Rarity looks fine.
Balance – Vendilion Clique does this for a single player, leaves a body behind, and costs three mana. This doesn't give you a creature, but is extended to all players, so it feels like it wants to have the same cost of the Clique. If this just targeted a single player, it would have been surely fine at two mana. It may be playable in limited if you have room for a noncreature spell like this in your deck. Not playable in constructed.
Creative Writing – The name sounds too similar to Dismember, but the card is not a nod to it as the name would have you expect. No flavor text, even though MSE tells me there would have been room for three lines of it.
Polish
Challenge (2/2) – Both met.
Quality (2.5/3) – The wording should be that of Vendilion Clique's ability, but with "each player's hand" instead of "target player's hand" (half a point deducted).
Total: 17/25
hopefulhawkeye 21.5/25
J.Do 12/25
Koopa 18.5/25
northprophet 20/25
NVRBLND 19.5/25
Rudyard 17/25
MCC - Winner (6): Oct 2014, Apr Nov 2017, Jan 2018, Apr Jun 2019 || Host (15): Dec 2014, Apr Jul Aug Dec 2015, Mar Jul Aug Oct 2016, Feb Jul 2017, Jun Nov 2018, Feb Jul 2019 (last one here) || Judge (34): 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 one here)
CCL - Winner (3): Jul 2016 (tied with Flatline), May 2017, Jul 2019 (last one here) || Host (5): Feb 2015, Mar Apr May Jun 2016
DCC - Winner (1): Mar 2015 (tied with Piar) || Host (3): May Oct 2015, Jan 2016
• The two public custom sets I've been part a part of the design team for:
"Brotherhood of Ormos" - Blog post with all info - set thread - design skeleton / card list || "Extinctia: Homo Evanuit" - Blog post with all info - set thread - card list spreadsheet
• "The Lion's Lair", my article series about MTG and custom card design in particular. Latest article here. Here is the article index. Rather outdated by now, and based on the old MCC rubric, but I'm leaving this here for anybody that might be interested anyway.
• My only public attempt at being a writer: the story of my Leonin custom planeswalker Jeff Lionheart. (I have a very big one that I'm working on right now but that's private for now, and I don't know if I will ever actually publish it, and I also have ideas for multiple future ones, including one where I'm going to reprise Jeff.)