Welcome to the Card Creation League! In the first two rounds, entry is free for anyone. Come join us!
Sometimes we can visibly witness a cultural phenomenon. Typically, it’s not that the idea is new or revolutionary, but that it happens to be the perfect timing through the evolution of an earlier idea. People embrace it, it catches on, and before you know it, everyone is playing along.
That’s right, Pokémon GO is taking the world by storm. But of course, this isn’t the first Pokémon game — it has the same pocket monsters as before, but of course this time it’s in augmented reality on mobile phones. However, Magic is a constantly evolving game, too. In a design sense, it’s constantly iterating and improving, taking old and making new. You’ll be doing the same — taking an old bland creature, and making it feel evolved!
Challenge
Create an “evolved” creature card based on an existing french vanilla creature, but bigger, in a new, different single color.
Choose a french vanilla creature and link its name with the “card” tag (“french vanilla” means a card that has one or more keyworded abilities and no other rules text)
Create a new creature inspired by the one you chose, sharing at least one creature type
Make it in a single, different color
Give it a larger power and toughness
Give it rules or abilities to make it feel evolved
Feel free to list the rarity if you like. (I expect most entries will be rare or mythic rare, and given the original card already has a rarity, it’s not necessary for this round.)
Try to adhere to the color pie (but it’s okay if the creature types don’t fit in)
The new card does not need to have the same abilities
You may freely change color words and land types (Protection from color, landwalk, etc.)
The card can have multiple card types, but it must include creature
Brutefeather Griffin4RR
Creature — Griffin
Flying
Whenever Brutefeather Griffin attacks, up to two target creatures can’t block this turn.
4/4
In the first three rounds, entry is available for anyone. (Come join us! We are waiting for you!)
Please vote in July’s final poll. Anyone who votes will receive 2 bonus points for August’s CCL!
(The extra two points will be awarded in the totals after Round 3.)
+3 points for each First Place +2 points for each Second Place +1 point for each Third Place
+1 bonus point for posting critiques +1 bonus point for posting a Top 3 ranking
The points received by each player will be added up and calculated as a percentage of the maximum points that player could have obtained, which are given by 3 ×(number of critiques received)+ 2.
The percentages will then be ordered in decreasing order and that will be the standings for the round.
The percentages from the first three rounds will be added up at the end of Round 3 to determine the Top 4 or 8, depending on the number of entrants. 2 bonus points will be awarded to anyone who voted in July’s final poll.
The same system will be used for the final round.
As usual, the final winner will be determined by a public poll.
Critiques It’s time for your critiques!
Critique the cards of the six people immediately below your name, looping to the top of the list as necessary. Then, among those six, rank what you feel are the top three. (Ranking your top 3 gets you a point, and completing critiques gets you another point.)
We have several new people here this time, so welcome!
Critiques are technically optional, but they’re one of the easiest ways to get points. And you don’t have to write very much either!
An easy way to get the six cards you are critiquing in a post is to use the Multi-quote button for each submission. Start with the first person who is below your name, look for their post, and click on the Multi-quote button. Then continue down the list. Click Reply when you have all six queued up.
After that, briefly write about what you like and don’t like on those cards. It’s totally okay to edit this in more than one sitting. Feel free to revise this as much as you like before the deadline.
You’ll also then rank them with your own “top 3.” (Usually people will wrap the critiques and the top 3 into separate spoiler tags, but however you would like to do it all is fine.)
Cloud Crow3W
Creature - Bird
Flash
Flying
When Cloud Crow enters the battlefield, prevent all damage that would be dealt to you or creatures you control this turn.
2/3 Cloud crow descending, peace never-ending.
Cloud crow departing, battle is starting.
What is this blasphemy??? Storm Crow is the embodiment of perfection! Implying that there could be one superior to The Almighty Storm Crow is sacrilege, and should be punished by death!
Persistent Meerkats2WW
Creature - Mongoose
Protection from blue
Whenever an opponent casts a spell during your turn, create a token that's a copy of Persistent Meerkats. Don't let them anywhere near. They pop up faster than you can get rid of them.
2/2
Korozda Basilisk4BB
Creature - Basilisk Horror (U)
Deathtouch
Whenever Korozda Basilisk destroy one or more creatures put a +1/+1 counter on it and gain indestructible until end of the next turn.
3/3
------
Guma, the Stalking Eye 2GG
Legendary Creature - Cat
Flash
Split Second
Protection from Blue
Whenever an opponent casts a spell during your turn, Guma fights each creature that opponent controls (You decide the order).
3/3
Porcelain Pain-Sharpers
Artifact Creature - Devil Soldier (Rare)
First strike, trample
At the beginning of each end step, you lose life equal to the life you lost this turn. (Damage causes loss of life.) Those who can't bear the pain inflicted by the furnace dwellers, aren't worthy of their blessings.
6/2
Boars of Bogardan2RRR
Creature - Elemental Boar (M)
Haste, trample
When Boars of Bogardan dies, exile it with X rage counters on it, where X is the amount of damage Boars of Bogardan dealt to players and planeswalkers this turn.
Whenever a creature you control attacks, if Boars of Bogardan is exiled, that creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn for each rage counter on Boars of Bogardan.
4/4
Monastery Bell-Ringer2RR
Creature — Human Monk (R)
Prowess
Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, untap Monastery Bell-Ringer and it deals 2 damage to target player.
3/3
Mindsnare Weaver 4UUU
Creature - Spider (R)
Reach (This creature can block creatures with flying
At the end of combat, gain control of all creatures blocked by Mindsnare Weaver 2UU: Creatures target player controls attack this turn if able.
3/8
Zealous Ambushers1GG
Creature — Elf Soldier (U)
Flash
When Zealous Ambushers enters the battlefield, put a +1/+1 counter on another target creature you control. They hide behind the trees of Lys Alana to defend it from unwanted visitors.
2/2
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.)
Niblis of Silence3U
Creature - Spirit (R)
Flying
At the beginning of your end step, if no spells were cast this turn, you may return Niblis of Silence from your graveyard to the battlefield. "It's nights like these, when there's no sound to be heard, that you should be really afraid." --Saint Trogen, the Slayer
3/2
Undercity Paladin2WW
Creature - Troll Knight (R)
Vigilance
Whenever Undercity Paladin deals combat damage to a player, put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control. 2W: Regenerate target creature. "May the resilience I am blessed with be yours, my brother."
3/3
Oakgnarl Guardian6WW
Creature - Treefolk Warrior (M)
Vigilance, hexproof
Oakgnarl Guardian can block up to two additional creatures.
6/8 "I have watched over these lands since I was a sprout. There is nothing I will not do to protect them, and there is nothing you can do to get by me."
This card is actually from my custom set Aenyr, but it fits the Evolve theme so well. Rotten Pegasus3B
Creature - Zombie Pegasus
Flying Imaginarium — Rotten Pegasus’s power is equal to the number of colors among cards in your graveyard. “The eternal beauty of death transcends the ephemeral nature of life.”
—Mekar, Soulless poet
*/3
Disembodied Horseman2BB
Creature — Spirit Knight (U)
Menace (This creature can't be blocked except by two or more creatures.)
Madness 1BB(If you discard this card, discard it into exile. When you do, cast it for its madness cost or put it into your graveyard.)
3/3 None can run nor hide from the end.
Flight of Herons Sentinel4WW
Creature - Angel Soldier (R)
Flash (You may cast this spell any time you could cast an instant.)
Split second (As long as this spell is on the stack, players can't cast spells or activate abilities that aren't mana abilities.)
Flying
Your opponents can't cast spells or activate abilities that aren't mana abilities during combat.
4/5
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Multiple instances of lifelink on the same creature are redundant.
Multiple instances of lifelink on the same creature are redundant.
Multiple instances of lifelink on the same creature are redundant.
—Eli Shiffrin, Rules Manager, on a design stacking lifelink instances
Sacred Huntbeast4WW
Creature - Beast (R)
Whenever a player casts a spell that targets Sacred Huntbeast, you may change the target of that spell to another creature.
Whenever a player casts a spell that targets a single creature, you may change the target of that spell to Sacred Huntbeast.
4/4
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
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“Evolving Wilds”
by happip (Victor Blanco), from DeviantArt
Sometimes we can visibly witness a cultural phenomenon. Typically, it’s not that the idea is new or revolutionary, but that it happens to be the perfect timing through the evolution of an earlier idea. People embrace it, it catches on, and before you know it, everyone is playing along.
That’s right, Pokémon GO is taking the world by storm. But of course, this isn’t the first Pokémon game — it has the same pocket monsters as before, but of course this time it’s in augmented reality on mobile phones. However, Magic is a constantly evolving game, too. In a design sense, it’s constantly iterating and improving, taking old and making new. You’ll be doing the same — taking an old bland creature, and making it feel evolved!
Challenge
Create an “evolved” creature card based on an existing french vanilla creature, but bigger, in a new, different single color.
Brutefeather Griffin 4RR
Creature — Griffin
Flying
Whenever Brutefeather Griffin attacks, up to two target creatures can’t block this turn.
4/4
In the first three rounds, entry is available for anyone. (Come join us! We are waiting for you!)
+3 points for each First Place
+2 points for each Second Place
+1 point for each Third Place
+1 bonus point for posting critiques
+1 bonus point for posting a Top 3 ranking
The points received by each player will be added up and calculated as a percentage of the maximum points that player could have obtained, which are given by 3 × (number of critiques received) + 2.
The percentages will then be ordered in decreasing order and that will be the standings for the round.
The percentages from the first three rounds will be added up at the end of Round 3 to determine the Top 4 or 8, depending on the number of entrants. 2 bonus points will be awarded to anyone who voted in July’s final poll.
The same system will be used for the final round.
As usual, the final winner will be determined by a public poll.
Critiques
It’s time for your critiques!
Critique the cards of the six people immediately below your name, looping to the top of the list as necessary. Then, among those six, rank what you feel are the top three. (Ranking your top 3 gets you a point, and completing critiques gets you another point.)
ickiwonkin
bravelion83
theazurespirit
Jimmy Groove
Raptorchan
Arkouchie
PsyOp
GG Crono
netn10
scrad_the_wanderer
Zervintz
willows
drewdagreek
mirrodin71
Blydden
Voxzorz
BrainPo
6jerfz
void_nothing
doomfish
Critiques are technically optional, but they’re one of the easiest ways to get points. And you don’t have to write very much either!
An easy way to get the six cards you are critiquing in a post is to use the Multi-quote button for each submission. Start with the first person who is below your name, look for their post, and click on the Multi-quote button. Then continue down the list. Click Reply when you have all six queued up.
After that, briefly write about what you like and don’t like on those cards. It’s totally okay to edit this in more than one sitting. Feel free to revise this as much as you like before the deadline.
You’ll also then rank them with your own “top 3.” (Usually people will wrap the critiques and the top 3 into separate spoiler tags, but however you would like to do it all is fine.)
Lastly, if you vote in July’s final poll, you’ll get two bonus points at the end of Round 3, so please go do that too if you can.
( ancestral on Custom Magic Discord server )
( mproud on reddit )
Cloud Crow 3W
Creature - Bird
Flash
Flying
When Cloud Crow enters the battlefield, prevent all damage that would be dealt to you or creatures you control this turn.
2/3
Cloud crow descending, peace never-ending.
Cloud crow departing, battle is starting.
Original card: Karoo Meerkat
Persistent Meerkats 2WW
Creature - Mongoose
Protection from blue
Whenever an opponent casts a spell during your turn, create a token that's a copy of Persistent Meerkats.
Don't let them anywhere near. They pop up faster than you can get rid of them.
2/2
Image credit: http://www.foundmyself.com/gallery/albums/userpics/19076/Meerkat_curiosity.jpg
Korozda Basilisk 4BB
Creature - Basilisk Horror (U)
Deathtouch
Whenever Korozda Basilisk destroy one or more creatures put a +1/+1 counter on it and gain indestructible until end of the next turn.
3/3
------
Original art
Guma, the Stalking Eye 2GG
Legendary Creature - Cat
Flash
Split Second
Protection from Blue
Whenever an opponent casts a spell during your turn, Guma fights each creature that opponent controls (You decide the order).
3/3
Massive blue hoser and/or pseudo-boardwipe.
Porcelain Pain-Sharpers
Artifact Creature - Devil Soldier (Rare)
First strike, trample
At the beginning of each end step, you lose life equal to the life you lost this turn. (Damage causes loss of life.)
Those who can't bear the pain inflicted by the furnace dwellers, aren't worthy of their blessings.
6/2
Boars of Bogardan 2RRR
Creature - Elemental Boar (M)
Haste, trample
When Boars of Bogardan dies, exile it with X rage counters on it, where X is the amount of damage Boars of Bogardan dealt to players and planeswalkers this turn.
Whenever a creature you control attacks, if Boars of Bogardan is exiled, that creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn for each rage counter on Boars of Bogardan.
4/4
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
Monastery Bell-Ringer 2RR
Creature — Human Monk (R)
Prowess
Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, untap Monastery Bell-Ringer and it deals 2 damage to target player.
3/3
cf. Thermo-Alchemist
Bloodfire Student 3R
Creature - Human Monk (U)
Prowess, menace
2/4
Mindsnare Weaver 4UUU
Creature - Spider (R)
Reach (This creature can block creatures with flying
At the end of combat, gain control of all creatures blocked by Mindsnare Weaver
2UU: Creatures target player controls attack this turn if able.
3/8
Death Knight 2BB
Creature - Human Knight (R)
First strike, protection from white
Players can't gain life and damage can't be prevented.
3/3
Zealous Guardian
Zealous Ambushers 1GG
Creature — Elf Soldier (U)
Flash
When Zealous Ambushers enters the battlefield, put a +1/+1 counter on another target creature you control.
They hide behind the trees of Lys Alana to defend it from unwanted visitors.
2/2
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.)
Ringtailed Sphinx 4UU
Creature - Sphinx (M)
Flying
Whenever an opponent draws a card, choose one -
Niblis of Silence 3U
Creature - Spirit (R)
Flying
At the beginning of your end step, if no spells were cast this turn, you may return Niblis of Silence from your graveyard to the battlefield.
"It's nights like these, when there's no sound to be heard, that you should be really afraid." --Saint Trogen, the Slayer
3/2
Undercity Paladin 2WW
Creature - Troll Knight (R)
Vigilance
Whenever Undercity Paladin deals combat damage to a player, put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control.
2W: Regenerate target creature.
"May the resilience I am blessed with be yours, my brother."
3/3
Oakgnarl Guardian 6WW
Creature - Treefolk Warrior (M)
Vigilance, hexproof
Oakgnarl Guardian can block up to two additional creatures.
6/8
"I have watched over these lands since I was a sprout. There is nothing I will not do to protect them, and there is nothing you can do to get by me."
This card is actually from my custom set Aenyr, but it fits the Evolve theme so well.
Rotten Pegasus 3B
Creature - Zombie Pegasus
Flying
Imaginarium — Rotten Pegasus’s power is equal to the number of colors among cards in your graveyard.
“The eternal beauty of death transcends the ephemeral nature of life.”
—Mekar, Soulless poet
*/3
Custom set projects:
Aenyr: Art is Magic (100% done and fully draftable!)
Elestral: Astronomy, Weather and Duality (Currently in early design.)
Multiplayer commander decks
RGWU Bruse and Thrasios: Enchanted Alliance | BR Grenzo's Jail of Malevolence | RWU Shu Yun's Teachings | B Toshiro Umezawa's Eternal Journey | WU Ephara's City of Wonders
Avatar art by Stephan A. McGowan
Disembodied Horseman 2BB
Creature — Spirit Knight (U)
Menace (This creature can't be blocked except by two or more creatures.)
Madness 1BB (If you discard this card, discard it into exile. When you do, cast it for its madness cost or put it into your graveyard.)
3/3
None can run nor hide from the end.
>Yes
Flight of Herons Sentinel 4WW
Creature - Angel Soldier (R)
Flash (You may cast this spell any time you could cast an instant.)
Split second (As long as this spell is on the stack, players can't cast spells or activate abilities that aren't mana abilities.)
Flying
Your opponents can't cast spells or activate abilities that aren't mana abilities during combat.
4/5
Multiple instances of lifelink on the same creature are redundant.
Multiple instances of lifelink on the same creature are redundant.
—Eli Shiffrin, Rules Manager, on a design stacking lifelink instances
Sacred Huntbeast 4WW
Creature - Beast (R)
Whenever a player casts a spell that targets Sacred Huntbeast, you may change the target of that spell to another creature.
Whenever a player casts a spell that targets a single creature, you may change the target of that spell to Sacred Huntbeast.
4/4