October 2017 MCC Round 2 — Mischief Night Branches
Halloween near me is particularly a season for pranks. This month, that's gonna be the focus of the challenges: Practical jokes, beneficent and malicious.
The classic prank the night before Halloween in my area is to throw some sort of temporary material up into tree branches, as a form of joking decoration. Usually, this is toilet paper, but it can be streamers, silly string, or something even odder.
Main Challenge: Design a card that has "Forest," "Treefolk," and/or "Plant" in its text.
Subchallenge 1: Your card is not green. Subchallenge 2: Your card has a positive effect on, or grants a bonus to, at least some of the Forests, Treefolk, or Plants it effects.
Please message me about any questions you might have about the challenges. Other than that, have fun, and good luck!
The card must have one of those types appearing in its abilities, not just the typeline.
A card that gives a bonus to, for example, its controller's Treefolk while applying a negative effect to opponents' Forests passes the second subchallenge.
Design Deadline: All submissions are to be final and submitted by October 17th 11:59 PM EST
Judging Deadline: All Judgements are to be final and completed by October 21st 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.
Contestants:
Vertain
BrainPo
Marco
RickyRister
ManyCookies
DaAwesomeCheeto
Jimmy Groove
Subject16
Flatline
Controll
doomfish
IcariiFA
Judges:
void_nothing
bravelion83
Raptorchan
Please sign up to be a judge here if you are not playing.
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.
Watering Can2
Artifact — Equipment (U)
When Watering Can enters the battlefield, create three 0/1 green Plant creature tokens.
Whenever equipped creature attacks, put a +1/+1 counter on each Plant you control.
Equip 2 "Only those that faithfully water their seeds during spring shall be rewarded come autumn."
(22 Total) - October 2014; December 2014; January 2015; April 2015; June 2015; August 2015; September 2015; November 2015; December 2015(T); January 2016; March 2016(T); April 2016; June 2016; October 2016; December 2016(T); February 2017; April 2017; December 2017; November 2018(T); January 2019; April 2019; June 2019
(8 Total) - May 2015; May 2016; June 2016; August 2016; October 2016; December 2016; October 2017; May 2019
(7 Total) - September 2015; October 2015; January 2016; March 2016; April 2016; July 2016(T); March 2019(T)
Encroaching Forest
Land - Forest (Rare) (T: Add G to your mana pool.)
Encroaching Forest enters the battlefield tapped.
Whenever another Forest enters the battlefield under your control, you may pay 1G. If you do, search your library for a Forest card and put that card onto the battlefield tapped. Then shuffle your library.
Wicked Willows3BG
Creature - Treefolk Horror (R)
Reach, deathtouch BG: Target swamp or forest you control becomes a 2/2 black and green Treefolk Horror creature with haste, reach and deathtouch until end of turn. It's still a land. Their roots pervade the land like wooden worms.
2/5
Blazing Branches1RR
Enchantment (Rare)
Forests you control have "T, Sacrifice this permanent: Add two mana in any combination of R or G to your mana pool."
Whenever you sacrifice a forest, create a 1/1 green Plant creature token and Blazing Branches deals 1 damage to each opponent. "We may have lost our home, but we have fostered a new generation."
- Dalma Coalbark
Crucible of Gaea
Legendary Land (R)
As an additional cost to play Crucible of Gaea, sacrifice a forest.
Lands you control are forests in addition to their other types. The fruits of nature spans to the four corners of the world.
Lively Coppice
Land - Forest (U) (T: Add G to your mana pool.)
Lively Coppice enters the battlefield tapped.
Forest land creatures you control get +1/+1. "Some parts of the land are more eager to uproot than others."
-Nissa Revane
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
Hymn to Gaea3W
Instant (Uncommon)
Untap all Forests you control. Until the beginning of the next end step, Forests you control become white 3/4 Treefolk creatures with defender and lifelink. They are still lands. "The Dryads sing that the trees are the forest's first line of defense."
Seedtiller Ash3BB
Creature - Treefolk (R)
Whenever Seedtiller Ash or another Treefolk you control dies, you may return another target creature card with less toughness from your graveyard to your hand. “From your bark, generations shall sprout.”
2/5
Parasitic PropagationG
Enchantment - Aura (R)
Enchant Dryad, Fungus, Plant or Treefolk
You may have Forests you control enter the battlefield as a copy of enchanted creature. (If you do, they're no longer Forest lands.)
Karaluh, Field of Blooms
Legendary Land (R)
Whenever a plant enters the battlefield under your control, add G to your mana pool. T: Add C to your mana pool. From sea to sea, Karaluh boasts flowers that are so numerous the sky has no choice but to reflect their colors.
The round is closed. The following are the brackets. The top two contestants per bracket advance. Again, judges, please post judgments by 11:59 EST on Friday, October 20.
void_nothing:
Subject16
BrainPo
IcariiFa
bravelion83:
Flatline
Marco
DaAwesomeCheeto
ManyCookies
Judgments complete. As last time, I'm not sure I will have time to revise these before the deadline. Not only I'm still recovering from surgery (even though I'm almost completely fine now), but this past Monday I started working again, and I will be until next June.
Watering Can2
Artifact — Equipment (U)
When Watering Can enters the battlefield, create three 0/1 green Plant creature tokens.
Whenever equipped creature attacks, put a +1/+1 counter on each Plant you control.
Equip 2 "Only those that faithfully water their seeds during spring shall be rewarded come autumn."
Design (2.5/3) Appeal - Timmy likes tokens, attacking and creature pumping, so he should like this. Johnny can do something with the tokens. Spike will like this if it proves efficient enough. (3/3) Elegance - As short as it can be and very easy to understand.
Development (2.5/3) Viability - I see nothing that colorless artifacts can't do. I'm still debating in my head whether this should be a rare or it's fine as an uncommon. It's three three tokens for two mana after all. Playtest would probably help sort that out. (2.5/3) Balance - This can looks pretty well balanced to me at first glance. The three 0/1's for two mana are probably fine, as they can't deal combat damage without being buffed somehow. Then to be able to use the pump ability you have to equip it (paying the equip cost) at least once. I think this should be playable in limited. This doesn't strike me as a card that sees heavy play in constructed, but Avenger of Zendikar was a big thing in Standard in its day, so who knows? Triggering on attack is very different than landfall though, because you have to risk the creature. I see no problems in casual or multiplayer.
Creativity (1.5/3) Uniqueness - Turn any creature into an Avenger of Zendikar. Technically new, but the inspiration is evident. (1.5/3) Flavor - While the overall flavor works very well (you seed the plants and then water them and they grow over time), it doesn't look to me like something that I would see on a real Magic card. It might be better suited for a silver-bordered card.
Polish (3/3) Quality - All good. (2/2) Main Challenge - Good. (2/2) Subchallenges - Both met.
Total: 20.5/25
Encroaching Forest
Land - Forest (Rare) (T: Add G to your mana pool.)
Encroaching Forest enters the battlefield tapped.
Whenever another Forest enters the battlefield under your control, you may pay 1G. If you do, search your library for a Forest card and put that card onto the battlefield tapped. Then shuffle your library.
Design (2/3) Appeal - Timmy likes ramp, but I have a hard time seeing him getting too excited over a land. Johnny can definitely use the effect in multiple ways. The cost will make or break the card for Spike. (2.5/3) Elegance - Not the shortest text, but not too long either and still easy enough to understand.
Development (3/3) Viability - No problems with the color pie or rarity. (1.5/3) Balance - I think this is probably fine in Standard, but I'm a bit concerned about this card in bigger formats (read: Modern and beyond) because of how easy it is to trigger it with fetchlands and because of the fact that it both triggers out of and can find any Forest, not just a basic one, so all lands with basic land types count as well. That notably includes shocklands, the original dual lands from Alpha, and this card itself (also notice that it's not legendary so you can have multiple copies out). Another thing to notice is that Rampant Growth costs two mana. Comparing it to this, this can only find Forests but also non-basic ones. One downside, one upside, so I'll assume the two effects are comparable. If so, a repeatable version should cost more than the one-shot one. As for playability, I expect this to be very playable in most formats, both casual and probably competitive ones too. Ramp decks would love this for sure.
Creativity (3/3) Uniqueness - I can't remember any existing card working in a similar way. (2/3) Flavor - The name is fine. Using the word Forest is fine mostly because this card has the Forest land type itself. No flavor text, but it's not that big of a problem as it would fit on the card but just barely.
Polish (3/3) Quality - All good. (2/2) Main Challenge - Good. (2/2) Subchallenges - Lands are colorless, so they're not green. I'm not sure about subchallenge 2, but it's a beneficial effect and it's tied to Forests, so I'll let it pass even though it's not a bonus gained by those Forests.
Total: 21/25
Hymn to Gaea3W
Instant (Uncommon)
Untap all Forests you control. Until the beginning of the next end step, Forests you control become white 3/4 Treefolk creatures with defender and lifelink. They are still lands. "The Dryads sing that the trees are the forest's first line of defense."
Design (1.5/3) Appeal - Too many restrictions for Spike to care, especially in deckbuilding, which is also exactly why Johnny likes this a lot. He likes to use cards that other people dismiss. Timmy likes turning his lands into creatures that gain him life, but he would probably like a permanent effect more, one like Life and Limb. (1.5/3) Elegance - I would have liked "until end of turn" much more than "until the beginning of the next end step". It's an instant anyway, so the functionality would remain almost unaltered with a big gain in clarity, especially for less experienced players. Also, it's very weird to see a monowhite card interacting with Forests and not with Plains. At least, the card it not too long and easy enough to understand.
Development (1/3) Viability - There is the precedent of awaken awkwardly centered in white and blue because of the needs of the set it was in, but I don't really see this as a monowhite effect. Eveything except lifelink just screams green. I would have totally made this a green/white gold card. It is clear this is monowhite just to pass subchallenge 1. I'm not sure about rarity either, I honestly see this better suited for rare. (2/3) Balance - Should be playable in limited, at least as a combat trick, but it requires you to be in two specific colors. I honestly can't see this in competitive constructed, maybe in casual. No problems in multiplayer.
Creativity (3/3) Uniqueness - I can't remember a white card intereacting with Forests in a similar way before. (1.5/3) Flavor - Outside of something like Planar Chaos, I can't really see a monowhite card tied to Gaea. I checked Gatherer just to be safe and all cards named after Gaea are green, and all monogreen except Gaea's Skyfolk which still has green as one of its colors. Yet one more point in favor of making this a green/white card. The flavor text is fine.
Polish (3/3) Quality - All good. (2/2) Main Challenge - Good. (2/2) Subchallenges - Both met.
Total: 17.5/25
Parasitic PropagationG
Enchantment - Aura (R)
Enchant Dryad, Fungus, Plant or Treefolk
You may have Forests you control enter the battlefield as a copy of enchanted creature. (If you do, they're no longer Forest lands.)
Design (1.5/3) Appeal - Timmy likes tribal mechanics. Johnny likes trying to exploit cards others dismiss, especially cards with such a particular effect. I don't think Spike is too interested. (3/3) Elegance - It's hard to do better than this with such a particular effect. I'm not sure the reminder text is strictly necessary, but it's always better to err on the side of clarity, so I can't really blame you for including it.
Development (3/3) Viability - Green is secondary in cloning, and even though it usually (but not always) does so with tokens, I don't feel this is outside of the color pie. Rarity can't certainly be any lower. (1/3) Balance - Potential memory issues, as only Forests that entered while this was on the battlefield (not before it entered or after it left) will copy enchanted creature, and they will still be copies of that creature after this has left the battlefield. You essentially have to keep those Forests separated from your other lands to remember which ones they are. As for playability, having to control one of those few specific creature types to even cast this in the first place looks like a very big hoop to jump through. It looks like a very flavorful card but also very (too?) narrow. As a result, I think this would not see a lot of play in any format. In limited a critical mass of those creatures types in the set would be necessary, and I can't see that being the case outside of a tribal block. Treefolk were a tribe in Lorwyn after all. In competitive constructed, that enchant line looks way too restrictive. This card's best chances are in casual constructed.
Creativity (3/3) Uniqueness - I can't remember a card with that "enchant" line before. Essence of the Wild exists and I suspect it might have been the mechanical inspiration for this card, but it still works very differently. (2/3) Flavor - The name is very good and fits the mechanics very well. Too bad there is no flavor text. Here there is certainly room for it. Bonus points for the very flavorful enchant line.
Polish (2.5/3) Quality - In Magic templating, the Oxford comma is always used. This should read "...Plant, or Treefolk" (-0.5). (2/2) Main Challenge - Good. (1/2) Subchallenges - Optional copying creatures is certainly a beneficial effect and it's tied to Forests, so I'll let it pass for subchallenge 2 even though it's not a bonus granted to enchanted permanent. Subchallenge 1 is objectively not met as this card is green.
MCC - Winner (6): Oct 2014, Apr Nov 2017, Jan 2018, Apr Jun 2019 || Host (15): Dec 2014, Apr Jul Aug Dec 2015, Mar Jul Aug Oct 2016, Feb Jul 2017, Jun Nov 2018, Feb Jul 2019 (last one here) || Judge (34): every month from Nov 2014 to Nov 2016 except Oct 2015, every month from Feb to Jul 2017 except Apr 2017, then Oct 2017, May Jun Nov 2018, Feb Jul 2019 (last one here) CCL - Winner (3): Jul 2016 (tied with Flatline), May 2017, Jul 2019 (last one here) || Host (5): Feb 2015, Mar Apr May Jun 2016 DCC - Winner (1): Mar 2015 (tied with Piar) || Host (3): May Oct 2015, Jan 2016
• The two public custom sets I've been part a part of the design team for: "Brotherhood of Ormos" - Blog post with all info - set thread - design skeleton / card list || "Extinctia: Homo Evanuit" - Blog post with all info - set thread - card list spreadsheet
• "The Lion's Lair", my article series about MTG and custom card design in particular. Latest article here. Here is the article index.Rather outdated by now, and based on the old MCC rubric, but I'm leaving this here for anybody that might be interested anyway.
• My only public attempt at being a writer: the story of my Leonin custom planeswalker Jeff Lionheart. (I have a very big one that I'm working on right now but that's private for now, and I don't know if I will ever actually publish it, and I also have ideas for multiple future ones, including one where I'm going to reprise Jeff.)
Chestnut ParasitismBB
Enchantment - Aura (U)
Enchant creature
Green creatures get -1/-1.
Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 and has menace. If enchanted creature is a Treefolk, it gets +X/+X instead, where X is the number of green creatures on the battlefield. "So what if the forest is our home? It is awfully crowded."
Design - (1,5/3) Appeal: Timmy is slightly excited but not so much, Johnny tries to ind a way to abuse it (but unfortunately this card's best friend Painter's Servant is banned in Commander), Spike is not interested. (2/3) Elegance: A lot of Treefolks are green, so -1/-1 and +X/+X at the same time is anything but elegant. Also, requires math.
Development - (2,5/3) Viability: Green hate can be black and treefolks can be black/green, the only minor problem is massive effect on uncommon. Probably rare but not sure. (1,5/3) Balance: Situational like any other color-hate card. Underwhelming by its own. Can be nuts (oh, pun intended) in right condition but still not so much because any Aura is more than twice easier to remove than enchantment. Using this in the deck with green feels like a shooting your own leg.
Creativity - (3/3) Uniqueness: Definitely unique. (2/3) Flavor: Chestnut blight is a thing but I didn't get the connection between the disease and flavor text.
Total: 19,5/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
Wicked Willows3BG
Creature - Treefolk Horror (R)
Reach, deathtouch BG: Target swamp or forest you control becomes a 2/2 black and green Treefolk Horror creature with haste, reach and deathtouch until end of turn. It's still a land. Their roots pervade the land like wooden worms.
2/5
Design - (2/3) Appeal: Timmy likes the opportunity to make a lot of pesky creatures but dislikes the opportunity to lose lands. Spike and Johnny both can see the value. (2,5/3) Elegance: All clear but haste and reach at the same time is a bit confusing.
Development - (3/3) Viability: Green, black and rare - all right. (2,5/3) Balance: The power level is high but it requires two mana and an untapped land so it makes the cost like 3 mana virtually.
Creativity - (1/3) Uniqueness: Too similar to Fendeep Summoner to say it's unique. (3/3) Flavor: Flavor is okay.
Polish - (2/3) Quality: Swamp and Forest should be capitalized. (2/2) *Main Challenge: Yes. (1/2) Subchallenges: Your card is green.
Total: 19/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
Lively Coppice
Land - Forest (U) (T: Add G to your mana pool.)
Lively Coppice enters the battlefield tapped.
Forest land creatures you control get +1/+1. "Some parts of the land are more eager to uproot than others."
-Nissa Revane
Design - (1/3) Appeal: This card is Johnny fuel only. (3/3) Elegance: All clear. Development - (2,5/3) Viability: Well, the colorless land is correct but the effect is unique enough to be a rare as well. (2/3) Balance: Tapped Forest with a small green effect is okay but comborific only so I think this card is weaker than other forests with effects.
Creativity - (2,5/3) Uniqueness: There is a bunch of cards that can grant something to land creatures but not limited to Forest lands so the uniqueness level is high. (3/3) Flavor: Perfect.
Total: 21/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
Seedtiller Ash3BB
Creature - Treefolk (R)
Whenever Seedtiller Ash or another Treefolk you control dies, you may return another target creature card with less toughness from your graveyard to your hand. “From your bark, generations shall sprout.”
2/5
Design - (2/3) Appeal: Timmy likes to play more creatures though the creature type and toughness are restrictions he dislikes, Johnny is extatic and Spike a bit less extatic thanks to restrictions and building around. (2,5/3) Elegance: "Less toughness" is kinda confusing.
Development - (3/3) Viability: Black effect, appropriate rarity. (2,5/3) Balance: Surprisingly well balanced, Limited/Commander star, maybe Standard but not for Eternal formats for sure.
Creativity - (2/3) Uniqueness: Return a creature from your graveyard to your hand is a very well known effect, but the toughness restriction adds some uniqueness. (3/3) Flavor: Yes, yes, yes. An embodiment of Lorwyn/Shadowmoor flavor.
Polish - (2/3) Quality: "Less toughness" is not a thing, look at any card with "power less" or "toughness less" and see how it should be spicified. (2/2) *Main Challenge: Yes. (2/2) Subchallenges: Yes. Total: 21/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
Design -
(2.5/3) Appeal: Timmy loves how this puts out scads of tokens and damage and can burn your Forests away for the b i g m a n a. Johnny obviously loves combo fuel that has combo potential itself. Spike can see building around this but it has too many conditions/too much risk for him sometimes.
(2.5/3) Elegance: Relatively complex but it all ties together so it's not actually inelegant.
Development -
(3/3) Viability: Theoretically this wants to be a red-green card; however, the red-green color identity and the fact that both of the effects can be construed as red (granting the very red activated ability of saccing for mana to Forests and getting the red triggered ability of direct damage plus a small token for said sacrifices) make it good. Rare is also appropriate.
(3/3) Balance: Potentially crazy, but obviously needs heavy building around. The ideal play might be something like multiple Stomping Grounds into this and into Apocalypse Hydra.
Creativity -
(3/3) Uniqueness: Definitely a really unique card.
(2.5/3) Flavor: I love the name and the flavor text, as well as the extreme flavor of the effects (new growth after clear burns) but intriguing as Dalma Coalbark (fire Treefolk?) is, she's expressing what seems to be a somewhat nonred sentiment of looking towards the future even though it came through fire.
Polish -
(2.5/3) Quality: One missed "Forest" capitalization.
(2/2) *Main Challenge: Met.
(2/2) Subchallenges: Both met.
Total: 23/25
Design -
(0.5/3) Appeal: Doesn't do nearly enough for Timmy. Johnny... might...? want to get lands in the 'yard for free. Spike, like Timmy, sees this as much too costly for too little payoff.
(3/3) Elegance: Can't really knock you here.
Development -
(2.5/3) Viability: Rare is obvious, land is... land, but I'm not sure how well-supported additional costs for land plays are in the rules, otherwise you'd see Karoo and Scorched Ruins and Rupture Spire in the like using that templating.
(1.5/3) Balance: This card is fairly bad - the primary reason why you'd want to make your lands Forests would be to fix green mana, but you need to have a Forest in the first place in order to use this, so I'm not sure what situations you want to use this in - The Gitrog Monster EDH?
Creativity -
(0/3) Uniqueness: Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth, except one-sided and with a drawback.
(3/3) Flavor: Name's generic but gets the job done, flavor text is good.
Polish -
(2/3) Quality: Failure to capitalize the name of a subtype ("Forest") twice.
(2/2) *Main Challenge: Fulfilled.
(1/2) Subchallenges: Isn't green, but technically doesn't affect any Forests other than the one it makes you sacrifice, which is a drawback.
Total: 15.5/25
Design -
(2.5/3) Appeal: Timmy loves tribal and extra mana. Johnny loves niche tribal, triggers, and ramp. Spike sees the potential explosiveness here but thinks it might be too hard to build around.
(3/3) Elegance: Very elegant.
Development -
(3/3) Viability: Rare is very right (this would be inappropriate at mythic imo because it counts Plants, which don't feel mythic in and of themselves apart from Avenger of Zendikar, the ideal combo card). And land is... obvious.
(3/3) Balance: A worrisome effect that's held in check by a flavorful but rather small and ignorable tribe requirement.
Creativity -
(2/3) Uniqueness: A fairly fresh take on an effect that's been seen a lot before.
(3/3) Flavor: Great stuff.
Halloween near me is particularly a season for pranks. This month, that's gonna be the focus of the challenges: Practical jokes, beneficent and malicious.
The classic prank the night before Halloween in my area is to throw some sort of temporary material up into tree branches, as a form of joking decoration. Usually, this is toilet paper, but it can be streamers, silly string, or something even odder.
Main Challenge: Design a card that has "Forest," "Treefolk," and/or "Plant" in its text.
Subchallenge 1: Your card is not green.
Subchallenge 2: Your card has a positive effect on, or grants a bonus to, at least some of the Forests, Treefolk, or Plants it effects.
Please message me about any questions you might have about the challenges. Other than that, have fun, and good luck!
A card that gives a bonus to, for example, its controller's Treefolk while applying a negative effect to opponents' Forests passes the second subchallenge.
Design Deadline: All submissions are to be final and submitted by October 17th 11:59 PM EST
Judging Deadline: All Judgements are to be final and completed by October 21st 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.
Contestants:
Vertain
BrainPo
Marco
RickyRister
ManyCookies
DaAwesomeCheeto
Jimmy Groove
Subject16
Flatline
Controll
doomfish
IcariiFA
Judges:
void_nothing
bravelion83
Raptorchan
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I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
Artifact — Equipment (U)
When Watering Can enters the battlefield, create three 0/1 green Plant creature tokens.
Whenever equipped creature attacks, put a +1/+1 counter on each Plant you control.
Equip 2
"Only those that faithfully water their seeds during spring shall be rewarded come autumn."
Land - Forest (Rare)
(T: Add G to your mana pool.)
Encroaching Forest enters the battlefield tapped.
Whenever another Forest enters the battlefield under your control, you may pay 1G. If you do, search your library for a Forest card and put that card onto the battlefield tapped. Then shuffle your library.
Creature - Treefolk Horror (R)
Reach, deathtouch
BG: Target swamp or forest you control becomes a 2/2 black and green Treefolk Horror creature with haste, reach and deathtouch until end of turn. It's still a land.
Their roots pervade the land like wooden worms.
2/5
Enchantment (Rare)
Forests you control have "T, Sacrifice this permanent: Add two mana in any combination of R or G to your mana pool."
Whenever you sacrifice a forest, create a 1/1 green Plant creature token and Blazing Branches deals 1 damage to each opponent.
"We may have lost our home, but we have fostered a new generation."
- Dalma Coalbark
Legendary Land (R)
As an additional cost to play Crucible of Gaea, sacrifice a forest.
Lands you control are forests in addition to their other types.
The fruits of nature spans to the four corners of the world.
Land - Forest (U)
(T: Add G to your mana pool.)
Lively Coppice enters the battlefield tapped.
Forest land creatures you control get +1/+1.
"Some parts of the land are more eager to uproot than others."
-Nissa Revane
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
Instant (Uncommon)
Untap all Forests you control. Until the beginning of the next end step, Forests you control become white 3/4 Treefolk creatures with defender and lifelink. They are still lands.
"The Dryads sing that the trees are the forest's first line of defense."
Creature - Treefolk (R)
Whenever Seedtiller Ash or another Treefolk you control dies, you may return another target creature card with less toughness from your graveyard to your hand.
“From your bark, generations shall sprout.”
2/5
Enchantment - Aura (R)
Enchant Dryad, Fungus, Plant or Treefolk
You may have Forests you control enter the battlefield as a copy of enchanted creature. (If you do, they're no longer Forest lands.)
Legendary Land (R)
Whenever a plant enters the battlefield under your control, add G to your mana pool.
T: Add C to your mana pool.
From sea to sea, Karaluh boasts flowers that are so numerous the sky has no choice but to reflect their colors.
void_nothing:
Subject16
BrainPo
IcariiFa
bravelion83:
Flatline
Marco
DaAwesomeCheeto
ManyCookies
Raptorchan:
Conntroll
Vertain
doomfish
RickyRister
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
Watering Can 2
Artifact — Equipment (U)
When Watering Can enters the battlefield, create three 0/1 green Plant creature tokens.
Whenever equipped creature attacks, put a +1/+1 counter on each Plant you control.
Equip 2
"Only those that faithfully water their seeds during spring shall be rewarded come autumn."
Design
(2.5/3) Appeal - Timmy likes tokens, attacking and creature pumping, so he should like this. Johnny can do something with the tokens. Spike will like this if it proves efficient enough.
(3/3) Elegance - As short as it can be and very easy to understand.
Development
(2.5/3) Viability - I see nothing that colorless artifacts can't do. I'm still debating in my head whether this should be a rare or it's fine as an uncommon. It's three three tokens for two mana after all. Playtest would probably help sort that out.
(2.5/3) Balance - This can looks pretty well balanced to me at first glance. The three 0/1's for two mana are probably fine, as they can't deal combat damage without being buffed somehow. Then to be able to use the pump ability you have to equip it (paying the equip cost) at least once. I think this should be playable in limited. This doesn't strike me as a card that sees heavy play in constructed, but Avenger of Zendikar was a big thing in Standard in its day, so who knows? Triggering on attack is very different than landfall though, because you have to risk the creature. I see no problems in casual or multiplayer.
Creativity
(1.5/3) Uniqueness - Turn any creature into an Avenger of Zendikar. Technically new, but the inspiration is evident.
(1.5/3) Flavor - While the overall flavor works very well (you seed the plants and then water them and they grow over time), it doesn't look to me like something that I would see on a real Magic card. It might be better suited for a silver-bordered card.
Polish
(3/3) Quality - All good.
(2/2) Main Challenge - Good.
(2/2) Subchallenges - Both met.
Total: 20.5/25
Encroaching Forest
Land - Forest (Rare)
(T: Add G to your mana pool.)
Encroaching Forest enters the battlefield tapped.
Whenever another Forest enters the battlefield under your control, you may pay 1G. If you do, search your library for a Forest card and put that card onto the battlefield tapped. Then shuffle your library.
Design
(2/3) Appeal - Timmy likes ramp, but I have a hard time seeing him getting too excited over a land. Johnny can definitely use the effect in multiple ways. The cost will make or break the card for Spike.
(2.5/3) Elegance - Not the shortest text, but not too long either and still easy enough to understand.
Development
(3/3) Viability - No problems with the color pie or rarity.
(1.5/3) Balance - I think this is probably fine in Standard, but I'm a bit concerned about this card in bigger formats (read: Modern and beyond) because of how easy it is to trigger it with fetchlands and because of the fact that it both triggers out of and can find any Forest, not just a basic one, so all lands with basic land types count as well. That notably includes shocklands, the original dual lands from Alpha, and this card itself (also notice that it's not legendary so you can have multiple copies out). Another thing to notice is that Rampant Growth costs two mana. Comparing it to this, this can only find Forests but also non-basic ones. One downside, one upside, so I'll assume the two effects are comparable. If so, a repeatable version should cost more than the one-shot one. As for playability, I expect this to be very playable in most formats, both casual and probably competitive ones too. Ramp decks would love this for sure.
Creativity
(3/3) Uniqueness - I can't remember any existing card working in a similar way.
(2/3) Flavor - The name is fine. Using the word Forest is fine mostly because this card has the Forest land type itself. No flavor text, but it's not that big of a problem as it would fit on the card but just barely.
Polish
(3/3) Quality - All good.
(2/2) Main Challenge - Good.
(2/2) Subchallenges - Lands are colorless, so they're not green. I'm not sure about subchallenge 2, but it's a beneficial effect and it's tied to Forests, so I'll let it pass even though it's not a bonus gained by those Forests.
Total: 21/25
Hymn to Gaea 3W
Instant (Uncommon)
Untap all Forests you control. Until the beginning of the next end step, Forests you control become white 3/4 Treefolk creatures with defender and lifelink. They are still lands.
"The Dryads sing that the trees are the forest's first line of defense."
Design
(1.5/3) Appeal - Too many restrictions for Spike to care, especially in deckbuilding, which is also exactly why Johnny likes this a lot. He likes to use cards that other people dismiss. Timmy likes turning his lands into creatures that gain him life, but he would probably like a permanent effect more, one like Life and Limb.
(1.5/3) Elegance - I would have liked "until end of turn" much more than "until the beginning of the next end step". It's an instant anyway, so the functionality would remain almost unaltered with a big gain in clarity, especially for less experienced players. Also, it's very weird to see a monowhite card interacting with Forests and not with Plains. At least, the card it not too long and easy enough to understand.
Development
(1/3) Viability - There is the precedent of awaken awkwardly centered in white and blue because of the needs of the set it was in, but I don't really see this as a monowhite effect. Eveything except lifelink just screams green. I would have totally made this a green/white gold card. It is clear this is monowhite just to pass subchallenge 1. I'm not sure about rarity either, I honestly see this better suited for rare.
(2/3) Balance - Should be playable in limited, at least as a combat trick, but it requires you to be in two specific colors. I honestly can't see this in competitive constructed, maybe in casual. No problems in multiplayer.
Creativity
(3/3) Uniqueness - I can't remember a white card intereacting with Forests in a similar way before.
(1.5/3) Flavor - Outside of something like Planar Chaos, I can't really see a monowhite card tied to Gaea. I checked Gatherer just to be safe and all cards named after Gaea are green, and all monogreen except Gaea's Skyfolk which still has green as one of its colors. Yet one more point in favor of making this a green/white card. The flavor text is fine.
Polish
(3/3) Quality - All good.
(2/2) Main Challenge - Good.
(2/2) Subchallenges - Both met.
Total: 17.5/25
Parasitic Propagation G
Enchantment - Aura (R)
Enchant Dryad, Fungus, Plant or Treefolk
You may have Forests you control enter the battlefield as a copy of enchanted creature. (If you do, they're no longer Forest lands.)
Design
(1.5/3) Appeal - Timmy likes tribal mechanics. Johnny likes trying to exploit cards others dismiss, especially cards with such a particular effect. I don't think Spike is too interested.
(3/3) Elegance - It's hard to do better than this with such a particular effect. I'm not sure the reminder text is strictly necessary, but it's always better to err on the side of clarity, so I can't really blame you for including it.
Development
(3/3) Viability - Green is secondary in cloning, and even though it usually (but not always) does so with tokens, I don't feel this is outside of the color pie. Rarity can't certainly be any lower.
(1/3) Balance - Potential memory issues, as only Forests that entered while this was on the battlefield (not before it entered or after it left) will copy enchanted creature, and they will still be copies of that creature after this has left the battlefield. You essentially have to keep those Forests separated from your other lands to remember which ones they are. As for playability, having to control one of those few specific creature types to even cast this in the first place looks like a very big hoop to jump through. It looks like a very flavorful card but also very (too?) narrow. As a result, I think this would not see a lot of play in any format. In limited a critical mass of those creatures types in the set would be necessary, and I can't see that being the case outside of a tribal block. Treefolk were a tribe in Lorwyn after all. In competitive constructed, that enchant line looks way too restrictive. This card's best chances are in casual constructed.
Creativity
(3/3) Uniqueness - I can't remember a card with that "enchant" line before. Essence of the Wild exists and I suspect it might have been the mechanical inspiration for this card, but it still works very differently.
(2/3) Flavor - The name is very good and fits the mechanics very well. Too bad there is no flavor text. Here there is certainly room for it. Bonus points for the very flavorful enchant line.
Polish
(2.5/3) Quality - In Magic templating, the Oxford comma is always used. This should read "...Plant, or Treefolk" (-0.5).
(2/2) Main Challenge - Good.
(1/2) Subchallenges - Optional copying creatures is certainly a beneficial effect and it's tied to Forests, so I'll let it pass for subchallenge 2 even though it's not a bonus granted to enchanted permanent. Subchallenge 1 is objectively not met as this card is green.
Total: 19/25
Marco: 21
Flatline: 20.5
ManyCookies: 19
DaAwesomeCheeto: 17.5
MCC - Winner (6): Oct 2014, Apr Nov 2017, Jan 2018, Apr Jun 2019 || Host (15): Dec 2014, Apr Jul Aug Dec 2015, Mar Jul Aug Oct 2016, Feb Jul 2017, Jun Nov 2018, Feb Jul 2019 (last one here) || Judge (34): every month from Nov 2014 to Nov 2016 except Oct 2015, every month from Feb to Jul 2017 except Apr 2017, then Oct 2017, May Jun Nov 2018, Feb Jul 2019 (last one here)
CCL - Winner (3): Jul 2016 (tied with Flatline), May 2017, Jul 2019 (last one here) || Host (5): Feb 2015, Mar Apr May Jun 2016
DCC - Winner (1): Mar 2015 (tied with Piar) || Host (3): May Oct 2015, Jan 2016
• The two public custom sets I've been part a part of the design team for:
"Brotherhood of Ormos" - Blog post with all info - set thread - design skeleton / card list || "Extinctia: Homo Evanuit" - Blog post with all info - set thread - card list spreadsheet
• "The Lion's Lair", my article series about MTG and custom card design in particular. Latest article here. Here is the article index. Rather outdated by now, and based on the old MCC rubric, but I'm leaving this here for anybody that might be interested anyway.
• My only public attempt at being a writer: the story of my Leonin custom planeswalker Jeff Lionheart. (I have a very big one that I'm working on right now but that's private for now, and I don't know if I will ever actually publish it, and I also have ideas for multiple future ones, including one where I'm going to reprise Jeff.)
Enchantment - Aura (U)
Enchant creature
Green creatures get -1/-1.
Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 and has menace. If enchanted creature is a Treefolk, it gets +X/+X instead, where X is the number of green creatures on the battlefield.
"So what if the forest is our home? It is awfully crowded."
Design -
(1,5/3) Appeal: Timmy is slightly excited but not so much, Johnny tries to ind a way to abuse it (but unfortunately this card's best friend Painter's Servant is banned in Commander), Spike is not interested.
(2/3) Elegance: A lot of Treefolks are green, so -1/-1 and +X/+X at the same time is anything but elegant. Also, requires math.
Development -
(2,5/3) Viability: Green hate can be black and treefolks can be black/green, the only minor problem is massive effect on uncommon. Probably rare but not sure.
(1,5/3) Balance: Situational like any other color-hate card. Underwhelming by its own. Can be nuts (oh, pun intended) in right condition but still not so much because any Aura is more than twice easier to remove than enchantment. Using this in the deck with green feels like a shooting your own leg.
Creativity -
(3/3) Uniqueness: Definitely unique.
(2/3) Flavor: Chestnut blight is a thing but I didn't get the connection between the disease and flavor text.
Polish -
(3/3) Quality: No problems.
(2/2) *Main Challenge: Yes.
(2/2) Subchallenges: Yes.
Total: 19,5/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
Creature - Treefolk Horror (R)
Reach, deathtouch
BG: Target swamp or forest you control becomes a 2/2 black and green Treefolk Horror creature with haste, reach and deathtouch until end of turn. It's still a land.
Their roots pervade the land like wooden worms.
2/5
Design -
(2/3) Appeal: Timmy likes the opportunity to make a lot of pesky creatures but dislikes the opportunity to lose lands. Spike and Johnny both can see the value.
(2,5/3) Elegance: All clear but haste and reach at the same time is a bit confusing.
Development -
(3/3) Viability: Green, black and rare - all right.
(2,5/3) Balance: The power level is high but it requires two mana and an untapped land so it makes the cost like 3 mana virtually.
Creativity -
(1/3) Uniqueness: Too similar to Fendeep Summoner to say it's unique.
(3/3) Flavor: Flavor is okay.
Polish -
(2/3) Quality: Swamp and Forest should be capitalized.
(2/2) *Main Challenge: Yes.
(1/2) Subchallenges: Your card is green.
Total: 19/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
Land - Forest (U)
(T: Add G to your mana pool.)
Lively Coppice enters the battlefield tapped.
Forest land creatures you control get +1/+1.
"Some parts of the land are more eager to uproot than others."
-Nissa Revane
Design -
(1/3) Appeal: This card is Johnny fuel only.
(3/3) Elegance: All clear.
Development -
(2,5/3) Viability: Well, the colorless land is correct but the effect is unique enough to be a rare as well.
(2/3) Balance: Tapped Forest with a small green effect is okay but comborific only so I think this card is weaker than other forests with effects.
Creativity -
(2,5/3) Uniqueness: There is a bunch of cards that can grant something to land creatures but not limited to Forest lands so the uniqueness level is high.
(3/3) Flavor: Perfect.
Polish -
(3/3) Quality: All good.
(2/2) *Main Challenge: Yes.
(2/2) Subchallenges: Yes.
Total: 21/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
Creature - Treefolk (R)
Whenever Seedtiller Ash or another Treefolk you control dies, you may return another target creature card with less toughness from your graveyard to your hand.
“From your bark, generations shall sprout.”
2/5
Design -
(2/3) Appeal: Timmy likes to play more creatures though the creature type and toughness are restrictions he dislikes, Johnny is extatic and Spike a bit less extatic thanks to restrictions and building around.
(2,5/3) Elegance: "Less toughness" is kinda confusing.
Development -
(3/3) Viability: Black effect, appropriate rarity.
(2,5/3) Balance: Surprisingly well balanced, Limited/Commander star, maybe Standard but not for Eternal formats for sure.
Creativity -
(2/3) Uniqueness: Return a creature from your graveyard to your hand is a very well known effect, but the toughness restriction adds some uniqueness.
(3/3) Flavor: Yes, yes, yes. An embodiment of Lorwyn/Shadowmoor flavor.
Polish -
(2/3) Quality: "Less toughness" is not a thing, look at any card with "power less" or "toughness less" and see how it should be spicified.
(2/2) *Main Challenge: Yes.
(2/2) Subchallenges: Yes.
Total: 21/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
Conntroll 19,5
Vertain 19
doomfish 21
RickyRister 21
Design -
(2.5/3) Appeal: Timmy loves how this puts out scads of tokens and damage and can burn your Forests away for the b i g m a n a. Johnny obviously loves combo fuel that has combo potential itself. Spike can see building around this but it has too many conditions/too much risk for him sometimes.
(2.5/3) Elegance: Relatively complex but it all ties together so it's not actually inelegant.
Development -
(3/3) Viability: Theoretically this wants to be a red-green card; however, the red-green color identity and the fact that both of the effects can be construed as red (granting the very red activated ability of saccing for mana to Forests and getting the red triggered ability of direct damage plus a small token for said sacrifices) make it good. Rare is also appropriate.
(3/3) Balance: Potentially crazy, but obviously needs heavy building around. The ideal play might be something like multiple Stomping Grounds into this and into Apocalypse Hydra.
Creativity -
(3/3) Uniqueness: Definitely a really unique card.
(2.5/3) Flavor: I love the name and the flavor text, as well as the extreme flavor of the effects (new growth after clear burns) but intriguing as Dalma Coalbark (fire Treefolk?) is, she's expressing what seems to be a somewhat nonred sentiment of looking towards the future even though it came through fire.
Polish -
(2.5/3) Quality: One missed "Forest" capitalization.
(2/2) *Main Challenge: Met.
(2/2) Subchallenges: Both met.
Total: 23/25
Design -
(0.5/3) Appeal: Doesn't do nearly enough for Timmy. Johnny... might...? want to get lands in the 'yard for free. Spike, like Timmy, sees this as much too costly for too little payoff.
(3/3) Elegance: Can't really knock you here.
Development -
(2.5/3) Viability: Rare is obvious, land is... land, but I'm not sure how well-supported additional costs for land plays are in the rules, otherwise you'd see Karoo and Scorched Ruins and Rupture Spire in the like using that templating.
(1.5/3) Balance: This card is fairly bad - the primary reason why you'd want to make your lands Forests would be to fix green mana, but you need to have a Forest in the first place in order to use this, so I'm not sure what situations you want to use this in - The Gitrog Monster EDH?
Creativity -
(0/3) Uniqueness: Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth, except one-sided and with a drawback.
(3/3) Flavor: Name's generic but gets the job done, flavor text is good.
Polish -
(2/3) Quality: Failure to capitalize the name of a subtype ("Forest") twice.
(2/2) *Main Challenge: Fulfilled.
(1/2) Subchallenges: Isn't green, but technically doesn't affect any Forests other than the one it makes you sacrifice, which is a drawback.
Total: 15.5/25
Design -
(2.5/3) Appeal: Timmy loves tribal and extra mana. Johnny loves niche tribal, triggers, and ramp. Spike sees the potential explosiveness here but thinks it might be too hard to build around.
(3/3) Elegance: Very elegant.
Development -
(3/3) Viability: Rare is very right (this would be inappropriate at mythic imo because it counts Plants, which don't feel mythic in and of themselves apart from Avenger of Zendikar, the ideal combo card). And land is... obvious.
(3/3) Balance: A worrisome effect that's held in check by a flavorful but rather small and ignorable tribe requirement.
Creativity -
(2/3) Uniqueness: A fairly fresh take on an effect that's been seen a lot before.
(3/3) Flavor: Great stuff.
Polish -
(2.5/3) Quality: "Plant" not capitalized.
(2/2) *Main Challenge: Done.
(2/2) Subchallenges: Met.
Total: 23/25
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝