This Month we will be concentrating on some of the most common mistakes made by new and experienced custom magic card designers alike.
Each challenge will concentrate on a single issue, having us work to try and improve on these potential points of weakness and give us a better understanding on how to tackle these issues.
Precedence is a great tool for budding designers and magic's large card pool does an amazing job of allowing those just starting to pickup rules and get inspiration.
Unfortunately the rules of magic have changed and evolved over it's 20+ years, meaning some precedents can be misleading. None are more misleading than the Planar Chaos set in the Future Sight block. So often this is used as a way to justify out of color pie effects as that set deliberately was a "what if?" of how the color pie could be different in an alternate reality.
However planar chaos definitely wasn't without its upsides its colorshifted for a greater understanding of potential ways to rebalance the color pie with cards like Vampiric Link or Battering Sliver now being normal parts of the color pie.
So our challenge is Choose an existing card and colorshift it. This colorshift must not break the color pie.
EDIT: Good names and flavor text will be important to making your card stand out and feel different to the original.
Be sure to link your original card
A color shifted card must be an identical card except its color, creature types and name.
You may colorshift a either to or from a multicolored card as long as it doesn't share a color with its original. eg: A BGPlanar Cleansing is fine but a WB one isn't.
Feel free to ask questions if your unsure about anything in the Discussion Thread
Due Date: January 11th.
Important note: There will be three rounds followed by a top 8, then semifinals and finals. Do join in the fun.
You can now begin judging the the six names above your name. Looping from top to bottom as necessary.
Imagine into RealityXUUU
Sorcery (Rare)
Reveal the top X cards of your library. You may put any number of permanent cards with converted mana cost X or less from among them onto the battlefield. Then put all cards revealed this way that weren't put onto the battlefield into your graveyard.
Trapper en-Kor1WW
Creature - Kor Rebel (C) 1WW, T: Exile Trapper en-Kor and target creature without flying that's attacking you. "The Evincar may enlist monstrosities to fight us. We will show him that it's not the size that matters, but the strength of our conviction."
- Cadamy, Sivvi Reborn
2/3
Frenzied Bloodlust2BBRR
Enchantment
Creatures you control have double strike and lifelink. As the angels and cathars drove them from Stensia, the vampire clans retaliated with such cruelty that put the demons to shame.
Cream of the Crop from green to blue. The expanded text box of the M15 frame allow this to have flavor text now, I checked in MSE.
Insight Into the Future1U
Enchantment (R)
Whenever a creature enters the battlefield under your control, you may look at the top X cards of your library, where X is that creature’s power. If you do, put one of those cards on top of your library and the rest on the bottom of your library in any order. “There are many possible futures for you. You just have to choose yourself which one you want.”
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
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.)
Vengeful Spirit 1BB
Creature — Spirit (C)
Flying
Vengeful Spirit can block only creatures with flying.
Undying (When this creature dies, if it had no +1/+1 counters on it, return it to the battlefield under its owner's control with a +1/+1 counter on it.)
2/2
Zameck Krasis5GU
Creature - Drake Mutant (U)
Flying, vigilance "This is my favorite experiment. It keeps me and my laboratory safe from those Azorius pests and their stupid rules."
- Gulistan, Simic Biomancer
[5/5]
Calculated Risk UB (R)
Instant
Take an extra turn after this one. At the beginning of that turn's end step, you lose the game. "Sometimes the biggest risk is not taking a risk."
Entrap
Instant (U)
Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt this turn.
Each attacking creature doesn't untap during its controller's next untap step.
(22 Total) - October 2014; December 2014; January 2015; April 2015; June 2015; August 2015; September 2015; November 2015; December 2015(T); January 2016; March 2016(T); April 2016; June 2016; October 2016; December 2016(T); February 2017; April 2017; December 2017; November 2018(T); January 2019; April 2019; June 2019
(8 Total) - May 2015; May 2016; June 2016; August 2016; October 2016; December 2016; October 2017; May 2019
(7 Total) - September 2015; October 2015; January 2016; March 2016; April 2016; July 2016(T); March 2019(T)
Inspiration Stealer2UG
Creature - Ooze (R)
Trample
When Inspiration Stealer enters the battlefield, put a +1/+1 counter on it for each card in your hand. If you do, discard your hand.
When Inspiration Stealer leaves the battlefield, draw a card for each +1/+1 counter on it. Simic oozes catch stray ideas and turn them into strength. Sometimes, they give the ideas back.
2/2
Pedantic Learning
Unearthed Wisdom1G
Enchantment (R)
Whenever a land card is put into your graveyard from your library, you may pay 1. If you do, draw a card. Depth can measure distance below, complexity, or both.
Razorgrass Garden1W
Enchantment (U)
Whenever a creature without flying attacks you or a planeswalker you control, Razorgrass Garden deals 1 damage to that creature. An open field in New Phyrexia may not be the safest place, but it's hardly indefensible.
Dark Concordat1UB
Instant (R)
Regenerate target creature. You gain control of that creature if it regenerates this way. "Your soul is such a small price..."
Offerings to the Dark 1B
Sorcery
Reveal the top five cards of your library. You may put a creature card from among them into your hand. Put the rest into your graveyard.
Spell mastery — If there are two or more instant and/or sorcery cards in your graveyard, put up to two creature cards from among the revealed cards into your hand instead of one.
(Flavor text will not fit, but theme should be obvious)
Diabolic Wager B
Sorcery (R)
Search your library for a card, put that card into your hand, discard a card at random, then shuffle your library. It's risky to ask a demon a favor.
Boon of HeliodW
Instant {C}
Target creature gains indestructible until end of turn. (Lethal damage and effects that say "destroy" don't destroy it. If its toughness is 0 or less, it's still put into its owner's graveyard.) There are some threads of life even the Fates can't cut.
Ignorant Bliss1UW
Enchantment (R)
Players can cast spells and activate abilities only during their own turns. Life is so much easier when you don't have to care about what other people think.
Wishvoid Djinn2B
Creature — Djinn (R)
Flying
At the beginning of your upkeep, Wishvoid Djinn deals 1 damage to you. "I know your wish: that I'd never shown up!"
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Trophyless guy.
Thought of the Month: I gave up from trying to require the 'i' on my name: SolesticIo
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Know your weaknesses and strive to improve them.
This Month we will be concentrating on some of the most common mistakes made by new and experienced custom magic card designers alike.
Each challenge will concentrate on a single issue, having us work to try and improve on these potential points of weakness and give us a better understanding on how to tackle these issues.
Precedence is a great tool for budding designers and magic's large card pool does an amazing job of allowing those just starting to pickup rules and get inspiration.
Unfortunately the rules of magic have changed and evolved over it's 20+ years, meaning some precedents can be misleading. None are more misleading than the Planar Chaos set in the Future Sight block. So often this is used as a way to justify out of color pie effects as that set deliberately was a "what if?" of how the color pie could be different in an alternate reality.
However planar chaos definitely wasn't without its upsides its colorshifted for a greater understanding of potential ways to rebalance the color pie with cards like Vampiric Link or Battering Sliver now being normal parts of the color pie.
So our challenge is Choose an existing card and colorshift it. This colorshift must not break the color pie.
EDIT: Good names and flavor text will be important to making your card stand out and feel different to the original.
Due Date: January 11th.
Important note: There will be three rounds followed by a top 8, then semifinals and finals. Do join in the fun.
You can now begin judging the the six names above your name. Looping from top to bottom as necessary.
Flatline
Skyform
Moss_Elemental
shinike1729
theazurespirit
Todris052
maplesmall
Solesticio
Hemlock
Ink-Treader
bubblecat2
RickyRister
RaikouRider
void_nothing
Asrama
Forestsguy
netn10
Koopa
IcariiFA
glurman
Jimmy Groove
bravelion83
Are you designing commons? Check out my primer on NWO.
Interested in making a custom set? Check out my Set skeleton and archetype primer.
I also write articles about getting started with custom card creation.
Go and PLAYTEST your designs, you will learn more in a single playtests than a dozen discussions.
My custom sets:
Dreamscape
Coins of Mercalis [COMPLETE]
Exodus of Zendikar - ON HOLD
Imagine into Reality XUUU
Sorcery (Rare)
Reveal the top X cards of your library. You may put any number of permanent cards with converted mana cost X or less from among them onto the battlefield. Then put all cards revealed this way that weren't put onto the battlefield into your graveyard.
Giant Trap Door Spider
Trapper en-Kor 1WW
Creature - Kor Rebel (C)
1WW, T: Exile Trapper en-Kor and target creature without flying that's attacking you.
"The Evincar may enlist monstrosities to fight us. We will show him that it's not the size that matters, but the strength of our conviction."
- Cadamy, Sivvi Reborn
2/3
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!
Frenzied Bloodlust 2BBRR
Enchantment
Creatures you control have double strike and lifelink.
As the angels and cathars drove them from Stensia, the vampire clans retaliated with such cruelty that put the demons to shame.
Cream of the Crop from green to blue. The expanded text box of the M15 frame allow this to have flavor text now, I checked in MSE.
Insight Into the Future 1U
Enchantment (R)
Whenever a creature enters the battlefield under your control, you may look at the top X cards of your library, where X is that creature’s power. If you do, put one of those cards on top of your library and the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.
“There are many possible futures for you. You just have to choose yourself which one you want.”
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.)
Vengeful Spirit 1BB
Creature — Spirit (C)
Flying
Vengeful Spirit can block only creatures with flying.
Undying (When this creature dies, if it had no +1/+1 counters on it, return it to the battlefield under its owner's control with a +1/+1 counter on it.)
2/2
Zameck Krasis 5GU
Creature - Drake Mutant (U)
Flying, vigilance
"This is my favorite experiment. It keeps me and my laboratory safe from those Azorius pests and their stupid rules."
- Gulistan, Simic Biomancer
[5/5]
Calculated Risk UB (R)
Instant
Take an extra turn after this one. At the beginning of that turn's end step, you lose the game.
"Sometimes the biggest risk is not taking a risk."
Entrap
Instant (U)
Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt this turn.
Each attacking creature doesn't untap during its controller's next untap step.
"Let them come. They can not harm us"
Inspiration Stealer 2UG
Creature - Ooze (R)
Trample
When Inspiration Stealer enters the battlefield, put a +1/+1 counter on it for each card in your hand. If you do, discard your hand.
When Inspiration Stealer leaves the battlefield, draw a card for each +1/+1 counter on it.
Simic oozes catch stray ideas and turn them into strength. Sometimes, they give the ideas back.
2/2
Unyaro Hyena 2R
Creature - Hyena (C)
R, T: Target creature can't block this turn.
"Like carrion in Unyaro" - Suq'Ata expression meaning "a sudden and unceremonious departure"
3/1
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
Unearthed Wisdom 1G
Enchantment (R)
Whenever a land card is put into your graveyard from your library, you may pay 1. If you do, draw a card.
Depth can measure distance below, complexity, or both.
Razorgrass Garden 1W
Enchantment (U)
Whenever a creature without flying attacks you or a planeswalker you control, Razorgrass Garden deals 1 damage to that creature.
An open field in New Phyrexia may not be the safest place, but it's hardly indefensible.
Choose one of these judge of creation:
Make Strionic Resonator shine!
You can not grasp the true form of Ashiok's attack!
Dark Concordat 1UB
Instant (R)
Regenerate target creature. You gain control of that creature if it regenerates this way.
"Your soul is such a small price..."
Degenerate 3BB
Sorcery (C)
Destroy target creature or land.
All will be One; except for you. You will be dust.
BGStandard Green AggroGB
UWRGModern Saheeli CobraGRWU
UBRGLegacy StormGRBU
Wizards Certified Rules Advisor
Offerings to the Dark 1B
Sorcery
Reveal the top five cards of your library. You may put a creature card from among them into your hand. Put the rest into your graveyard.
Spell mastery — If there are two or more instant and/or sorcery cards in your graveyard, put up to two creature cards from among the revealed cards into your hand instead of one.
(Flavor text will not fit, but theme should be obvious)
Diabolic Wager B
Sorcery (R)
Search your library for a card, put that card into your hand, discard a card at random, then shuffle your library.
It's risky to ask a demon a favor.
Boon of Heliod W
Instant {C}
Target creature gains indestructible until end of turn. (Lethal damage and effects that say "destroy" don't destroy it. If its toughness is 0 or less, it's still put into its owner's graveyard.)
There are some threads of life even the Fates can't cut.
Emille, Seven-Sting Dancer Shalin Nariya
Ignorant Bliss 1UW
Enchantment (R)
Players can cast spells and activate abilities only during their own turns.
Life is so much easier when you don't have to care about what other people think.
Wishvoid Djinn 2B
Creature — Djinn (R)
Flying
At the beginning of your upkeep, Wishvoid Djinn deals 1 damage to you.
"I know your wish: that I'd never shown up!"
Thought of the Month:
I gave up from trying to require the 'i' on my name: SolesticIo