Skysovereign Wreck 3
Legendary Artifact M T: Add C. 5: Skysovereign Wreck becomes a 6/5 Vehicle artifact creature with flying. It deals 3 damage to target creature or planeswalker an opponent controls. At the beginning of the next end step, sacrifice Skysovereign Wreck. Glory rose it, glory brought it down.
IIW: Abrahamic fantasy - choose any element in the Torah, Bible or Quran and make it into a Magic card. Don't use characters' and places' actual names, do it like Theros' treatment of Greek mythology.
Wildspark Cascade1RR
Enchantment
Artifact creatures get +1/+0.
Whenever an artifact creature is blocked, any player may pay 1. If any player does, that creature's controller sacrifices it. If they do, it deals 3 damage to defending player and to each creature blocking it. "We're testing the wildspark generator on the north-eastern sector array first... right? So why am I getting reports of haywire automatons on Westside?"
Makara, River Vahana 4UG
Legendary Creature - Alligator Elephant Fish
Hexproof
When ~ enters the battlefield, destroy all artifacts you control. For each artifact destroyed this way, create a 3/3 green elephant creature token.
2/4
Kari Zev, Renegade for LifeRR
Legendary Creature - Human Pirate
First Strike, haste
At the beginning of combat on your turn, you may gain control of target artifact an opponent controls and untap it. If it's a creature, it gains haste until end of turn. Its owner gains control of it at the beginning of the next end step unless Kari Zev deals combat damage to that player this turn. "Just because we've got a new consulate don't mean I'm going to stop plundering!"
2/1
Battery-Sucker Gremlin 1R
Creature - Gremlin (U) RR: ~ gets +1/+1 until end of turn. : ~ gets +1/+1 until end of turn. : Remove X energy counters from target player, where X is ~'s power.
1/2
(IIRC, Maro mentioned that he felt the problem with energy was that it was a resource that couldn't be interacted with)
Dhiren Baral, Fugitive Wizard - 3UB
Legendary Creature - Human Wizard
Hexproof
Instant and Sorcery spells you cast have "Buyback: discard two cards"
3/4
He's escaped prison and is on the run. Caught in the seedy Kaladesh underbelly he's managed to make himself undetectable to those who would try to bring him in. His obsession with the Nalaar's continues as he plots on ways to take out Pia, now having amassed a criminal network. Lessson learned? You can't keep a good classic villain down.
Tempest Jockey2RW
Creature - Dwarf Pilot (U)
Haul cargo (At the beginning of your upkeep, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature if you control a Servo, Thopter, or Vehicle.) RR: Switch Tempest Jockey's power and toughness until end of turn. WW: Tempest Jockey can block any number of creatures this turn.
1/4
Aetherborn Siphoner2BB
Creature - Aetherborn Vampire {R}
Menace
At the beginning of your upkeep you lose E(an energy counter). If you can’t, sacrifice Aetherborn Siphoner
Whenever Aetherborn Siphoner deals combat damage to a player, that player loses that many energy counters. You gain energy counters equal to the energy counters lost this this way.
3/4
IIW: A card with a currently token exclusive sub-type (Camarid, Caribou, Citizen, Clue, Deserter, Germ, Graveborn, Orb, Pentavite, Pincher, Prism, Sand, Saproling, Scion, Serf, Servo, Splinter, Survivor, Tetravite and Triskelavite)
Sephon- Skysovereign Wreck:
Brilliant flavor-- far better than the original Skysovereign. There's plenty of precedent for this (Thunder Totem, etc.), but nothing that packs this kind of wallop. Sacrificing the artifact makes this quite different from Guardian Idol and friends, and the power of the attack and flavor tie-in make it worthy of mythic rarity.
Volrath- Wildspark Cascade:
This card is so weird. It buffs artifact creatures. Great. Then that second ability is something else. I had to read it a few times to understand what it meant at all, and I still don't know what it would really do to a board state heavy with artifact creatures. In theory, I like how potentially two-sided this is, but in practice, I see it being a serious jank rare. That said, I have a soft spot for weird jank.
Ulka- Makara, River Vahana:
Kaladesh's basis in Indian mythology seems to have largely gotten lost in development. It's good to see it poke out. The card itself is somewhat unusual: it wants to go in a deck with many artifacts, but you need to be willing to destroy them all. I did note that it says "destroy" meaning that you can build with indestructibles in mind. Honestly, I would prefer if this hit every artifact instead of just yours.
Subject16- Kari Zev, Renegade for Life:
This is maybe just a little too powerful. Flavorwise, I like that she gets to keep the artifact if she sneaks in clean, but the stats are already really good. Maybe if you limit her to stealing small artifacts (CMC 3 or less?) you can keep the rest unchanged.
Mirri- Battery Sucker Gremlin:
I'm not sure if I'd agree that that's the problem with energy, but making some energy-hate cards like this is a step in the right direction. I don't have anything bad to say about this card: it should probably exist.
Spelldreamer- Dhiren Barral, Fugitive Wizard:
A wee bit better than Fugitive Wizard. This is a perfect example of a card that will never ever be printed. Buyback has some combo-potential that makes it problematic from the outset, and doing it without costing mana is even more dangerous. On top of that, the creature has hexproof, meaning some decks aren't going to have a good answer for him at all. Wizards doesn't want nightmares like this to see the light of day ever again. If you made a way to limit broken activity with this card, I'd be on board.
Void- Tempest Jockey:
I don't like "haul cargo" as a name for a keyword, and I don't think the keyword itself has a lot of design space. Both of the activated abilities are pretty good, and this would be a very solid card in draft. It wouldn't do anything anywhere else, but it never really meant to. The card is just fine, but not that inspiring.
Cardz- Aetherborn Siphoner:
It's another jank rare. If you are in the imaginary black energy mirror, this will be some interesting game. Unlike Battery-Sucker Gremlin, this really relies on the opponent having energy to make it worth while. A 3/4 menace for four is not bad, but it's not worth E a turn unless your getting something else out of it, and if you don't have any energy when you cast this, it dies before it ever attacks.
It's a tough choice between the two top cards. I like Skysovereign Wreck best as a stand-alone card, but I like Battery-Sucker Gremlin best as a card to shape the format.
Winner: Mirrislegend
HM: Sephon19
Next: Lyrics from the band Queen. (Lots of interesting options there. I recommend the second or first album if you don't know where to start: they have strong fantasy overtones.)
Marchesa, Killer Queen2BRW
Legendary Creature - Human Assassin (Mythic)
First Strike, Deathtouch
When Marchesa, Killer Queen enters the battlefield or a player gains control of it, it's controller becomes the Monarch.
Whenever you become the Monarch, you may destroy target creature controlled by the previous Monarch with power lesser than Marchesa's. 3: Gain control of Marchesa and she gains haste. Any player may activate this ability, but only once each turn and only at any time they could cast a sorcery. Recommended at a price, insatiable in appetite.
3/3
Next: Terrible commanders that you can still cast.
"I still don't know what it would really do to a board state heavy with artifact creatures"
In an artifact-heavy block, the deck with this in plays a lot of small artifact creature swarm, ideally cheap 1/1 token generation. Those tokens turn into effective suicide bombers because they pretty much unstoppably do at least 3 damage each to your opponent. Hopefully your opponent is playing larger artifact creatures, which now die to anything if they attack.
This was basically my attempt to start a storyline in one card! The storyline is that a madcap "genius hacker" sabotages Kaladesh's energy network so that automatons start going haywire & exploding all over the place. Seemed more interesting than most things that could happen in a Return To Kaladesh block!
Dynamite3BR
Sorcery
Destroy target land or noncreature artifact. Its controller discards a card. "Guaranteed to blow your mind..."
// Laser BeamXRR
Instant
Split second
Laser Beam deals X damage to target creature. "...anytime!"
Bonus un-card...
Bicycle Race2WU
Enchantment
Vanishing 2
Whenever a source would deal damage, it instead deals that much damage minus two.
Whenever a creature attacks or a spell is cast, its controller gains a Bicycle counter.
When Bicycle Race goes to the graveyard from the battlefield, each player with the most Bicycle counters gains 5 life and draws three cards. Then all players lose all Bicycle counters. "So forget all your duties, oh yeah."
Metamorph Master3(G/U)
Creature — Shapeshifter (R) 1(G/U): You may reveal a creature card from your hand. If you do, Metamorph Master becomes a copy of that card, except it has this ability. "You can be anything you want to be, just turn yourself into anything you think you could ever be"
2/2
Flick of the WristW
Instant {C}
Target creature blocked or blocking creature gains double strike until end of turn. (It deals both first-strike and regular combat damage.)
IIW: A card with a currently token exclusive sub-type (Camarid, Caribou, Citizen, Clue, Deserter, Germ, Graveborn, Orb, Pentavite, Pincher, Prism, Sand, Saproling, Scion, Serf, Servo, Splinter, Survivor, Tetravite and Triskelavite)
Another One Bites the Dust 1BB
Instant R
Target opponent sacrifices a creature. Morbid - If a creature died this turn, that opponent sacrifices two creatures instead. There are plenty of ways that you can hurt a man and bring him to the ground.
IIW: Abrahamic fantasy - choose any element in the Torah, Bible or Quran and make it into a Magic card. Don't use characters' and places' actual names, do it like Theros' treatment of Greek mythology.
The Prophet2WW
Legendary Creature - Human Priest (R)
Flash
When The Prophet enters the battlefield, creatures you control are indestructible until end of turn.
If The Prophet would go to a graveyard from the battlefield, exile it, then return it to the battlefield transformed at the beginning of your next upkeep.
2/2 /// The Messiah
Legendary Enchantment Creature - God (R)
Vigilance
Creatures you control are indestructible.
Whenever a creature would go to an opponent's graveyard, exile it instead.
5/5
IWW: A card that represents a spell from Dungeons and Dragons, or a card that represents a famous character from Dungeons and Dragons lore.
Magus of the Flash1U
Creature - Human Wizard (R) T, Sacrifice Magus of the Flash: You may put a creature card from your hand onto the battlefield. If you do, sacrifice it unless you pay its mana cost reduced by up to 2. "I shall send someone who will save every one of us."
2/1
IIW: Riff on one or more cards with no guild connections from the original Ravnica block
LifeG
Sorcery (R)
All lands you control become 1/1 creatures until end of turn. They're still lands. /// FantasyG
Sorcery (R)
Until end of turn, creatures you control gain "T: Add one mana of any color."
Under Pressure - 2UR
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant Permanent you don't control
Hexproof
When Enchanted Permanent leaves the battlefield, destroy all other permanents that share a type with that permanent. It's about to explode!
Seas of Rhye - W
Enchantment - Aura (U)
Enchant land
Enchanted land is a Plains.
If you control fewer lands than an opponent enchanted land gains " : Add WW. "Never complain about too much grain." - Zhalfirian Saying
Subject16 - Marchesa, Killer Queen: Excellent flavor. Despite monarchy and first strike + deathtouch, this is not a play-to-win commander. It is a chaos-causing, free-for-all instigator. Easily one of the most fun commander designs I've seen.
VolrathTheRisen - Dynamite//Laser Beam: Good flavor. Low power for Constructed, but a bomb common or uncommon for Limited.
Chemtrails - Metamorph Master: Solid flavor. But 6 mana to make a copy of card in hand on the turn you play Metamorph Master or 4 mana for a 2/2 with no abilities if your hand has no creatures or is empty. Feels bad man.
Cardz5000 - Flick of the Wrist: Wording issues? Nice flavor joining mechanics and name. Almost certainly won't see play outside of Limited. Even in Limited, it doesn't guarantee to save a creature, kill a creature, nor push through damage.
Sephon19 - Another One Bites The Dust: I love your flavor + mechanic combination. Definitely underpowered for the cost and rare slot if Morbid isn't on. Consider that Vona's Hunger doesn't see play anywhere.
BrainPo - The Prohphet//The Messiah: Prophets and Messiahs go hand-in-hand in the Bible, but not in "The Prophet's Song" by Queen. Far from it, in fact. At best, the song is about a prophet warning of disaster; at worst, its about a crazy dude shouting about the apocalypse. Your card is hella neat (though a smidge overpowered: maybe a 4/4?), but not really applicable to the challenge.
void_nothing - Magus of the Flash: Great integration of flavor with MtG mechanics/history.
Superbajt - Life//Fantasy: Nice use of the split card mechanic, though I feel this one sorely wants Fuse as well. Good flavor all around. Balanced cost vs effect.
Spelldreamer - Under Pressure: Interesting way to let Izzet colors nuke the field without breaking the color pie. No IIW?
Ulka - Seas of Rhye: Play it on yourself if you're behind, to ramp. Play it on the opponent to color screw them. But if you're on the same number of lands as your opponent or ahead, it is a total waste. Also lacking an IIW.
I'm going to give this one to Dynamite//Laser Beam for top-notch use of mechanics to evoke flavor and theme. Congrats VolrathTheRisen!
Glad my favorite entry (and one of my favorite IIWs) won. And I'm gonna take that as an HM
There were 3 or 4 HM which seems awkward to me, so I didn't list them. But yes, you were one of them. Another 2nd place trophy for void_nothing! (Also, there's a smiley for a flamingo that's named after the Club Flamingo founder and can't be found among the normal smileys? LMAO)
Freedom of Knowledge 1UGR
Sorcery (M) Join forces — Starting with you, each player may pay any amount of mana. Each player chooses one: permanents or non-permanents. Each player searches their library for up to X cards of their chosen card type, puts those cards into their hand, then shuffles their library. Information wants to be free.
-
Skysovereign Wreck 3
Legendary Artifact M
T: Add C.
5: Skysovereign Wreck becomes a 6/5 Vehicle artifact creature with flying. It deals 3 damage to target creature or planeswalker an opponent controls. At the beginning of the next end step, sacrifice Skysovereign Wreck.
Glory rose it, glory brought it down.
IIW: Abrahamic fantasy - choose any element in the Torah, Bible or Quran and make it into a Magic card. Don't use characters' and places' actual names, do it like Theros' treatment of Greek mythology.
Enchantment
Artifact creatures get +1/+0.
Whenever an artifact creature is blocked, any player may pay 1. If any player does, that creature's controller sacrifices it. If they do, it deals 3 damage to defending player and to each creature blocking it.
"We're testing the wildspark generator on the north-eastern sector array first... right? So why am I getting reports of haywire automatons on Westside?"
IIW: Lyrics from Stairway To Heaven
Legendary Creature - Alligator Elephant Fish
Hexproof
When ~ enters the battlefield, destroy all artifacts you control. For each artifact destroyed this way, create a 3/3 green elephant creature token.
2/4
IIW: East African Mythology Set
Legendary Creature - Human Pirate
First Strike, haste
At the beginning of combat on your turn, you may gain control of target artifact an opponent controls and untap it. If it's a creature, it gains haste until end of turn. Its owner gains control of it at the beginning of the next end step unless Kari Zev deals combat damage to that player this turn.
"Just because we've got a new consulate don't mean I'm going to stop plundering!"
2/1
IIW: Secretly Choose a player
Creature - Gremlin (U)
RR: ~ gets +1/+1 until end of turn.
1/2
(IIRC, Maro mentioned that he felt the problem with energy was that it was a resource that couldn't be interacted with)
IIW:
Lyrics from the band Queen
Legacy: Strawberry Shortcake, Aggro Loam, DnT+b
Modern: Devoted Karn
Vintage: Survival
Legendary Creature - Human Wizard
Hexproof
Instant and Sorcery spells you cast have "Buyback: discard two cards"
3/4
He's escaped prison and is on the run. Caught in the seedy Kaladesh underbelly he's managed to make himself undetectable to those who would try to bring him in. His obsession with the Nalaar's continues as he plots on ways to take out Pia, now having amassed a criminal network. Lessson learned? You can't keep a good classic villain down.
IIW: The Phyrexia Kaladesh war!
Creature - Dwarf Pilot (U)
Haul cargo (At the beginning of your upkeep, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature if you control a Servo, Thopter, or Vehicle.)
RR: Switch Tempest Jockey's power and toughness until end of turn.
WW: Tempest Jockey can block any number of creatures this turn.
1/4
IIW: A good way to break stalemates or ties.
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
Creature - Aetherborn Vampire {R}
Menace
At the beginning of your upkeep you lose E (an energy counter). If you can’t, sacrifice Aetherborn Siphoner
Whenever Aetherborn Siphoner deals combat damage to a player, that player loses that many energy counters. You gain energy counters equal to the energy counters lost this this way.
3/4
IIW: A card with a currently token exclusive sub-type (Camarid, Caribou, Citizen, Clue, Deserter, Germ, Graveborn, Orb, Pentavite, Pincher, Prism, Sand, Saproling, Scion, Serf, Servo, Splinter, Survivor, Tetravite and Triskelavite)
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
Brilliant flavor-- far better than the original Skysovereign. There's plenty of precedent for this (Thunder Totem, etc.), but nothing that packs this kind of wallop. Sacrificing the artifact makes this quite different from Guardian Idol and friends, and the power of the attack and flavor tie-in make it worthy of mythic rarity.
Volrath- Wildspark Cascade:
This card is so weird. It buffs artifact creatures. Great. Then that second ability is something else. I had to read it a few times to understand what it meant at all, and I still don't know what it would really do to a board state heavy with artifact creatures. In theory, I like how potentially two-sided this is, but in practice, I see it being a serious jank rare. That said, I have a soft spot for weird jank.
Ulka- Makara, River Vahana:
Kaladesh's basis in Indian mythology seems to have largely gotten lost in development. It's good to see it poke out. The card itself is somewhat unusual: it wants to go in a deck with many artifacts, but you need to be willing to destroy them all. I did note that it says "destroy" meaning that you can build with indestructibles in mind. Honestly, I would prefer if this hit every artifact instead of just yours.
Subject16- Kari Zev, Renegade for Life:
This is maybe just a little too powerful. Flavorwise, I like that she gets to keep the artifact if she sneaks in clean, but the stats are already really good. Maybe if you limit her to stealing small artifacts (CMC 3 or less?) you can keep the rest unchanged.
Mirri- Battery Sucker Gremlin:
I'm not sure if I'd agree that that's the problem with energy, but making some energy-hate cards like this is a step in the right direction. I don't have anything bad to say about this card: it should probably exist.
Spelldreamer- Dhiren Barral, Fugitive Wizard:
A wee bit better than Fugitive Wizard. This is a perfect example of a card that will never ever be printed. Buyback has some combo-potential that makes it problematic from the outset, and doing it without costing mana is even more dangerous. On top of that, the creature has hexproof, meaning some decks aren't going to have a good answer for him at all. Wizards doesn't want nightmares like this to see the light of day ever again. If you made a way to limit broken activity with this card, I'd be on board.
Void- Tempest Jockey:
I don't like "haul cargo" as a name for a keyword, and I don't think the keyword itself has a lot of design space. Both of the activated abilities are pretty good, and this would be a very solid card in draft. It wouldn't do anything anywhere else, but it never really meant to. The card is just fine, but not that inspiring.
Cardz- Aetherborn Siphoner:
It's another jank rare. If you are in the imaginary black energy mirror, this will be some interesting game. Unlike Battery-Sucker Gremlin, this really relies on the opponent having energy to make it worth while. A 3/4 menace for four is not bad, but it's not worth E a turn unless your getting something else out of it, and if you don't have any energy when you cast this, it dies before it ever attacks.
It's a tough choice between the two top cards. I like Skysovereign Wreck best as a stand-alone card, but I like Battery-Sucker Gremlin best as a card to shape the format.
Winner: Mirrislegend
HM: Sephon19
Next: Lyrics from the band Queen. (Lots of interesting options there. I recommend the second or first album if you don't know where to start: they have strong fantasy overtones.)
Low-power cube enthusiast!
My 1570 card cube (no longer updated)
My 415 Peasant+ Artifact and Enchantment Cube
Ever-Expanding "Just throw it in" cube.
Legendary Creature - Human Assassin (Mythic)
First Strike, Deathtouch
When Marchesa, Killer Queen enters the battlefield or a player gains control of it, it's controller becomes the Monarch.
Whenever you become the Monarch, you may destroy target creature controlled by the previous Monarch with power lesser than Marchesa's.
3: Gain control of Marchesa and she gains haste. Any player may activate this ability, but only once each turn and only at any time they could cast a sorcery.
Recommended at a price, insatiable in appetite.
3/3
Next: Terrible commanders that you can still cast.
In an artifact-heavy block, the deck with this in plays a lot of small artifact creature swarm, ideally cheap 1/1 token generation. Those tokens turn into effective suicide bombers because they pretty much unstoppably do at least 3 damage each to your opponent. Hopefully your opponent is playing larger artifact creatures, which now die to anything if they attack.
This was basically my attempt to start a storyline in one card! The storyline is that a madcap "genius hacker" sabotages Kaladesh's energy network so that automatons start going haywire & exploding all over the place. Seemed more interesting than most things that could happen in a Return To Kaladesh block!
Sorcery
Destroy target land or noncreature artifact. Its controller discards a card.
"Guaranteed to blow your mind..."
//
Laser Beam XRR
Instant
Split second
Laser Beam deals X damage to target creature.
"...anytime!"
Bonus un-card...
Bicycle Race 2WU
Enchantment
Vanishing 2
Whenever a source would deal damage, it instead deals that much damage minus two.
Whenever a creature attacks or a spell is cast, its controller gains a Bicycle counter.
When Bicycle Race goes to the graveyard from the battlefield, each player with the most Bicycle counters gains 5 life and draws three cards. Then all players lose all Bicycle counters.
"So forget all your duties, oh yeah."
IIW: GUR nonlegendary.
Creature — Shapeshifter (R)
1(G/U): You may reveal a creature card from your hand. If you do, Metamorph Master becomes a copy of that card, except it has this ability.
"You can be anything you want to be, just turn yourself into anything you think you could ever be"
2/2
IIW: Finish him!
Instant {C}
Target creature blocked or blocking creature gains double strike until end of turn. (It deals both first-strike and regular combat damage.)
IIW: A card with a currently token exclusive sub-type (Camarid, Caribou, Citizen, Clue, Deserter, Germ, Graveborn, Orb, Pentavite, Pincher, Prism, Sand, Saproling, Scion, Serf, Servo, Splinter, Survivor, Tetravite and Triskelavite)
Another One Bites the Dust 1BB
Instant R
Target opponent sacrifices a creature.
Morbid - If a creature died this turn, that opponent sacrifices two creatures instead.
There are plenty of ways that you can hurt a man and bring him to the ground.
IIW: Abrahamic fantasy - choose any element in the Torah, Bible or Quran and make it into a Magic card. Don't use characters' and places' actual names, do it like Theros' treatment of Greek mythology.
Legendary Creature - Human Priest (R)
Flash
When The Prophet enters the battlefield, creatures you control are indestructible until end of turn.
If The Prophet would go to a graveyard from the battlefield, exile it, then return it to the battlefield transformed at the beginning of your next upkeep.
2/2
///
The Messiah
Legendary Enchantment Creature - God (R)
Vigilance
Creatures you control are indestructible.
Whenever a creature would go to an opponent's graveyard, exile it instead.
5/5
IWW: A card that represents a spell from Dungeons and Dragons, or a card that represents a famous character from Dungeons and Dragons lore.
Creature - Human Wizard (R)
T, Sacrifice Magus of the Flash: You may put a creature card from your hand onto the battlefield. If you do, sacrifice it unless you pay its mana cost reduced by up to 2.
"I shall send someone who will save every one of us."
2/1
IIW: Riff on one or more cards with no guild connections from the original Ravnica block
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
Sorcery (R)
All lands you control become 1/1 creatures until end of turn. They're still lands.
///
Fantasy G
Sorcery (R)
Until end of turn, creatures you control gain "T: Add one mana of any color."
IWW:Top-down IT concept/device
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant Permanent you don't control
Hexproof
When Enchanted Permanent leaves the battlefield, destroy all other permanents that share a type with that permanent.
It's about to explode!
Legacy: Strawberry Shortcake, Aggro Loam, DnT+b
Modern: Devoted Karn
Vintage: Survival
Enchantment - Aura (U)
Enchant land
Enchanted land is a Plains.
If you control fewer lands than an opponent enchanted land gains "
"Never complain about too much grain." - Zhalfirian Saying
VolrathTheRisen - Dynamite//Laser Beam: Good flavor. Low power for Constructed, but a bomb common or uncommon for Limited.
Chemtrails - Metamorph Master: Solid flavor. But 6 mana to make a copy of card in hand on the turn you play Metamorph Master or 4 mana for a 2/2 with no abilities if your hand has no creatures or is empty. Feels bad man.
Cardz5000 - Flick of the Wrist: Wording issues? Nice flavor joining mechanics and name. Almost certainly won't see play outside of Limited. Even in Limited, it doesn't guarantee to save a creature, kill a creature, nor push through damage.
Sephon19 - Another One Bites The Dust: I love your flavor + mechanic combination. Definitely underpowered for the cost and rare slot if Morbid isn't on. Consider that Vona's Hunger doesn't see play anywhere.
BrainPo - The Prohphet//The Messiah: Prophets and Messiahs go hand-in-hand in the Bible, but not in "The Prophet's Song" by Queen. Far from it, in fact. At best, the song is about a prophet warning of disaster; at worst, its about a crazy dude shouting about the apocalypse. Your card is hella neat (though a smidge overpowered: maybe a 4/4?), but not really applicable to the challenge.
void_nothing - Magus of the Flash: Great integration of flavor with MtG mechanics/history.
Superbajt - Life//Fantasy: Nice use of the split card mechanic, though I feel this one sorely wants Fuse as well. Good flavor all around. Balanced cost vs effect.
Spelldreamer - Under Pressure: Interesting way to let Izzet colors nuke the field without breaking the color pie. No IIW?
Ulka - Seas of Rhye: Play it on yourself if you're behind, to ramp. Play it on the opponent to color screw them. But if you're on the same number of lands as your opponent or ahead, it is a total waste. Also lacking an IIW.
I'm going to give this one to Dynamite//Laser Beam for top-notch use of mechanics to evoke flavor and theme. Congrats VolrathTheRisen!
Next: URG nonlegendary
Legacy: Strawberry Shortcake, Aggro Loam, DnT+b
Modern: Devoted Karn
Vintage: Survival
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
There were 3 or 4 HM which seems awkward to me, so I didn't list them. But yes, you were one of them. Another 2nd place trophy for void_nothing! (Also, there's a smiley for a flamingo that's named after the Club Flamingo founder and can't be found among the normal smileys? LMAO)
Freedom of Knowledge 1UGR
Sorcery (M)
Join forces — Starting with you, each player may pay any amount of mana. Each player chooses one: permanents or non-permanents. Each player searches their library for up to X cards of their chosen card type, puts those cards into their hand, then shuffles their library.
Information wants to be free.
IIW: Deadpool themed
Legacy: Strawberry Shortcake, Aggro Loam, DnT+b
Modern: Devoted Karn
Vintage: Survival