MTG Salvation

Winthrop's Reprocessor 3
Artifact Creature — Construct (R)
Sacrifice an artifact: Winthrop's Reprocessor gets +2/+2 and gains trample until end of turn.
Whenever Winthrop's Reprocessor deals combat damage to a player, return target artifact card from your graveyard to your hand.
It's always best to avoid a reprocessor when it is going about its business.
2/3

IIW: A white and/or blue, 1 CMC Spirit that's strong enough to get a look in Modern Spirits.

Adaptive Prototype 1
Artifact Creature- Construct(U)
T, Sacrifice Adaptive Prototype: Create a token that's a copy of this creature except it's power and toughness are equal to this creature's power plus one.
1/1

IIW: RUG in the color identity.

Judging tomorrow morning.

Parasitic Reconstructor
6
Artifact Creatre - Construct
Whenever a non-construct creature dies or an artifact is put into the graveyard from the battlefield, you may exile it. If you do, create a 4/4 construct artifact creature token.
Whenever parasitic reconstructor dies, you may Exile a construct creature token you control. If you do, return Parasitic Reconstructor to the battlefield.
4/4

IIW: Colours matter

Skither Pest 0
Artifact Creature - Pest {U}
Whenever Skither Pest attacks and isn’t blocked, you may have it deal 1 damage to target creature.
They aren’t so much part of The Resistance as they are a thorn in the side of The Orthodoxy.
0/1

IIW: A new non-creature artifact subtype

chetoos - I liked this better when it was white; as a regular colorless artifact creature it just feels kind of generic, and either way it's very fiddly and seemingly forgettable. I do like the self-fueling (but not fully) recursion stuff, though.

Subject16 - Really interesting; very costly, but a self-reset that allows you to keep your permanents is very potent. I like this space of white-blue, a la Worldpurge. And indeed brownie points for being the only Jamuraan entry.

Jacurutu - Lots of interesting ideas here, but ultimately this card doesn't do a heck of a lot; the pseudo-changeling is flavorful but busywork that often won't matter, and the enchantment form is just odd conceptually (why not turn to a noncreature artifact instead?) and ultimately a too-convoluted way to get a blink ability.

TotallyHaywire - I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with artifacts that don't really work unless you're playing a specific color. At least this one is in fact functional if you're not playing red. This is technically over the curve but at the same time, is this reward worth it for getting three hits in...? Yeah, probably, given the haste, but I'm not sure about those other cycle members. Overall a cool idea (pseudo-level up via hitting face) but I'd change the execution a bit.

Flatline - Who the heck is Winthrop? Certainly not a Kaladeshi, and this feels very much like a Kaladesh card. Probably abuseable but technically fine. Just doesn't excite me all that much, though.

Mergatroid_Jones - This seems like elegant new design space but barring things like populate in the environment this just seems like a convoluted Chronomaton.

KarmaHoudini - Snazzy! Combotastic! Self-recurring! I just wish it weren't a Construct though; this deserves a cooler creature type.

Cardz5000 - If I were designing a 0-cost pinger, this would be it. Possibly useless, possibly game-changing - so yeah, a Pest alright. Best use of the artifact-only creature type specifically imho.

Lots of good entries here, but I gotta declare a winner.
HMs: Subject16, Mergatroid_Jones, KarmaHoudini
Winner: Cardz5000
Next: A new non-creature artifact subtype

Phyrexian Essence Manipulator - 3
Artifact - Infuser

T, Sacrifice a non-artifact creature: Infuse 2 (Target creature gains +2/+2 and gains the color and creature type of the sacrificed creature until end of turn.)

IIW: Design a 3-color world enchantment.

I want to break away from artifacts as they're too saturated, DQ this as you like.
Consumable - These are permanents. They have the innate Consume action ability. Consume is basically replaceable with "T: Sacrifice this consumable".
This is to differentiate your actual artifacts from stuff like potions, slices of bread an enchanted mango. You would not exactly consider a pie as an artifact would you? Also tezzeret cannot turn your healing salve into a mechanical 5/5 monster.
In game, this severs the baggage of your "pie" from affecting now degenerate themes of artifacts such as affinity, improvise, and other artifacts are too op and spammable.
Cosumables where you get all the one shot without the baggage of artifact's now innate brokenness.

Tireless Baker 2G
Creature - Human (R)
Whenever a creature enters the battlefield under your control, create a Consumable token with "Consume: Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn".
Whenever you consume, you gain 1 life.
3/3

IIW your Planeswalker has a +2 ability.

New Artifact Subtype - Upgrades
Upgrades are essentially equipment for artifacts

Perpetual Motion Device
2
Artifact - Upgrade
Upgrade 2
The upgrades artifact has ‘this permanent untaps during each opponent’s untap step’

IIW: colours matter

Shifting Geohelm 3
Artifact - Mesh (R)
Enmeshment 3 (You may have this enter the battlefield with up to three charge counters on it.)
If you or a planeswalker you control would be dealt an amount of damage exactly equal to the charge of Shifting Geohelm (the number of charge counters on it), prevent that damage.
1, T: Put a charge counter on Shifting Geohelm or remove one from it.

A bit abstract, I think, but I have cyber(mage)punk in mind.

Quote from void_nothing »

IIW: Update a legend from Weatherlight or earlier.

New subtype: Runes. Much like Powerstone Shard, Runes become more powerful the more you amass. They each have T abilities and trigger off other Runes entering the battlefield, but when combined they can be much stronger. Runes are closely tied to Dwarves as a tribe, and facilitate several archetypes of strategy. Some runes will push towards some strategies and others won't.

Rune of Iotus 3
Artifact - Rune (Uncommon)
T: Add one mana of any type that a land you control could produce.
Whenever another Rune enters the battlefield under your control, untap Rune of Iotus.

Rune of Polandis 2
Artifact - Rune (Uncommon)
3, T: Target creature doesn't untap during its controller's next untap step.
Whenever another Rune enters the battlefield under your control, tap target creature.

Lost Rune of Izmi 2
Legendary Artifact - Rune (Rare)
1B, T, Return another Rune you control to its owner's hand: Each opponent loses 2 life.
Whenever another Rune enters the battlefield under your control, you gain 1 life.

IIW: Kamezza is a plane based on italy and the roman empire, and is where Licia, Sanguine Tribune is from. Design a mechanic that helps showcase the political or military aspect of the plane.

Heimrik's Elixir 2
Artifact- Potion (C)
3 Doses (This potion enters the battlefield with 3 dose counters. When it has no dose counters, sacrifice it.)
Remove 1 dose: Any target gains absorb 1 until end of turn.
Remove 3 doses: Any target gains absorb 10 until end of turn.

Alchemists' Fire 4
Artifact- Potion (U)
2 Doses (This potion enters the battlefield with 3 dose counters. When it has no dose counters, sacrifice it.)
Remove 1 dose: target creature gets +2/+0 until end of turn. Alchemists' Fire deals 1 damage to that creature.

Cackling Brewer 1U
Creature- Human Alchemist (U)
T: Put a dose counter on target potion.
"Aha!! More goat urine, yess!"
2/1

IIW: Rampage, flanking, phasing, banding, or cumulative upkeep.

Cardz, you around?

Yup

Jacurutu - Infuser seem like a cartouche or curse like subtype in that it is mostly there as a flavor point, but some cards can mechanically care about them (this is fine) Infuse as a keyword action has some problems: If its always going to be sacing a creature, that should be built into the keyword, not a separate cost, otherwise it should probably be an ability word if you want more flexibility as to what your are sacrificing (or wherever else you might derive the color and types from) and if you went that rout, I would probably just leave the ability word off all together and allow the new subtype to be the flag to players that this is a theme. As for this specific card: its probably a bit on the weak side for a rare or uncommon, so I would probably slate this as a common (make sure to include rarity in your card designs)

Forestsguy - hey... these aren't artifacts... and that's not a subtype either... Consumables are an interesting solution to the artifact token 'problem'. Mechanically I dislike that they are very hard to interact with as nothing targets them without being able to target any permanent(this is a problem with most new types.) I also feel like the consume keyword action is either unneeded, or needs to not have the tap cost as I feel like it would get forgotten most of the time (especially as you probably won't be spelling it out except on the tokens themselves) I would also advocate giving most of your consumables names, and you do need to specify either a color for the token, or that it is colorless.

KarmaHoudini - Upgrades are a bit of a low-hanging fruit mechanic, but that doesn't make it a bad one: these would be especially interesting to see interacting with artifact creatures. As for Perpetual Motion Device its name is bland as hell, call it Perpetulum Drive or something I would put this at uncommon, but please include rarity on your designs so I don't have to assume where it fits. I would also probably snag Unwinding Clock's wording for "Untap upgraded artifact during each other player's untap step." (I would also have appreciated reminder text for Upgrade)

void_nothing - I'm a little lost on what a Mesh is indicative of (this could probably be remedied with art if this were going into an actual set) Mechanically the card is very interesting and I'm glad to see it at rare considering all the board complexity it creates.

Subject16 - Runes for me are much more evocative of enchantments in magic, that being said, you've definitely made an interesting mechanical identity, but I don't know that I would use Powerstone Shard as an example in your pitch for them as their synergy is much different. These come across as artifact allies (original zendikar) good work.

Mergatroid_Jones - Potions are a great answer to this challenge and I like the way you implemented them. I know that in plain English "Remove 1 dose" or "Remove 3 doses" works, but I would be much more in favor of the classical "Remove a dose counter form Heimrik’s Elixir" wording. I also feel like Heimrik’s Elixir is a bit too high on its board complexity for a common, and would need reminder text for absorb.

Elegant Diadem 2
Artifact - Equipment {C}
Equipped creature has persuasive (It creature can’t be blocked by creatures that share a color with it.)
Equip 1 (1: Attach to target creature you control. Equip only as a sorcery.)

IIW: A tribe exclusively in its typically enemy color or colors (mono-white vampires and mono-green merfolk are recent examples)

Mechanic- Codify X—Create a Tablet artifact token with "X"
This mechanic is representative of the Justinian Code and Rome's use of written law that was equitable to all, to create equitable effects that are quite literally inscribed in stone. Jeskai would be the representative colors of law and order, symbolizing the Boros warlikeness of the Roman empire but also paying homage to the intellectualism and law typically associated with Azorius. Common creature types are Human, Rhino, Wizard, and Aven.

Scribe of the Academy 2U
Creature- Human Wizard {U}
When Scribe of the Academy enters the battlefield, scry 2, then codify "At the beginning of each player's upkeep, that player scries 2". (To codify a line of text, create a Tablet artifact token with that text)
1/4

Legate of the Peace 3WW
Creature- Rhino Cleric {U}
Vigilance
When Legate of the Peace enters the battlefield, codify "Creatures can't attack unless their controller pays 1 for each attacking creature they control".
Just because I can crash through the walls of any enemy fort doesn't mean I want to. Strains the horn.
4/6

Legate's War Tent
Land {R}
T: Add C.
4, T:Codify "Attacking creatures get +1/+0"

Trickster's Punishment XRR
Sorcery {R}
Codify "Whenever a player casts a spell at any time other than when they could cast a sorcery, this permanent deals X damage to them".
Cut off a thief's hand. Cut out a liar's tongue. An eye for an eye, though other appendages may be interchanged upon request- The Politis Code

Politis, Legate Supreme 3WUR
Legendary Creature- Rhino Warrior {M}
Vigilance, first strike
Tablets you control are indestructible. Whenever you would create a Tablet, create twice as many of those Tablets instead.
WW, sacrifice 3 Tablets: You gain 5 life. Exile target nonland permanent.
UU, sacrifice 3 Tablets: Scry 3, then draw a card. Return target spell or nonland permanent to its owners hand.
RR, sacrifice 3 Tablets: Politis deals 3 damage to each of up to 3 targets.
4/6

Golgari, and to a lesser extent red, meanwhile, would be the renegades, fighting against the Kamezzan regime, wanting a return to anarchy and nature. Common creature types are Elf and Vampire.

Corruption of Law 3B
Enchantment-Aura {C}
Enchant Tablet
Enchanted permanent loses all abilities and has "Whenever a Tablet enters the battlefield, you lose 2 life"

Return to Tranquility 2GG
Sorcery {R}
Destroy all Tablets. For each Tablet destroyed this way, create a 1/1 green Elf Warrior creature token and gain 1 life.

Taark, Scion of Nature 2BG
Legendary Creature- Vampire Druid {M}
Taark, Scion of Nature enters the battlefield with a number of +1/+1 counters on it equal to the number of lands you control.
Whenever an artifact with converted mana cost X would enter the battlefield, you may pay X and return a land you control to its owner's hand. If you do, put a +1/+1 counter on Taark and exile that artifact instead.
The Legion will crumble someday, and nature will destroy every monument, every building, until nothing is left.
0/0

IIW: Casting/activating abilities from exile

Please note that if I were designing this set, the militarism wouldn't be the biggest theme, but it'd be there. I'd also probably have a decent mechanic based on farming as well.

Legion - Whenever you attack, for each color among attacking creatures you control, X

Legion's tactician 2U
Creature - Human Advisor (U)
Legion - Whenever you attack with one or more creatures, Scry X, where X is the number of colors among attacking creatures you control.
1/4

Brash Recruit 1R
Creature - Human Soldier (Common)
Legion - Whenever you attack with one or more creatures, this creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn for each color among attacking creatures you control.
1/2

Inspiring Leader 3W
Creature - Human Soldier (Rare)
Legion - Whenever you attack with one or more creatures, for each color among attacking permanents you control, create a 1/1 white soldier creature token.
2/4

Claudiu, In tune with Nature 3GG
Creature - Human Druid
Legion - Whenever you attack with one or more creatures, put a +1/+1 counter on Claudiu for each color among attacking creatures you control.
Remove 2 +1/+1 counters from Claudiu: Target creature becomes the color of your choice in addition to its other colors until end of turn.
4/4

Next: Make a vertical cycle (one card of each rarity, usually confined to a color or color pair, see the torment cycle) for your favorite ability word (enrage, revolt, or raid) in standard right now.

Sainted Optio 3W
Creature - Human Soldier (R)
Combat discipline (T: Choose a number. Creatures you control with converted mana cost equal to the chosen number get +1/+1 until end of turn. Activate this ability only during combat.)
When Sainted Optio enters the battlefield, you may put a creature card with converted mana cost 1 or less from your hand or graveyard onto the battlefield.
2/2

Dissembling Patrician 2B
Creature - Human Advisor (R)
Consultation (At the beginning of your upkeep, this creature consults an Advisor creature you control.)
Whenever Dissembling Patrician consults an Advisor, you draw X cards and lose X life, where X is that creature's toughness.
1/1

IIW: Scry

Subject16? It seems about judge time.

Cardz5000: Persuasive seems like an interesting evasion mechanic, like reverse intimidate. I could see this being effective in a multicolor set, or a set with color-changing mechanics. In a standard set, it seems a bit weak for limited though, as it only becomes good in a mirror-match.

TotallyHaywire: Tablets are a fairly cool mechanic, but I'm curious as to how you would have them work on paper. Would there be individual tablets for each producer like emblems, or would you have a tablet token and annotate the codification yourself? I also enjoy the symmetrical aspects, although it probably doesn't seem to be a red mechanic all that much. The Golgari faction seems interesting, but the fact that Licia is on this plane, is a Vampire, and a tribune is quite chaotic with Vampires in golgari colors.

chetoos: Legion seems like a mix between Batallion and Radiance, both Boros mechanics. Nevertheless, I enjoy it. I feel like you could have explored the design space a little more with these cards, like the white card making a token that isn't white, or having a creature that could change colors somehows.

void_nothing: Combat Discipline seems pretty strong, especially as it stacks up. However it definitely favours a go-wide strategy that a Roman Legion would probably employ, and it works well with vigilance which is the mechanic I'd tie to the army the most. However I like Consultation the most, because it seems like a really interesting mechanic that could work for several archetypes, with advisor-heavy decks and consultant-heavy decks.

Winner: void_nothing

Next challenge: Scry (Assuming this is either a card with or that interacts with the scry mechanic?)

Yup, the challenge means anything to do with scry. Go nuts.

I like designing green cards, so let's finish off the multi-set-cycle of riddle of lightning, judge unworthy, interpret the signs of instants and sorceries based on revealing the top card of your library after a scry 3. I know that technically Sifter worm is similar, but shhhhh.

Wisdom of the oaks 4G
Sorcery
Scry 3, then reveal the top card of your library. Distribute X +1/+1 counters among creatures you control, where X is that card's converted mana cost.

Demonic Augry 3BB
Sorcery
Choose target creature. Scry 3, then reveal the top card of your library. That creature's controller loses X life, where X is the revealed card's converted mana cost. Destroy that creature if its converted mana cost is less than the revealed card's converted mana cost

IIW: Make a vertical cycle (one card of each rarity, usually confined to a color or color pair, see the torment cycle) for your favorite ability word (enrage, revolt, or raid) in standard right now.

New Mechanic: Augury - Whenever you scry, you may reveal up go one card with Augury from among the cards you are scrying. If you do, you may cast it for its Augury Cost.

Simple examples:
Words of Knowledge
U
Sorcery - Common
Draw a card.
Augury 1U

Prophecy of Life
XWW
Sorcery -Uncommon
Gain life equal to twice as much as X
Augury XXWW

Submission:
Cascading Ideals
2UU
Sorcery - Mythic
Until end of the turn, instant and sorcery cards in your library have Augury, where there Augury cost is their mana cost.
Until end of turn, when you cast an instant or sorcery spell, Scry 3.
Augury 2UU

IIW: CMC matters

Singing Puzzle Box 3
Artifact (R)
T: Scry 1.
2,T: Until end of turn, you may look at and play the bottom card of your library as if it were in your hand.

K'Sha, Spiraling Oracle UG
Legendary Creature- Snake Druid (R)
When K'sha, Spiraling Oracle enters the battlefield, scry 2.
1,T: Reveal the bottom card of your library. if it's a land card, you may put it onto the battlefield. Otherwise, shuffle your library.
2/2

IIW: Something that gives you mana without tapping for it.

Fleshreader Poet 4BB
Creature - Human Wizard (Mythic Rare - Grixis Watermark)
Menace
Whenever you Scry, you may pay 1. If you do, reveal the top card of your library and put it into your hand. Each opponent loses X life, where X is equal to that card's converted mana cost.
1B, Sacrifice a creature: Scry 2.
"Great art always comes from a place of pain. In this case, it comes from you."
4/4

IIW: Return to Alara: Design a card that culminates three of the five shards.