The theme of this month will be top-down card design. For those who might not know, what that means is a card design that starts with an intended flavor you want to represent on your card and only then you find the right mechanics to match the intended flavor (the contrary, where you start with mechanics and find a matching flavor is called "bottom-up"). All rounds will have a similar base structure this month: I will give you one or more words defining a flavorful concept and you will have to design some cards matching that flavorful concept. There still might be some twists here and there of course.
Challenge (with in-built twist):
This time, rather than giving you a list or words for each card, I will give you a single list of fifteen words.
You will design five cards, choosing for each one three words out of the list.
You can't choose the same word twice, so you will have to use all the words.
In each card you design, each of the three words must appear somewhere in the card (in its name, types, rules text, reminder text, or flavor text).
The list of words:
• Earth
• Water
• Air
• Fire
• Snow
• Life
• Death
• Time
• Madness
• Cycle ("cycling" as a mechanic is acceptable too)
• Hand
• Human
• Wizard
• Zombie
• Horror
All the words in the list have their ordinary English meanings. If you use the words in rules text, of course they have their Magic meaning there instead.
You have until Thursday, May 5th 23:59 EDT. The public poll will go up afterwards. If both finalists are done before that time, please let me know and I can post the poll sooner.
PLAYERS
Flatline
theazurespirit
Good luck to both finalists!
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.)
Can we use different variations of the word (such as watery), or use a compound words that contain the word (such as lifetime)? How about hyphenated (such as Fire-Lizard)?
Oracle of Fire
Creature — Human Wizard (R)
Haste
: Exile the top card of your library. Until end of turn, you may cast that card if it's an instant or sorcery. She sees visions within the dancing flames.
1/1
Endless Horror
Creature — Zombie (U)
Menace
Endless Horror can't block.
When Endless Horror enters the battlefield, you may return up to one card named Endless Horror from you graveyard to your hand. "Is there no end to this death?"
1/1
Wandering Hermit
Creature — Elf Druid (R)
Whenever a land you control is put into your graveyard from the battlefield, add one mana of any color to your mana pool. "I've spent my life wandering this land, living off the earth, and drinking from its waters."
1/1
Morning Frost
Instant (U)
Return up to two target tapped creatures to their owner's hand. "It's best to get indoors. There's a chill in the air, I think it might snow."
Time to Think
Sorcery (U)
Draw a card.
Madness (If you discard this card, discard it into exile. When you do, cast it for its madness cost or put it into your graveyard.)
Cycling ( , Discard this card: Draw a card.) "Too much time alone can give a man crazy ideas."
(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)
Pyromancer Adept2R
Creature - Human Wizard (U)
When Pyromancer Adept enters the battlefield, it deals 2 damage to target creature you control and 2 damage to target creature you don't control. She has the raw power to conjure fire. It remains to be seen if she has the talent to control it.
2/2
Fellfrost Wendigo3B
Creature - Horror (U)
Madness--Sacrifice a creature (If you discard this card, discard it into exile. When you do, cast it for its madness cost or put it into your graveyard.) Wendigos are born from the desperation of lost travelers when the snow is stained with blood.
3/3
Offerings to the Earth1G
Enchantment (R)
Whenever a creature you control dies, you may add G to your mana pool at the beginning of your next main phase. "Our bodies return to the earth to nourish the soil, and thus the cycle of life continues."
--Jarad
Drowned Revenant1U
Creature - Zombie (U)
Whenever one or more cards are put into your graveyard from your library, you may pay B. If you do, return Drowned Revenant from your graveyard to the battlefield tapped. The Nephalian shore echoes with the moans of those who met their death in the frigid water.
1/3
Air Weaver3U
Creature - Djinn Monk (U)
Flying
Morph 2U(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 Air Weaver is turned face up, return all other creatures with flying to their owners' hands.
2/2
"Choose the right word!"
The theme of this month will be top-down card design. For those who might not know, what that means is a card design that starts with an intended flavor you want to represent on your card and only then you find the right mechanics to match the intended flavor (the contrary, where you start with mechanics and find a matching flavor is called "bottom-up"). All rounds will have a similar base structure this month: I will give you one or more words defining a flavorful concept and you will have to design some cards matching that flavorful concept. There still might be some twists here and there of course.
Challenge (with in-built twist):
This time, rather than giving you a list or words for each card, I will give you a single list of fifteen words.
You will design five cards, choosing for each one three words out of the list.
You can't choose the same word twice, so you will have to use all the words.
In each card you design, each of the three words must appear somewhere in the card (in its name, types, rules text, reminder text, or flavor text).
The list of words:
• Earth
• Water
• Air
• Fire
• Snow
• Life
• Death
• Time
• Madness
• Cycle ("cycling" as a mechanic is acceptable too)
• Hand
• Human
• Wizard
• Zombie
• Horror
All the words in the list have their ordinary English meanings. If you use the words in rules text, of course they have their Magic meaning there instead.
You have until Thursday, May 5th 23:59 EDT. The public poll will go up afterwards. If both finalists are done before that time, please let me know and I can post the poll sooner.
PLAYERS
Flatline
theazurespirit
Good luck to both finalists!
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.)
Creature — Human Wizard (R)
Haste
: Exile the top card of your library. Until end of turn, you may cast that card if it's an instant or sorcery.
She sees visions within the dancing flames.
1/1
Endless Horror
Creature — Zombie (U)
Menace
Endless Horror can't block.
When Endless Horror enters the battlefield, you may return up to one card named Endless Horror from you graveyard to your hand.
"Is there no end to this death?"
1/1
Wandering Hermit
Creature — Elf Druid (R)
Whenever a land you control is put into your graveyard from the battlefield, add one mana of any color to your mana pool.
"I've spent my life wandering this land, living off the earth, and drinking from its waters."
1/1
Morning Frost
Instant (U)
Return up to two target tapped creatures to their owner's hand.
"It's best to get indoors. There's a chill in the air, I think it might snow."
Time to Think
Sorcery (U)
Draw a card.
Madness (If you discard this card, discard it into exile. When you do, cast it for its madness cost or put it into your graveyard.)
Cycling ( , Discard this card: Draw a card.)
"Too much time alone can give a man crazy ideas."
Creature - Human Wizard (U)
When Pyromancer Adept enters the battlefield, it deals 2 damage to target creature you control and 2 damage to target creature you don't control.
She has the raw power to conjure fire. It remains to be seen if she has the talent to control it.
2/2
Fellfrost Wendigo 3B
Creature - Horror (U)
Madness--Sacrifice a creature (If you discard this card, discard it into exile. When you do, cast it for its madness cost or put it into your graveyard.)
Wendigos are born from the desperation of lost travelers when the snow is stained with blood.
3/3
Offerings to the Earth 1G
Enchantment (R)
Whenever a creature you control dies, you may add G to your mana pool at the beginning of your next main phase.
"Our bodies return to the earth to nourish the soil, and thus the cycle of life continues."
--Jarad
Drowned Revenant 1U
Creature - Zombie (U)
Whenever one or more cards are put into your graveyard from your library, you may pay B. If you do, return Drowned Revenant from your graveyard to the battlefield tapped.
The Nephalian shore echoes with the moans of those who met their death in the frigid water.
1/3
Air Weaver 3U
Creature - Djinn Monk (U)
Flying
Morph 2U (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 Air Weaver is turned face up, return all other creatures with flying to their owners' hands.
2/2