Hahahaha, you guys beter start sending some boosters to Eventide Sojourner
I don't take bribes... well... usually. I haven't looked at the other judges' scores, so I don't know how mine will affect the final outcome. I should have them finished before the deadline, though.
EDIT: And done. Scores yet to be tallied, so I can't announce the winner just yet.
Will like to argue that Expedition Map is common and colorless, and that Reap and Sow puts the land directly into play. Also, taking advantage of Restock slows the card down by a turn, and because there is no internal acceleration, using Restock on the second Expedition will still eat up mana.
@StubbornOne : I haven't checked that the other judges said on this, but what I based mine of is as follow. Sylvan Scrying is 2 mana for any land in hand at uncommon. Expedition Map is esentialy 3 mana for any land in hand and at common. Your card is like Sylvan Scrying with the added 1 mana to allow you to get another copy of the card, where as Expedition Map is 3 mana for the same effect, except that you don't get the other card with the restock ability. Thats why I feel like its better suited as uncommon.
Have to laugh just a bit at the judging for my grouping.
The guy who won our group (with a perfect score no less) basically did maze of ith on a guy but removed the damage clause so as not to violate the rules of the challenge (Also can we talk about how much this is not a common?). I thought about doing this same thing before I saw his design but thought this would be too transparent. So much for that...haha. I also considered Ghostly Prison/Propaganda style effects and dismissed them as too obvious. Two of those effects won as well....at least one design required payment in life because it was also black which I'll grant was more original. The final winner created a white horror. A White Horror?! Huh?! Oh and they stapled on Angel's Grace as a combat damage to player trigger.
I know I'm asking for a hit without including flavor text, but can we look at some of the bigger design fails that were completely overlooked before we start docking for capitalization? Also, other than the originality of my card submission, nothing else suggests it should be a rare. You should really support this statement. My creature isn't above curve in terms of p/t, it isn't complex, and if I opened a pack and saw this at rare I'd be pissed.
I'm sorry, I know judging is a thankless job, but this is rough work.
Speaking as a completely non-biased third party, I would say I 100% agree with admirableadmiral ruling in your bracket. Rhand's card was easily the best of the bunch, simple and elegant. No it's not Maze of Ith, because it's a. one time and b. not a land, and these differences are important. My only gripe is the double white on a common, but it's not too bad.
The propaganda cards may be "too obvious" but paying life as a taxing mechanic is a good twist for black-white, and each is balanced, something that's not easy to do in these effects. If there a good way do an effect you were asked for within the rules, there is no reason not to do so. There are other ways to keep things fresh.
There is absolutely no problemwithawhitehorror, it should depend on the plane.Even if there was, it's in creative writing, a part which usually does not have much effect on the score. I actually like that card a lot, reminded me of a twisted Blinding Angel.
Your own card resembles Maze of Ith much more than Rhand's in terms of affecting the game, because it's basically says: "3: target unblocked creature becomes blocked". Considering Trap Runner is the only closest reference and how much these effects can bog a limited game down, your card really should be a rare.
Have to laugh just a bit at the judging for my grouping.
The guy who won our group (with a perfect score no less) basically did maze of ith on a guy but removed the damage clause so as not to violate the rules of the challenge (Also can we talk about how much this is not a common?). I thought about doing this same thing before I saw his design but thought this would be too transparent.
Sometimes, coming up with a great idea is looking at an old card in a new way. Rhand's card did that very well.
I know I'm asking for a hit without including flavor text, but can we look at some of the bigger design fails that were completely overlooked before we start docking for capitalization?
The rubric's been the same every month ever since this contest has ever started. Having perfect formatting and spelling is expected if you want a perfect polish score. Lastly, there was another error I just noticed: your card says "wall token", not "Wall creature token".
Also, other than the originality of my card submission, nothing else suggests it should be a rare. You should really support this statement. My creature isn't above curve in terms of p/t, it isn't complex, and if I opened a pack and saw this at rare I'd be pissed.
I'm sorry, I know judging is a thankless job, but this is rough work.
Your card isn't complex, but it's quite powerful. A 2/3 vigilance for 3 is already a little above the curve, but the ability to fog an attacking creature for three mana is quite powerful. If you want an example of a card similar to yours that's an uncommon and not a rare, take a look at Decorated Griffin. For two mana, it prevents one damage. For three mana, your card has the capability to prevent much, much more damage than that. Also, take a look at the stats. A 2/3 flying is a three mana body. Yet Wizards put Griffin at five mana. Why? Because even a small ability can make a good body much better in limited, especially at uncommon. If the card is a rare, it's acceptable for it to be above the curve, but at uncommon it is not.
I'm sorry that you didn't advance this month and I wish you better luck in May.
For maximumbuttitude: In regards to the flavor, I figured it would be the default assumption that a creature you've summoned would be protecting you and the tokens were the only way I could think of to represent branches reaching out and smacking things away without jeopardizing the main body.
More importantly, however, thank you for bringing to my attention the semicolon involved with defender and reach. I can't think of anything else that interacts in that way, and it makes me wonder why it does when a comma is the standard for everything else.
EDIT: Upon further inspection, it seems that a handful (30-ish) of cards use a semicolon for no appreciable reason. Odd.
For maximumbuttitude: In regards to the flavor, I figured it would be the default assumption that a creature you've summoned would be protecting you and the tokens were the only way I could think of to represent branches reaching out and smacking things away without jeopardizing the main body.
More importantly, however, thank you for bringing to my attention the semicolon involved with defender and reach. I can't think of anything else that interacts in that way, and it makes me wonder why it does when a comma is the standard for everything else.
EDIT: Upon further inspection, it seems that a handful (30-ish) of cards use a semicolon for no appreciable reason. Odd.
In general, cards use semicolons to differentiate separate abilities whenever you have a "Choose one (or more)" card. It's also used when abilities that appeared on separate lines have since been errata'd to be on the same line.
Honestly the mechanics of your card were pretty cool, and the flavor makes more sense when you explain it further. I think this is where the flavor text is gonna do work for you before the judging begins. Filling out the card with flavor probably nets 1-4 points depending on who's judging and how important that extra mile is to tying the card together. But yeah definitely a cool card and I'd play it.
And of course, I browse Matt Tabak's Tumblr and find this:
Quote from Matt Tabak"s Tumblr »
minomellow asked:
Is there any reason why some cards have a semicolon separating their oracle text's keywords (e.g. Æther Membrane), whereas most others have a comma (e.g. Fog Bank)?
If Oracle text includes more than one keyword, and only the last keyword has reminder text, and all the keywords appear on one line, then semicolons are used.
Its funny how a card that once got almost full scores in one contest gets 13.5 in another... Serves me right for reposing, I guess.
Edit: Though it may be moot, protection doesn't prevent damage, but rather means damage can't be dealt from the source you have protection from. So even if, say, Everlasting Torment is on the battlefield, Silver Knight would still takes no damage from red sources.
I assume the following is correct, but want to ask anyway to be sure.
For round 2, if my card has something like "sacrifice a permanent", would that count for the main challenge because you COULD sacrifice a creature if you choose to?
EDIT: Would a creature that sacrifices itself also counts?
Its funny how a card that once got almost full scores in one contest gets 13.5 in another... Serves me right for reposing, I guess.
Edit: Though it may be moot, protection doesn't prevent damage, but rather means damage can't be dealt from the source you have protection from. So even if, say, Everlasting Torment is on the battlefield, Silver Knight would still takes no damage from red sources.
702.15e - Any damage that would be dealt by sources that have the stated quality to a permanent or player that has protection is prevented.
To me it looks like protection does prevent damage. Silver Knight got nothing on Everlasting Torment.
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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
702.15e - Any damage that would be dealt by sources that have the stated quality to a permanent or player that has protection is prevented.
To me it looks like protection does prevent damage. Silver Knight got nothing on Everlasting Torment.
The rules might have changed since I last checked them. I'm fairly certain the Everlasting Torment example I've given is correct, but this is not an issue I'd call a rules guru for, especially since one point still won't mean I pass to the next round.
I feel this is just more of a 'which judge did you get' thing. Some MCC judges are more generous with higher scores while others top out at 20/25 unless something really pops out at them. I don't think this is a bad thing -since they're consistently low or high across all that round's cards - but it means you can't compare your card to everyone else's: just to your relative 'rank' within your round's team.
It's also the metagame, I guess. Paladin en-Vec was considered a very strong card once, but now it may not be. I should have considered that when I posted. The card in question is one of my favorite ones I've ever designed, I made it long before Seht's Tiger existed (which makes calling it unoriginal hurt even more - there was only ever one card that gave you protection, and its flavor and effect on the board were drastically different).
I'm not calling for a new ruling or claiming my esteemed judge doesn't know what he's talking about. I would say I disagree with him (obviously), but it's more of a difference of opinion. I just pointed out that, well, I was surprised by how different our opinions turned out to be.
I made sure to do my rules homework thoroughly - not sure about how the rules were, but I can't give you the point for protection/prevention, apologies.
Metagame is one consideration - the standard for rare 1WW nowadays is Double strike + ability 2/2. Pro red and black foot soldier falls somewhat short of that. I did see the comparison to Seht's Tiger and it's certainly a different way to think about it... my main thing with the creativity was the very standard flavor of it - White Dude Whom Protect. Many of the other entries, comparatively, did more to worldbuild around the card, whereas other ones without flavor or without a good tie-together dealy didn't make the creativity points either (RaikouRider missed most of his points there). Short version of that is that a lot of it came down to the 2.5 from formatting and challenge.
Something I just thought now was that giving protection to you feels more mystical than a knight, more like a cleric or wizard. But anyway, better luck next month on it man. I hope my explanation helped, or made sense at least.
"Damage can't be prevented" will override protection, yes. Protection does prevent damage and as such would not qualify for the bonus point from last round.
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I don't take bribes... well... usually. I haven't looked at the other judges' scores, so I don't know how mine will affect the final outcome. I should have them finished before the deadline, though.
EDIT: And done. Scores yet to be tallied, so I can't announce the winner just yet.
Today's the 4th. Did you mean 5th?
Speaking as a completely non-biased third party, I would say I 100% agree with admirableadmiral ruling in your bracket. Rhand's card was easily the best of the bunch, simple and elegant. No it's not Maze of Ith, because it's a. one time and b. not a land, and these differences are important. My only gripe is the double white on a common, but it's not too bad.
The propaganda cards may be "too obvious" but paying life as a taxing mechanic is a good twist for black-white, and each is balanced, something that's not easy to do in these effects. If there a good way do an effect you were asked for within the rules, there is no reason not to do so. There are other ways to keep things fresh.
There is absolutely no problem with a white horror, it should depend on the plane.Even if there was, it's in creative writing, a part which usually does not have much effect on the score. I actually like that card a lot, reminded me of a twisted Blinding Angel.
Your own card resembles Maze of Ith much more than Rhand's in terms of affecting the game, because it's basically says: "3: target unblocked creature becomes blocked". Considering Trap Runner is the only closest reference and how much these effects can bog a limited game down, your card really should be a rare.
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Sometimes, coming up with a great idea is looking at an old card in a new way. Rhand's card did that very well.
The rubric's been the same every month ever since this contest has ever started. Having perfect formatting and spelling is expected if you want a perfect polish score. Lastly, there was another error I just noticed: your card says "wall token", not "Wall creature token".
Your card isn't complex, but it's quite powerful. A 2/3 vigilance for 3 is already a little above the curve, but the ability to fog an attacking creature for three mana is quite powerful. If you want an example of a card similar to yours that's an uncommon and not a rare, take a look at Decorated Griffin. For two mana, it prevents one damage. For three mana, your card has the capability to prevent much, much more damage than that. Also, take a look at the stats. A 2/3 flying is a three mana body. Yet Wizards put Griffin at five mana. Why? Because even a small ability can make a good body much better in limited, especially at uncommon. If the card is a rare, it's acceptable for it to be above the curve, but at uncommon it is not.
I'm sorry that you didn't advance this month and I wish you better luck in May.
More importantly, however, thank you for bringing to my attention the semicolon involved with defender and reach. I can't think of anything else that interacts in that way, and it makes me wonder why it does when a comma is the standard for everything else.
EDIT: Upon further inspection, it seems that a handful (30-ish) of cards use a semicolon for no appreciable reason. Odd.
In general, cards use semicolons to differentiate separate abilities whenever you have a "Choose one (or more)" card. It's also used when abilities that appeared on separate lines have since been errata'd to be on the same line.
Honestly the mechanics of your card were pretty cool, and the flavor makes more sense when you explain it further. I think this is where the flavor text is gonna do work for you before the judging begins. Filling out the card with flavor probably nets 1-4 points depending on who's judging and how important that extra mile is to tying the card together. But yeah definitely a cool card and I'd play it.
Edit: Though it may be moot, protection doesn't prevent damage, but rather means damage can't be dealt from the source you have protection from. So even if, say, Everlasting Torment is on the battlefield, Silver Knight would still takes no damage from red sources.
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For round 2, if my card has something like "sacrifice a permanent", would that count for the main challenge because you COULD sacrifice a creature if you choose to?
EDIT: Would a creature that sacrifices itself also counts?
702.15e - Any damage that would be dealt by sources that have the stated quality to a permanent or player that has protection is prevented.
To me it looks like protection does prevent damage. Silver Knight got nothing on Everlasting Torment.
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
The rules might have changed since I last checked them. I'm fairly certain the Everlasting Torment example I've given is correct, but this is not an issue I'd call a rules guru for, especially since one point still won't mean I pass to the next round.
It's also the metagame, I guess. Paladin en-Vec was considered a very strong card once, but now it may not be. I should have considered that when I posted. The card in question is one of my favorite ones I've ever designed, I made it long before Seht's Tiger existed (which makes calling it unoriginal hurt even more - there was only ever one card that gave you protection, and its flavor and effect on the board were drastically different).
I'm not calling for a new ruling or claiming my esteemed judge doesn't know what he's talking about. I would say I disagree with him (obviously), but it's more of a difference of opinion. I just pointed out that, well, I was surprised by how different our opinions turned out to be.
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Metagame is one consideration - the standard for rare 1WW nowadays is Double strike + ability 2/2. Pro red and black foot soldier falls somewhat short of that. I did see the comparison to Seht's Tiger and it's certainly a different way to think about it... my main thing with the creativity was the very standard flavor of it - White Dude Whom Protect. Many of the other entries, comparatively, did more to worldbuild around the card, whereas other ones without flavor or without a good tie-together dealy didn't make the creativity points either (RaikouRider missed most of his points there). Short version of that is that a lot of it came down to the 2.5 from formatting and challenge.
Something I just thought now was that giving protection to you feels more mystical than a knight, more like a cleric or wizard. But anyway, better luck next month on it man. I hope my explanation helped, or made sense at least.