January 2017 MCC Round 2 — The Snow, the Waste, the Brightness
The most fabled "new thing" in Magic since the game's inception has been the Sixth Color, most famously designated "purple", which frankly will probably never come to fruition. But different attempts have been made to introduce a pseudo-sixth color that would add a bit of design depth to a set or block while also not being the tremendous and possibly pernicious change of adding an entirely new color. The two best known attempts are S from Coldsnap and C from Oath of the Gatewatch. Let's see how you handle sixth color "multicolor".
Main Challenge: Design a colored card with a mana cost containing S or C
Subchallenge 1: Your card has converted mana cost six or greater Subchallenge 2: Your card has a new keyword, keyword action, or ability word that has at least a flavorful or thematic connection to snow or colorless
Please message me about any questions you might have about the challenges. Other than that, have fun, and good luck!
Mana cost means mana cost, as in top-right-hand-corner. To pass the main challenge every card needs to a) be colored and b) have an S or C symbol in its cost, even if it's part of a hybrid symbol.
Design Deadline: All submissions are to be final and submitted by January 15th 11:59 PM EST
Judging Deadline: All Judgements are to be final and completed by January 18th 11:59 PM EST
Design - (X/3) Appeal: Do the different player psychographics (Timmy/Johhny/Spike) have a use for the card? (X/3) Elegance: Is the card easily understandable at a glance? Do all the flavor and mechanics combined as a whole make sense?
Development - (X/3) Viability: How well does the card fit into the color wheel? Does it break or bend the rules of the game? Is it the appropriate rarity? (X/3) Balance: Does the card have a power level appropriate for contemporary constructed/limited environments without breaking them? Does it play well in casual and multiplayer formats? Does it create or fit into a deck/archetype? Does it create an oppressive environment?
Creativity - (X/3) Uniqueness: Has a card like this ever been printed before? Does it use new mechanics, ideas, or design space? Does it combine old ideas in a new way? Overall, does it feel “fresh”? (X/3) Flavor: Does the name seem realistic for a card? Does the flavor text sound professional? Do all the flavor elements synch together to please Vorthos players?
Polish - (X/3) Quality: Points deducted for incorrect spelling, grammar, and templating. (X/2) *Main Challenge: Was the main challenge satisfied? Was it approached in a unique or interesting way? Does the card fit the intent of the challenge? (X/2) Subchallenges: One point awarded per satisfied subchallenge condition.
Total: X/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
A reminder to everyone: In the MCC, putting rarity on cards is mandatory! If you don't put a rarity on your card, expect huge deductions in both Viability AND Quality.
Also, you should format your text cards accordingly to the forum rules (see the "this formatting looks best" spoiler in the linked OP). Again, expect deductions in Quality otherwise.
Riftwaker3CU
(U) Legendary Creature - Eldrazi (M)
Flying
Other creatures you cast and control are Devoid (Those cards have no color.)
Portal 5—1CU (Pay 1CU: Reveal the top 5 cards of your library. Choose any number of colorless creatures from among them and put them into your hand, then put the rest of the revealed cards into your graveyard.) As Kozilek's brood evolved, some Eldrazi gained the ability to instantly summon portals leading directly to the Blind Eternities.
4/4
Rules clarification for the ability word Portal, which only appears on colorless or colorless + color creatures (and most often then, but not always, Eldrazi):
Portal X—COST (Pay COST: Reveal the top X cards of your library. Choose any number of colorless creatures from among them and put them into your hand, then put the rest of the revealed cards into your graveyard.)
For an example of an ability that has similar text box setup, please see Reinforce.
Await Processing3CW
Enchantment {R}
When Await Processing enters the battlefield, exile X target creatures until Await Processing leaves the battlefield, where X is the number of times W was paid to cast Await Processing. 3CC, Put a card exiled with Await Processing into its owner’s graveyard: Put X +1/+1 counters on target creature, where X is the card’s converted mana cost.
Monarch of the Wilds2SSGG
Legendary Snow Creature - Bear
Trample, hexproof
Hibernate 3—SG Rather than cast this card from your hand you may pay SG and put it onto the battlefield tapped with 3 ice counters on it. At the beginning of your end step, remove an ice counter from it.
Creatures with ice counters on them don't untap.
Other bear creatures you control get +1/+1 and have trample. 6/4
Waste of Time2CCUU
Sorcery (R)
Point of no return (When you cast this spell, you may sacrifice any number of lands. Each land you sacrifice this way pays for C.)
Target opponent skips his or her next turn. Exile Waste of Time. Each hour spent to fighting Eldrazi on Zendikar only makes their victory closer.
Undersea Ancient3SSUU
Creature - Kraken [R]
Glaciate 2SU(You may cast this card for its Glaciate cost. If you do, when it enters the battlefield, tap it. It doesn't untap durings its controller's next untap step.)
Trample, hexproof
At the beginning of your end step, return two permanents you control to their owners' hands.
6/8
No Beginning, No End4CC
Legendery Sorcery (Rare) (Green-Colored Indicator)
Primal Spell (You can't cast this spell if you control a colored permenant or have a colored card in your graveyard)
Draw a card for each colorless permanent you control.
If it's your turn, end the turn. "There is a special kind of magic, one that's predate the mana itself. Seize it, and the world is yours."
- Zehavi, Muraganda Primalspeaker
Note: This card is green. All Primal Spells are Noncreature, Legendery and Colored. Its color in combination with being a Primal Spell means you can't cast another Primal Spell, enchanting its "Legendery" feel (unless you find a way to exile the Primal Spell from your graveyard.)
Winter's PallSW
Snow Instant (R)
Permafrost 3SW(You may cast this for its Permafrost cost. If you do, exile this card as it resolves and create a snow enchantment token with "At the beginning of your upkeep, you may cast a copy of the exiled card without paying its mana cost."
Abilities that aren't mana abilities of nonsnow permanents can't be activated and can't be triggered until the end of your next turn.
Winter Without End2SG
Sorcery (U)
Glacial (As you cast this spell, you may put an ice counter on any number of non-snow lands you control to reduce the cost of this spell by S for each of those lands. Lands with ice counters on them are snow lands.)
Search your library for up to two basic snow Forests and put them onto the battlefield tapped. Shuffle your library afterwards. "This ice age should have ended, but instead the glaciers now reach Jamuraa. Time has been rewritten."
- Karn, Planeswalker
Infantry Recruiter4
Creature - Human Soldier (R) ( can be paid with either W or C.)
When Infantry Recruiter enters the battlefield, deposit two times. (To deposit, create a colorless Coin artifact token with "Sacrifice this artifact: Add C to your mana pool.")
Sacrifice a Coin: Create a 1/1 white Soldier creature token.
4/4
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
Savage Yeti2RS
Snow Creature — Yeti (U)
Snowball (As this permanent enters the battlefield, you may tap any number of untapped snow permanents you control. This permanent enters the battlefield with an ice counter for each permanent you tapped this way.)
Trample
Remove a snow counter from Savage Yeti: Savage Yeti gets +2/+0 until end of turn.
4/3
Inexorable Swarm4CW
Sorcery {R}
Choose two. You may choose the same mode more than once.
Exile the creature with the highest power. (If multiple creatures are tied for the highest power, you may choose.)
Create two 1/1 colorless Eldrazi Drone creature tokens with blight. (When a creature you control with blight deals combat damage to a player, tap target land that player controls. The next non-artifact colorless spell you cast this turn costs 1 or C less.)
Ancient BruteSG
Snow Creature - Beast (U)
When Ancient Brute enters the battlefield, sacrifice it unless you return a snow permanent you control to its owner's hand. There are things in Ronom that have only vague descriptions, as anyone close enough to get a better look has not returned
4/4
Design - (3/3) Appeal: All three psychographics could find a use for this. (1/3) Elegance: Voidborn might be a little too weird, even on an Eldrazi. It looks like Delve and the Processor mechanic, but works like neither. In particular, the fact that Delve pays for 1 and this pays for C has the potential to confuse a ton of people. I wish you'd moved the functionality a little more in one direction or the other. In addition, at first glance it's unclear whether the cast trigger is talking about the number of cards you can cast or the converted mana costs of the cards.
Development - (3/3) Viability: Blue, black, and mythic all seem like solid choices. (1/3) Balance: "Cast two to four cards for free" stapled on an evasive 4/10 feels like way too much value for seven or eight mana. This seems particularly broken in draw-go control as a pseudo-uncounterable finisher.
Creativity - (3/3) Uniqueness: It's certainly unique. (3/3) Flavor: This feels exactly like an Eldrazi from Kozilek's brood.
Polish - (2/3) Quality: "Mana cost" in the cast trigger should be plural. "Fathom to comprehend" is ungrammatical since fathom and comprehend are synonyms. (2/2) *Main Challenge: All good. (2/2) Subchallenges: All good.
Total: 20/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
While you came up with a unique and interesting design, there were some issues with clarity and power level here. In the end, you took a risk and it paid off, and I look forward to seeing what you do in the coming rounds.
Design - (3/3) Appeal: This appeals to all three psychographics. (3/3) Elegance: It's a pretty complex card, but you made it work.
Development - (2/3) Viability: Unfortunately I don't see portal realistically being a mechanic. It's far too complex and hard to balance to get keyworded. (1/3) Balance: Unless this gets killed before you untap with it, it's a repeatable Envoy effect on steroids, stapled to an Air Elemental. You'd need to be seriously behind on board to lose with this. If it had cost six it might have been fine since then there's a better chance of outracing it or having immediate removal for it (and even then the ability probably should have cost more), but at five it's just too powerful.
Creativity - (3/3) Uniqueness: No issues here. (3/3) Flavor: Or here.
Polish - (1/3) Quality: The blue color indicator is unnecessary since the card is blue and no other colors. Since devoid is a named mechanic, and not a color or something similar, the second ability should read "have devoid" rather than "are devoid". There's a missing period at the end of the devoid line. The reminder text on Portal should say "creature cards" rather than "creatures". (2/2) *Main Challenge: All good. (1/2) Subchallenges: This has a keyword but doesn't cost six or more.
Total: 19/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
You had an interesting idea and turned it into an interesting card. However, there were some issues with the card's power level. Unfortunately, your score wasn't high enough to qualify you for the next round, but I hope to see you next month.
Design - (3/3) Appeal: This appeals to all three psychographics. (2/3) Elegance: "Point of no return" is a little too long for a mechanic name (although it does make sense with the flavor so I would have kept it pretty similar).
Development - (2/3) Viability: This should be mythic. (3/3) Balance: All good.
Creativity - (1/3) Uniqueness: I'm not a huge fan of the fact that this functions almost exactly like a Time Walk effect, save the potential for targeting people in multiplayer games and some random applications with Medomai the Ageless. (3/3) Flavor: No problems here.
Polish - (2/3) Quality: Using delve as precedent, point of no return should read "Each land you sacrifice while casting this spell pays for C." "To fighting Eldrazi" in the flavor text should be "fighting the Eldrazi". (2/2) *Main Challenge: All good. (2/2) Subchallenges: All good.
Total: 20/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
You went with something clean and simple, and it paid off. While I'd encourage you to take more design risks in the future, making an Eldrazified Time Walk was a great idea, and I'm excited to see what you come up with in the coming rounds.
Design - (2/3) Appeal: Timmy and Johnny like it, but it isn't strong enough for Spike. (2/3) Elegance: I get the feel that you were going for, but I wish there had been an explanation behind the whole legendary sorcery thing.
Development - (2/3) Viability: This feels much more blue than green to me. Rare feels right for the effect, if not for the power level. (1/3) Balance: Considering the massive constraints this imposes on deck construction, I would have liked to see something really powerful. As is, half the time this is a slightly better Flow of Ideas and the other half it's effectively a blank.
Creativity - (3/3) Uniqueness: Mass draw effects have been done before, but this is a new one. (3/3) Flavor: I'm not a huge fan of the name, but it could work in certain situations. The rest of the flavor is spot on.
Polish - (0/3) Quality: "Legendary" is misspelled in the card type. The S in "Primal Spell" shouldn't be capitalized (see other abilities with two-word names, e.g. first strike and hidden agenda). "Permanent" is misspelled in primal spell's reminder text. There's a missing period at the end of primal spell's reminder text. There shouldn't be a line break in between the draw ability and the end the turn ability (see Day's Undoing). "That's predate" in the flavor text should be "that predates". (2/2) Main challenge: All good. (2/2) Subchallenges: All good.
Total: 17/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
Of the four mechanics here, primal spell was probably the most interesting one, and I appreciate that you took your design in a unique direction. However, there were some issues with formatting and power level. Unfortunately, your score didn't qualify you for the next round, but I hope to see you next month.
Though the scores weren't very high this time around, for all four of you they reflect the execution much more than the concepts you came up with. Had there been some minor changes I would have been happy sending any of you to the next round.
Design -
(2/3) Appeal: Timmy sees a fatty that can come down early and enables Bear tribal. Johnny figures he can get the counters off early for cheap beats. Spike just doesn't care.
(1.5/3) Elegance: This is an extremely wordy card, taking reminder text into account, and fairly inelegant in general; shouldn't the no-untap clause be part of the hibernate ability rather than a separate ability? Otherwise this card randomly perma-locks Thing in the Ice, Woolly Razorback, and Rimefeather Owl ability targets.
Development -
(2/3) Viability: Green, snow, and rare are probably right. However, there's no rarity given...
(3/3) Balance: Not a particularly good card, especially given the restrictive mana cost, but it packs enough punch to be a requisite $0.25 dumb rare beater.
Creativity -
(2/3) Uniqueness: Never seen a Bear lord before, but this is mostly just a trample-and-hexproof unsolvable beater, and hibernate resembles suspend a whole lot.
(1/3) Flavor: No flavor text and the name is extremely bland; legendary creatures without a proper name need a damn good reason to be that way.
Polish -
(1/3) Quality: Missing rarity and the hibernate ability has atrocious formatting.
(2/2) *Main Challenge: Met.
(2/2) Subchallenges: Both met.
Total: 16.5/25
Design -
(2.5/3) Appeal: Timmy is sort of interested in forcing everyone to play fair. Johnny definitely likes combo insurance. Spike definitely likes locking people out of their plans, especially with options.
(2.5/3) Elegance: Both the new keyword and the meat of the card itself are somewhat wordy, but necessarily so.
Development -
(3/3) Viability: Definitely feels like a white, snow, rare.
(2.5/3) Balance: The permafrost keyword seems like it could be developmentally concerning in general, and stopping both activated and triggered abilities could be oppressive, but this card seems costed safely, at least.
Creativity -
(2.5/3) Uniqueness: Permafrost does draw on epic, rebound, and kicker in different but equal ways, but both the card and the keyword are quite fresh-feeling.
(2.5/3) Flavor: No flavor text, but there's little room for it; the name is great, and I especially love the keyword name for permafrost.
Polish -
(3/3) Quality: Looks good.
(2/2) *Main Challenge: Met.
(1/2) Subchallenges: New keyword but CMC too low.
Total: 21.5/25
Design -
(3/3) Appeal: Timmy likes the big play potential, Johnny likes the ramp-iness of blight, and Spike likes the 2-for-1 removal and potential board-swarming options.
(2/3) Elegance: Wordy stuff, but gets the message across.
Development -
(3/3) Viability: Gets the white and the colorless-mana feel in there, and rare is probably the only appropriate place.
(3/3) Balance: While this could lead to some definite blowout plays, it's quite expensive, especially for removal.
Creativity -
(2.5/3) Uniqueness: Besides having seen the "same option more than once" thing in the Confluence cycle, this is super fresh.
(2.5/3) Flavor: No flavor text, but little space for it; name rolls off the tongue.
Design -
(2/3) Appeal: Timmy sees a cheap beater but no interesting abilities and a card disadvantage besides. Johnny definitely likes self-bounce, and Spike definitely likes undercosted fat.
(3/3) Elegance: Low word count. High elegance.
Development -
(3/3) Viability: Uncommon is plausible, feels snow, and this effect has been green for a while.
(2/3) Balance: On the surface, there's nothing wrong with this, especially in Limited; when looked at more broadly, there's the same developmental concerns as other "gating" cards, like artificially inflating storm counts on the cheap. The stats are fine in a vacuum, but the potential for abuse is there.
Creativity -
(1.5/3) Uniqueness: This is really nothing we haven't seen before apart from the mandated snow-mana part of the challenge.
(3/3) Flavor: Good name AND good flavor text.
Polish -
(2.5/3) Quality: Missing a period at the end of the flavor text.
(2/2) *Main Challenge: Done.
(0/2) Subchallenges: Neither.
Undersea Ancient3SSUU
Creature - Kraken [R]
Glaciate 2SU(You may cast this card for its Glaciate cost. If you do, when it enters the battlefield, tap it. It doesn't untap durings its controller's next untap step.)
Trample, hexproof
At the beginning of your end step, return two permanents you control to their owners' hands.
6/8
Design - (2.5/3) Appeal: A big creature with hexproof and trample appeals to Timmy, but the drawbacks are steep. Johnny wants to work around them. Spike sees potential abuse, especially in older formats. (2.5/3) Elegance: I think its a fairly easy read, but it glaciate reads as much as a draw back as a boon, on top of another (more often then not) draw back. I'ts pros and cons add back and forth to some really odd tension.
Development - (3/3) Viability: I think this firts very well into being snow and blue. Rare is right. It doesn't break the rules of the game. (1/3) Balance: This card reads pretty unfun. Either it's going to have it's glaciate abused by having it untap early/right away and crush opponents very quickly or its drawbacks will add up to too much making the card pretty unplayable and like casting it does more to hurt you than help. That's a really odd place for the card to be. It might of been better off just being a bigger creature with higher cost all around then trying to balance the glaciate cost. Keep it as a fun casual card rather then trying to make it potentially playable with the reduce casting cost and some abusive aid. Also, this card feels pretty underwhelming if you do cast it for seven mana as is. Admittedly it's a very difficult card to mentally playtest because it has many moving parts, but the fact it leans heavily towards being an unplayable detriment to a deck not built specifically around it or otherwise overwhelming doesn't feel like the right goal in balance.
Creativity - (2.5/3) Uniqueness: This card pulls on a lot of nostalgic ideas and makes them feel pretty fresh. I could totally see an ability like glaciate. (2/3) Flavor: Doesn't have room for flavor text which is fine. That said, I'm suprrpsied this isn't a snow permanent or otherwise sound like a snow creature in its name.
Polish - (3/3) Quality: Looks fine to me. (2/2) *Main Challenge: On point and in spirit. (2/2) Subchallenges: Done and done.
Total: 20.5/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
Barren Consumption4CW
Enchantment (M)
Desolation (You may cast a spell for its desolation cost by spending only C. Spend that mana as though it were C or mana of any color.)
When Barren Consumption enters the battlefield, exile all creatures. If Barren Consumption's desolation cost was paid, exile all creature cards from all graveyards.
Cards exiled with Barren Consumption have desolation.
You may play cards exiled with Barren Consumption.
Design - (2.5/3) Appeal: Timmy sees a big boom and he wants in. Johnny sees some pretty cool interactions, especially with the bonus for the alternative cost. Spike sees and an expensive wrath variant that has the odd potential of actually being a finisher too. The multiple functions might just be enough to make up for the cost. (2/3) Elegance: I'm not sure desolation would be worded that way. I understand why you did that and how that interacts with its other effects, but it seems odd. Also this card feels like it has one too many moving parts.
Development - (2.5/3) Viability: This certainly is a mythic kinda of card, but I think it's a stretch for white and colorless to allow you to cast your opponents creatures. This bleeds into blue. (2/3) Balance: This card is very interesting. I do feel desolation is an effect that is pretty useless on a lot of cards, especially in limited. This being a mythic avoids that but I see it as a huge challenge for anything with more than 3 cmc otherwise. As a wrath effect it's a bit too slow, and it's likewise probably to slow for most constructed environments but it is potentially a really over-the-top and fun card in casual/multiplayer where there would be many more options to abuse desolation while likewise not competeting for the fastest decks. Outside of standard constructed it could find a niche in the right tron/cloudpost set up.
Creativity - (3/3) Uniqueness: A similar wrath enchantment does exist, but everything else on the card makes this feel very different and new. (2.5/3) Flavor: The name is kinda cool but kinda odd in an I'm-having-trouble-imagining-what's-actually-happening-in-this-narrative kind of way
Polish - (2/3) Quality: While I realize reminder text does have some leeway/room for debate and I appreciate your wording to make your card work, it would certainly say "this" spell and not "a" spell. (2/2) *Main Challenge: Correctly done. (2/2) Subchallenges: Both succeeded.
Total: 20.5/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
Savage Yeti2RS
Snow Creature — Yeti (U)
Snowball (As this permanent enters the battlefield, you may tap any number of untapped snow permanents you control. This permanent enters the battlefield with an ice counter for each permanent you tapped this way.)
Trample
Remove a snow counter from Savage Yeti: Savage Yeti gets +2/+0 until end of turn.
4/3
Design - (2.5/3) Appeal: This is big enough with potential to get bigger, so timmy is into it. Johnny can manipulate counters a little, but it's a stretch. This is a strong card for limited and even just having one counter on it gives spikes a lot of options. (2.5/3) Elegance: Ice counters have been used as a negative before, but your mechanic uses them as a positive. That's fine, but it does make them un-synergistic with some older cards.
Development - (2.5/3) Viability: This seems spot on as a snowy red uncommon that doesn't break the rules. However, due to an error in the rules text, the ice counters on the card do nothing currently, since the relevant ability only refers to snow. (3/3) Balance: I think this is exactly where this card should be balance wise (ignoring the rules text error.) It pushes me to want to be in red and snow with how much this thing can snowball. But the three toughness is a significant drawback/safety valve. I'm glad you didn't make it 4, especially since snow lands really make it's "multicolor" easy to bypass. It probably wouldn't see play in constructed though.
Creativity - (2/3) Uniqueness: Nothing on this card individually feels that new, but it adds together to be relatively fresh. (2.5/3) Flavor: Not enough room for flavor text, which is fine. The mechanic being called "snowball" makes sense, but is a little to "un" sounding to me.
Polish - (2/3) Quality: As mentioned above, you refer both to ice and snow counters. This confuses the card. (2/2) *Main Challenge: Good. (1/2) Subchallenges: It does use a new ability, but does not cost 6 or more.
Total: 20/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
This was a fun but very difficult challenge to judge, as it created some far out entries. In the end though, it came down to a rules text error and not completing all the sub challenges which allowed the competition to edge out. I will say that each card in my bracket was interesting and inventive, and all solid entries. Best of luck to those in the next round.
Await Processing 3CW
Enchantment {R}
When Await Processing enters the battlefield, exile X target creatures until Await Processing leaves the battlefield, where X is the number of times W was paid to cast Await Processing.
3CC, Put a card exiled with Await Processing into its owner’s graveyard: Put X +1/+1 counters on target creature, where X is the card’s converted mana cost.
Design -
(2/3) Appeal: Spike all day due to the power level. Johhny can find combo potential despite this being a dead blink card.
(2/3) Elegance: Fairly wordy but clearly defined.
Development -
(2/3) Viability: A bit odd. This card has distinct qualities of White, Green and to a lesser extent Blue (themeaticly)
(1/3) Balance: This is absurdly strong. Exile 4 creatures for 5 mana. Having one colorless in its CC doesn’t compensate for its power level. Compare to four O-Rings, which would cost 8WWWW.
Creativity -
(3/3) Uniqueness: Takes inspiration from the Processor creature type, aside from that its completely orginal.
(1.5/3) Flavor: The name is fantastic and apprehensive. But to me it is odd the way in which this works thematicaly. Exiles enemies to buff your own guys. When it should exile your own guys then return them to the battlefield with counters. To me, that’s processing/compleation. However the card wouldn’t work as intended if it did. This could just be you and I having fundemental difference of opinions on how Phyrexia operates. It’s ambigious.
Polish -
(3/3) Quality: No Issues.
(2/2) *Main Challenge: Challenge satisfied.
(1/2) Subchallenges: Card has CMC of 5.
Total: 17.5/25
Winter Without End 2SG
Sorcery (U)
Glacial (As you cast this spell, you may put an ice counter on any number of non-snow lands you control to reduce the cost of this spell by S for each of those lands. Lands with ice counters on them are snow lands.)
Search your library for up to two basic snow Forests and put them onto the battlefield tapped. Shuffle your library afterwards.
"This ice age should have ended, but instead the glaciers now reach Jamuraa. Time has been rewritten."
- Karn, Planeswalker
Design -
(1/3) Appeal: Probably exclusive to Spike.
(2/3) Elegance: Wordy but comprehensible.
Development -
(3/3) Viability: Land ramp is distincly green.
(2/3) Balance: On par with Culti/Kodama for the most part. Putting both lands into play is strong even if the lands searched for are niche. Clerly a niche/snow deck would run this to get the maximum value. The ability without a doubut just makes this 2G all the time.
Creativity -
(2/3) Uniqueness: Quirky ramp spell.
(2/3) Flavor: Can see this being the name of a card, albeit a card that does something totally different. Good flavor text tie in to TSP block.
Polish -
(3/3) Quality: No Issues.
(2/2) *Main Challenge: Challenge satisfied.
(1/2) Subchallenges: Card has CMC of 4.
Total: 19/25
Infantry Recruiter 4
Creature - Human Soldier (R)
( can be paid with either W or C.)
When Infantry Recruiter enters the battlefield, deposit two times. (To deposit, create a colorless Coin artifact token with "Sacrifice this artifact: Add C to your mana pool.")
Sacrifice a Coin: Create a 1/1 white Soldier creature token.
4/4
Design -
(2/3) Appeal: Timmy not so much, ditto Johnny. Format dependent, it a bomb rare/build around in draft for spike.
(3/3) Elegance: Very easy to understand.
Development -
(2.5/3) Viability: White very very rarely gets access to mana production.
(3/3) Balance: This feels well balanced on it’s own. 6 for a possible 6 power. Obviously in what ever world is handing out coins, he could be a limited bomb and a build around card.
Creativity -
(2/3) Uniqueness: This is an ability we’ve seen in the past in white and with soldiers. Deposit is an interesting spin on Eldazi Spawn.
(3/3) Flavor: Ate some of the best wings I’ve ever had the other day and this card is almost as flavorful as they were.
Polish -
(3/3) Quality: No issues.
(2/2) *Main Challenge: Challenge satisfied.
(2/2) Subchallenges: Subchallenges met
Total: 22.5/25
Phyrexian Editor 17.5/25 Jimmy Groove 19/25
doomfish 22.5/25
The most fabled "new thing" in Magic since the game's inception has been the Sixth Color, most famously designated "purple", which frankly will probably never come to fruition. But different attempts have been made to introduce a pseudo-sixth color that would add a bit of design depth to a set or block while also not being the tremendous and possibly pernicious change of adding an entirely new color. The two best known attempts are S from Coldsnap and C from Oath of the Gatewatch. Let's see how you handle sixth color "multicolor".
Main Challenge: Design a colored card with a mana cost containing S or C
Subchallenge 1: Your card has converted mana cost six or greater
Subchallenge 2: Your card has a new keyword, keyword action, or ability word that has at least a flavorful or thematic connection to snow or colorless
Please message me about any questions you might have about the challenges. Other than that, have fun, and good luck!
Design Deadline: All submissions are to be final and submitted by January 15th 11:59 PM EST
Judging Deadline: All Judgements are to be final and completed by January 18th 11:59 PM EST
(X/3) Appeal: Do the different player psychographics (Timmy/Johhny/Spike) have a use for the card?
(X/3) Elegance: Is the card easily understandable at a glance? Do all the flavor and mechanics combined as a whole make sense?
Development -
(X/3) Viability: How well does the card fit into the color wheel? Does it break or bend the rules of the game? Is it the appropriate rarity?
(X/3) Balance: Does the card have a power level appropriate for contemporary constructed/limited environments without breaking them? Does it play well in casual and multiplayer formats? Does it create or fit into a deck/archetype? Does it create an oppressive environment?
Creativity -
(X/3) Uniqueness: Has a card like this ever been printed before? Does it use new mechanics, ideas, or design space? Does it combine old ideas in a new way? Overall, does it feel “fresh”?
(X/3) Flavor: Does the name seem realistic for a card? Does the flavor text sound professional? Do all the flavor elements synch together to please Vorthos players?
Polish -
(X/3) Quality: Points deducted for incorrect spelling, grammar, and templating.
(X/2) *Main Challenge: Was the main challenge satisfied? Was it approached in a unique or interesting way? Does the card fit the intent of the challenge?
(X/2) Subchallenges: One point awarded per satisfied subchallenge condition.
Total: X/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
Judges:
void_nothing
IcariiFA
Remba
Pseudofate
Players Eligible:
Tilwin
PsyOp
Harbinger
netn10
Ink-Treader
FortunaImperatrixMundi
Raptorchan
Folza
doomfish
Phyrexian Editor
glurman
Irhihi
StonerOfKruphix
Jimmy Groove
admirableadmiral
shinike1729
A helpful tip for those formatting their cards:
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
(U) Legendary Creature - Eldrazi (M)
Flying
Other creatures you cast and control are Devoid (Those cards have no color.)
Portal 5—1CU (Pay 1CU: Reveal the top 5 cards of your library. Choose any number of colorless creatures from among them and put them into your hand, then put the rest of the revealed cards into your graveyard.)
As Kozilek's brood evolved, some Eldrazi gained the ability to instantly summon portals leading directly to the Blind Eternities.
4/4
Rules clarification for the ability word Portal, which only appears on colorless or colorless + color creatures (and most often then, but not always, Eldrazi):
Portal X—COST (Pay COST: Reveal the top X cards of your library. Choose any number of colorless creatures from among them and put them into your hand, then put the rest of the revealed cards into your graveyard.)
For an example of an ability that has similar text box setup, please see Reinforce.
Enchantment {R}
When Await Processing enters the battlefield, exile X target creatures until Await Processing leaves the battlefield, where X is the number of times W was paid to cast Await Processing.
3CC, Put a card exiled with Await Processing into its owner’s graveyard: Put X +1/+1 counters on target creature, where X is the card’s converted mana cost.
Yeah. Although, obviously, you'll probably have to make the symbol yourself.
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
Legendary Snow Creature - Bear
Trample, hexproof
Hibernate 3—SG Rather than cast this card from your hand you may pay SG and put it onto the battlefield tapped with 3 ice counters on it. At the beginning of your end step, remove an ice counter from it.
Creatures with ice counters on them don't untap.
Other bear creatures you control get +1/+1 and have trample.
6/4
Sorcery (R)
Point of no return (When you cast this spell, you may sacrifice any number of lands. Each land you sacrifice this way pays for C.)
Target opponent skips his or her next turn. Exile Waste of Time.
Each hour spent to fighting Eldrazi on Zendikar only makes their victory closer.
Creature - Kraken [R]
Glaciate 2SU (You may cast this card for its Glaciate cost. If you do, when it enters the battlefield, tap it. It doesn't untap durings its controller's next untap step.)
Trample, hexproof
At the beginning of your end step, return two permanents you control to their owners' hands.
6/8
Legendery Sorcery (Rare) (Green-Colored Indicator)
Primal Spell (You can't cast this spell if you control a colored permenant or have a colored card in your graveyard)
Draw a card for each colorless permanent you control.
If it's your turn, end the turn.
"There is a special kind of magic, one that's predate the mana itself. Seize it, and the world is yours."
- Zehavi, Muraganda Primalspeaker
Note: This card is green. All Primal Spells are Noncreature, Legendery and Colored. Its color in combination with being a Primal Spell means you can't cast another Primal Spell, enchanting its "Legendery" feel (unless you find a way to exile the Primal Spell from your graveyard.)
Snow Instant (R)
Permafrost 3SW (You may cast this for its Permafrost cost. If you do, exile this card as it resolves and create a snow enchantment token with "At the beginning of your upkeep, you may cast a copy of the exiled card without paying its mana cost."
Abilities that aren't mana abilities of nonsnow permanents can't be activated and can't be triggered until the end of your next turn.
Choose one of these judge of creation:
Make Strionic Resonator shine!
You can not grasp the true form of Ashiok's attack!
Sorcery (U)
Glacial (As you cast this spell, you may put an ice counter on any number of non-snow lands you control to reduce the cost of this spell by S for each of those lands. Lands with ice counters on them are snow lands.)
Search your library for up to two basic snow Forests and put them onto the battlefield tapped. Shuffle your library afterwards.
"This ice age should have ended, but instead the glaciers now reach Jamuraa. Time has been rewritten."
- Karn, Planeswalker
Creature - Human Soldier (R)
( can be paid with either W or C.)
When Infantry Recruiter enters the battlefield, deposit two times. (To deposit, create a colorless Coin artifact token with "Sacrifice this artifact: Add C to your mana pool.")
Sacrifice a Coin: Create a 1/1 white Soldier creature token.
4/4
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
Snow Creature — Yeti (U)
Snowball (As this permanent enters the battlefield, you may tap any number of untapped snow permanents you control. This permanent enters the battlefield with an ice counter for each permanent you tapped this way.)
Trample
Remove a snow counter from Savage Yeti: Savage Yeti gets +2/+0 until end of turn.
4/3
Sorcery {R}
Choose two. You may choose the same mode more than once.
Snow Creature - Beast (U)
When Ancient Brute enters the battlefield, sacrifice it unless you return a snow permanent you control to its owner's hand.
There are things in Ronom that have only vague descriptions, as anyone close enough to get a better look has not returned
4/4
void_nothing:
Harbinger
Ink-Treader
FortunaImperatrixMundi
glurman
IcariiFA:
admirableadmiral
Tilwin
shinike1729
Remba:
StonerOfKruphix
Folza
Raptorchan
netn10
Pseudofate:
Phyrexian Editor
Jimmy Groove
doomfish
The top two per bracket advance.
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
Design -
(3/3) Appeal: All three psychographics could find a use for this.
(1/3) Elegance: Voidborn might be a little too weird, even on an Eldrazi. It looks like Delve and the Processor mechanic, but works like neither. In particular, the fact that Delve pays for 1 and this pays for C has the potential to confuse a ton of people. I wish you'd moved the functionality a little more in one direction or the other. In addition, at first glance it's unclear whether the cast trigger is talking about the number of cards you can cast or the converted mana costs of the cards.
Development -
(3/3) Viability: Blue, black, and mythic all seem like solid choices.
(1/3) Balance: "Cast two to four cards for free" stapled on an evasive 4/10 feels like way too much value for seven or eight mana. This seems particularly broken in draw-go control as a pseudo-uncounterable finisher.
Creativity -
(3/3) Uniqueness: It's certainly unique.
(3/3) Flavor: This feels exactly like an Eldrazi from Kozilek's brood.
Polish -
(2/3) Quality: "Mana cost" in the cast trigger should be plural. "Fathom to comprehend" is ungrammatical since fathom and comprehend are synonyms.
(2/2) *Main Challenge: All good.
(2/2) Subchallenges: All good.
Total: 20/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
(3/3) Appeal: This appeals to all three psychographics.
(3/3) Elegance: It's a pretty complex card, but you made it work.
Development -
(2/3) Viability: Unfortunately I don't see portal realistically being a mechanic. It's far too complex and hard to balance to get keyworded.
(1/3) Balance: Unless this gets killed before you untap with it, it's a repeatable Envoy effect on steroids, stapled to an Air Elemental. You'd need to be seriously behind on board to lose with this. If it had cost six it might have been fine since then there's a better chance of outracing it or having immediate removal for it (and even then the ability probably should have cost more), but at five it's just too powerful.
Creativity -
(3/3) Uniqueness: No issues here.
(3/3) Flavor: Or here.
Polish -
(1/3) Quality: The blue color indicator is unnecessary since the card is blue and no other colors. Since devoid is a named mechanic, and not a color or something similar, the second ability should read "have devoid" rather than "are devoid". There's a missing period at the end of the devoid line. The reminder text on Portal should say "creature cards" rather than "creatures".
(2/2) *Main Challenge: All good.
(1/2) Subchallenges: This has a keyword but doesn't cost six or more.
Total: 19/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
Design -
(3/3) Appeal: This appeals to all three psychographics.
(2/3) Elegance: "Point of no return" is a little too long for a mechanic name (although it does make sense with the flavor so I would have kept it pretty similar).
Development -
(2/3) Viability: This should be mythic.
(3/3) Balance: All good.
Creativity -
(1/3) Uniqueness: I'm not a huge fan of the fact that this functions almost exactly like a Time Walk effect, save the potential for targeting people in multiplayer games and some random applications with Medomai the Ageless.
(3/3) Flavor: No problems here.
Polish -
(2/3) Quality: Using delve as precedent, point of no return should read "Each land you sacrifice while casting this spell pays for C." "To fighting Eldrazi" in the flavor text should be "fighting the Eldrazi".
(2/2) *Main Challenge: All good.
(2/2) Subchallenges: All good.
Total: 20/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
(2/3) Appeal: Timmy and Johnny like it, but it isn't strong enough for Spike.
(2/3) Elegance: I get the feel that you were going for, but I wish there had been an explanation behind the whole legendary sorcery thing.
Development -
(2/3) Viability: This feels much more blue than green to me. Rare feels right for the effect, if not for the power level.
(1/3) Balance: Considering the massive constraints this imposes on deck construction, I would have liked to see something really powerful. As is, half the time this is a slightly better Flow of Ideas and the other half it's effectively a blank.
Creativity -
(3/3) Uniqueness: Mass draw effects have been done before, but this is a new one.
(3/3) Flavor: I'm not a huge fan of the name, but it could work in certain situations. The rest of the flavor is spot on.
Polish -
(0/3) Quality: "Legendary" is misspelled in the card type. The S in "Primal Spell" shouldn't be capitalized (see other abilities with two-word names, e.g. first strike and hidden agenda). "Permanent" is misspelled in primal spell's reminder text. There's a missing period at the end of primal spell's reminder text. There shouldn't be a line break in between the draw ability and the end the turn ability (see Day's Undoing). "That's predate" in the flavor text should be "that predates".
(2/2) Main challenge: All good.
(2/2) Subchallenges: All good.
Total: 17/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
StonerOfKruphix: 20
Raptorchan: 20
Folza: 19
netn10: 17
Though the scores weren't very high this time around, for all four of you they reflect the execution much more than the concepts you came up with. Had there been some minor changes I would have been happy sending any of you to the next round.
Design -
(2/3) Appeal: Timmy sees a fatty that can come down early and enables Bear tribal. Johnny figures he can get the counters off early for cheap beats. Spike just doesn't care.
(1.5/3) Elegance: This is an extremely wordy card, taking reminder text into account, and fairly inelegant in general; shouldn't the no-untap clause be part of the hibernate ability rather than a separate ability? Otherwise this card randomly perma-locks Thing in the Ice, Woolly Razorback, and Rimefeather Owl ability targets.
Development -
(2/3) Viability: Green, snow, and rare are probably right. However, there's no rarity given...
(3/3) Balance: Not a particularly good card, especially given the restrictive mana cost, but it packs enough punch to be a requisite $0.25 dumb rare beater.
Creativity -
(2/3) Uniqueness: Never seen a Bear lord before, but this is mostly just a trample-and-hexproof unsolvable beater, and hibernate resembles suspend a whole lot.
(1/3) Flavor: No flavor text and the name is extremely bland; legendary creatures without a proper name need a damn good reason to be that way.
Polish -
(1/3) Quality: Missing rarity and the hibernate ability has atrocious formatting.
(2/2) *Main Challenge: Met.
(2/2) Subchallenges: Both met.
Total: 16.5/25
Design -
(2.5/3) Appeal: Timmy is sort of interested in forcing everyone to play fair. Johnny definitely likes combo insurance. Spike definitely likes locking people out of their plans, especially with options.
(2.5/3) Elegance: Both the new keyword and the meat of the card itself are somewhat wordy, but necessarily so.
Development -
(3/3) Viability: Definitely feels like a white, snow, rare.
(2.5/3) Balance: The permafrost keyword seems like it could be developmentally concerning in general, and stopping both activated and triggered abilities could be oppressive, but this card seems costed safely, at least.
Creativity -
(2.5/3) Uniqueness: Permafrost does draw on epic, rebound, and kicker in different but equal ways, but both the card and the keyword are quite fresh-feeling.
(2.5/3) Flavor: No flavor text, but there's little room for it; the name is great, and I especially love the keyword name for permafrost.
Polish -
(3/3) Quality: Looks good.
(2/2) *Main Challenge: Met.
(1/2) Subchallenges: New keyword but CMC too low.
Total: 21.5/25
Design -
(3/3) Appeal: Timmy likes the big play potential, Johnny likes the ramp-iness of blight, and Spike likes the 2-for-1 removal and potential board-swarming options.
(2/3) Elegance: Wordy stuff, but gets the message across.
Development -
(3/3) Viability: Gets the white and the colorless-mana feel in there, and rare is probably the only appropriate place.
(3/3) Balance: While this could lead to some definite blowout plays, it's quite expensive, especially for removal.
Creativity -
(2.5/3) Uniqueness: Besides having seen the "same option more than once" thing in the Confluence cycle, this is super fresh.
(2.5/3) Flavor: No flavor text, but little space for it; name rolls off the tongue.
Polish -
(3/3) Quality: Good,
(2/2) *Main Challenge: Met.
(2/2) Subchallenges: Hit both.
Total: 23/25
Design -
(2/3) Appeal: Timmy sees a cheap beater but no interesting abilities and a card disadvantage besides. Johnny definitely likes self-bounce, and Spike definitely likes undercosted fat.
(3/3) Elegance: Low word count. High elegance.
Development -
(3/3) Viability: Uncommon is plausible, feels snow, and this effect has been green for a while.
(2/3) Balance: On the surface, there's nothing wrong with this, especially in Limited; when looked at more broadly, there's the same developmental concerns as other "gating" cards, like artificially inflating storm counts on the cheap. The stats are fine in a vacuum, but the potential for abuse is there.
Creativity -
(1.5/3) Uniqueness: This is really nothing we haven't seen before apart from the mandated snow-mana part of the challenge.
(3/3) Flavor: Good name AND good flavor text.
Polish -
(2.5/3) Quality: Missing a period at the end of the flavor text.
(2/2) *Main Challenge: Done.
(0/2) Subchallenges: Neither.
Total: 19/25
FortunaImperatrixMundi 23
Ink-Treader 21.5
glurman 19
Harbinger 16.5
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
Design -
(2.5/3) Appeal: A big creature with hexproof and trample appeals to Timmy, but the drawbacks are steep. Johnny wants to work around them. Spike sees potential abuse, especially in older formats.
(2.5/3) Elegance: I think its a fairly easy read, but it glaciate reads as much as a draw back as a boon, on top of another (more often then not) draw back. I'ts pros and cons add back and forth to some really odd tension.
Development -
(3/3) Viability: I think this firts very well into being snow and blue. Rare is right. It doesn't break the rules of the game.
(1/3) Balance: This card reads pretty unfun. Either it's going to have it's glaciate abused by having it untap early/right away and crush opponents very quickly or its drawbacks will add up to too much making the card pretty unplayable and like casting it does more to hurt you than help. That's a really odd place for the card to be. It might of been better off just being a bigger creature with higher cost all around then trying to balance the glaciate cost. Keep it as a fun casual card rather then trying to make it potentially playable with the reduce casting cost and some abusive aid. Also, this card feels pretty underwhelming if you do cast it for seven mana as is. Admittedly it's a very difficult card to mentally playtest because it has many moving parts, but the fact it leans heavily towards being an unplayable detriment to a deck not built specifically around it or otherwise overwhelming doesn't feel like the right goal in balance.
Creativity -
(2.5/3) Uniqueness: This card pulls on a lot of nostalgic ideas and makes them feel pretty fresh. I could totally see an ability like glaciate.
(2/3) Flavor: Doesn't have room for flavor text which is fine. That said, I'm suprrpsied this isn't a snow permanent or otherwise sound like a snow creature in its name.
Polish -
(3/3) Quality: Looks fine to me.
(2/2) *Main Challenge: On point and in spirit.
(2/2) Subchallenges: Done and done.
Total: 20.5/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
Design -
(2.5/3) Appeal: Timmy sees a big boom and he wants in. Johnny sees some pretty cool interactions, especially with the bonus for the alternative cost. Spike sees and an expensive wrath variant that has the odd potential of actually being a finisher too. The multiple functions might just be enough to make up for the cost.
(2/3) Elegance: I'm not sure desolation would be worded that way. I understand why you did that and how that interacts with its other effects, but it seems odd. Also this card feels like it has one too many moving parts.
Development -
(2.5/3) Viability: This certainly is a mythic kinda of card, but I think it's a stretch for white and colorless to allow you to cast your opponents creatures. This bleeds into blue.
(2/3) Balance: This card is very interesting. I do feel desolation is an effect that is pretty useless on a lot of cards, especially in limited. This being a mythic avoids that but I see it as a huge challenge for anything with more than 3 cmc otherwise. As a wrath effect it's a bit too slow, and it's likewise probably to slow for most constructed environments but it is potentially a really over-the-top and fun card in casual/multiplayer where there would be many more options to abuse desolation while likewise not competeting for the fastest decks. Outside of standard constructed it could find a niche in the right tron/cloudpost set up.
Creativity -
(3/3) Uniqueness: A similar wrath enchantment does exist, but everything else on the card makes this feel very different and new.
(2.5/3) Flavor: The name is kinda cool but kinda odd in an I'm-having-trouble-imagining-what's-actually-happening-in-this-narrative kind of way
Polish -
(2/3) Quality: While I realize reminder text does have some leeway/room for debate and I appreciate your wording to make your card work, it would certainly say "this" spell and not "a" spell.
(2/2) *Main Challenge: Correctly done.
(2/2) Subchallenges: Both succeeded.
Total: 20.5/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
Design -
(2.5/3) Appeal: This is big enough with potential to get bigger, so timmy is into it. Johnny can manipulate counters a little, but it's a stretch. This is a strong card for limited and even just having one counter on it gives spikes a lot of options.
(2.5/3) Elegance: Ice counters have been used as a negative before, but your mechanic uses them as a positive. That's fine, but it does make them un-synergistic with some older cards.
Development -
(2.5/3) Viability: This seems spot on as a snowy red uncommon that doesn't break the rules. However, due to an error in the rules text, the ice counters on the card do nothing currently, since the relevant ability only refers to snow.
(3/3) Balance: I think this is exactly where this card should be balance wise (ignoring the rules text error.) It pushes me to want to be in red and snow with how much this thing can snowball. But the three toughness is a significant drawback/safety valve. I'm glad you didn't make it 4, especially since snow lands really make it's "multicolor" easy to bypass. It probably wouldn't see play in constructed though.
Creativity -
(2/3) Uniqueness: Nothing on this card individually feels that new, but it adds together to be relatively fresh.
(2.5/3) Flavor: Not enough room for flavor text, which is fine. The mechanic being called "snowball" makes sense, but is a little to "un" sounding to me.
Polish -
(2/3) Quality: As mentioned above, you refer both to ice and snow counters. This confuses the card.
(2/2) *Main Challenge: Good.
(1/2) Subchallenges: It does use a new ability, but does not cost 6 or more.
Total: 20/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
Tilwin - 20.5
shinike1729 - 20
This was a fun but very difficult challenge to judge, as it created some far out entries. In the end though, it came down to a rules text error and not completing all the sub challenges which allowed the competition to edge out. I will say that each card in my bracket was interesting and inventive, and all solid entries. Best of luck to those in the next round.
Enchantment {R}
When Await Processing enters the battlefield, exile X target creatures until Await Processing leaves the battlefield, where X is the number of times W was paid to cast Await Processing.
3CC, Put a card exiled with Await Processing into its owner’s graveyard: Put X +1/+1 counters on target creature, where X is the card’s converted mana cost.
Design -
(2/3) Appeal: Spike all day due to the power level. Johhny can find combo potential despite this being a dead blink card.
(2/3) Elegance: Fairly wordy but clearly defined.
Development -
(2/3) Viability: A bit odd. This card has distinct qualities of White, Green and to a lesser extent Blue (themeaticly)
(1/3) Balance: This is absurdly strong. Exile 4 creatures for 5 mana. Having one colorless in its CC doesn’t compensate for its power level. Compare to four O-Rings, which would cost 8WWWW.
Creativity -
(3/3) Uniqueness: Takes inspiration from the Processor creature type, aside from that its completely orginal.
(1.5/3) Flavor: The name is fantastic and apprehensive. But to me it is odd the way in which this works thematicaly. Exiles enemies to buff your own guys. When it should exile your own guys then return them to the battlefield with counters. To me, that’s processing/compleation. However the card wouldn’t work as intended if it did. This could just be you and I having fundemental difference of opinions on how Phyrexia operates. It’s ambigious.
Polish -
(3/3) Quality: No Issues.
(2/2) *Main Challenge: Challenge satisfied.
(1/2) Subchallenges: Card has CMC of 5.
Total: 17.5/25
Sorcery (U)
Glacial (As you cast this spell, you may put an ice counter on any number of non-snow lands you control to reduce the cost of this spell by S for each of those lands. Lands with ice counters on them are snow lands.)
Search your library for up to two basic snow Forests and put them onto the battlefield tapped. Shuffle your library afterwards.
"This ice age should have ended, but instead the glaciers now reach Jamuraa. Time has been rewritten."
- Karn, Planeswalker
Design -
(1/3) Appeal: Probably exclusive to Spike.
(2/3) Elegance: Wordy but comprehensible.
Development -
(3/3) Viability: Land ramp is distincly green.
(2/3) Balance: On par with Culti/Kodama for the most part. Putting both lands into play is strong even if the lands searched for are niche. Clerly a niche/snow deck would run this to get the maximum value. The ability without a doubut just makes this 2G all the time.
Creativity -
(2/3) Uniqueness: Quirky ramp spell.
(2/3) Flavor: Can see this being the name of a card, albeit a card that does something totally different. Good flavor text tie in to TSP block.
Polish -
(3/3) Quality: No Issues.
(2/2) *Main Challenge: Challenge satisfied.
(1/2) Subchallenges: Card has CMC of 4.
Total: 19/25
Creature - Human Soldier (R)
( can be paid with either W or C.)
When Infantry Recruiter enters the battlefield, deposit two times. (To deposit, create a colorless Coin artifact token with "Sacrifice this artifact: Add C to your mana pool.")
Sacrifice a Coin: Create a 1/1 white Soldier creature token.
4/4
Design -
(2/3) Appeal: Timmy not so much, ditto Johnny. Format dependent, it a bomb rare/build around in draft for spike.
(3/3) Elegance: Very easy to understand.
Development -
(2.5/3) Viability: White very very rarely gets access to mana production.
(3/3) Balance: This feels well balanced on it’s own. 6 for a possible 6 power. Obviously in what ever world is handing out coins, he could be a limited bomb and a build around card.
Creativity -
(2/3) Uniqueness: This is an ability we’ve seen in the past in white and with soldiers. Deposit is an interesting spin on Eldazi Spawn.
(3/3) Flavor: Ate some of the best wings I’ve ever had the other day and this card is almost as flavorful as they were.
Polish -
(3/3) Quality: No issues.
(2/2) *Main Challenge: Challenge satisfied.
(2/2) Subchallenges: Subchallenges met
Total: 22.5/25
Phyrexian Editor 17.5/25
Jimmy Groove 19/25
doomfish 22.5/25
How you should approach every game of Magic.
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