Welcome to Ravnica, city of guilds. Welcome home.
Who are you? Fervent Boros soldier? Peaceful Selesnya druid? Mysterious Dimir spy? Dogmatic Azorius lawmage? Insane Rakdos cultist? Methodical Simic biomancer? Hardworking Golgari rot farmer? Manipulative Orzhov priest? Reckless Gruul barbarian? Mad Izzet scientist?...
Whoever you are, Ravnica needs you. The city is a complex mechanism, and how well it works depends on you. You were lucky - your guildmaster noticed you and ordered you to come up with something fresh and creative for your guild's glory, so don't let him down!
Main Challenge: Claim your guild, design a new mechanic for it and make a card with this mechanic.
Subchallenge 1: The card is monocolored. Subchallenge 2: The card is a common or uncommon.
Main Challenge: Important! For the rest of the contest, all of your designs have to be associated with the guild you claimed for Round 1 (any number of players can claim the same guild). Your mechanic should be named just like otherguildmechanics from the first two Ravnica blocks and be something new. The card you design can be creature or noncreature card.
Subchallenge 1: Your card isn't colorless or multicolored and has exactly one of your guild's colors in its mana cost. However, multicolor identity (monocolored mana cost plus different mana symbols in the rules text) is acceptable. Subchallenge 2: To make your card a more or less simple example of your mechanic, please avoid high rarities.
Please feel free to ask additional questions if you have any in the MCC Discussion thread.
Design Deadline: All submissions are to be final and submitted by September 5th 11:59 PM EST
Judging Deadline: All judgements are to be final and completed by September 9th 11:59 PM EST
Design - (X/3) Appeal: Do the different player psychographics (Timmy/Johhny/Spike) have a use for the card? (X/3) Elegance: Is the card easily understandable at a glance? Do all the flavor and mechanics combined as a whole make sense?
Development - (X/3) Viability: How well does the card fit into the color wheel? Does it break or bend the rules of the game? Is it the appropriate rarity? (X/3) Balance: Does the card have a power level appropriate for contemporary constructed/limited environments without breaking them? Does it play well in casual and multiplayer formats? Does it create or fit into a deck/archetype? Does it create an oppressive environment?
Creativity - (X/3) Uniqueness: Has a card like this ever been printed before? Does it use new mechanics, ideas, or design space? Does it combine old ideas in a new way? Overall, does it feel “fresh”? (X/3) Flavor: Does the name seem realistic for a card? Does the flavor text sound professional? Do all the flavor elements synch together to please Vorthos players?
Polish - (X/3) Quality: Points deducted for incorrect spelling, grammar, and templating. (X/2) *Main Challenge: Was the main challenge satisfied? Was it approached in a unique or interesting way? Does the card fit the intent of the challenge? (X/2) Subchallenges: One point awarded per satisfied subchallenge condition.
Total: X/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
A reminder to everyone: In the MCC, putting rarity on cards is mandatory! If you don't put a rarity on your card, expect huge deductions in both Viability AND Quality.
Also, you should format your text cards accordingly to the forum rules (see the "this formatting looks best" spoiler in the linked OP). Again, expect deductions in Quality otherwise.
Archive Plunder5U
Sorcery (U)
Mission 2U - When the assigned creature deals combat damage to a player. (You may exile this card face down assigned to a creature you control as a sorcery. You may turn it face up and cast it for its mission cost when the trigger is met.)
Target player draws three cards.
Ability word: Congregate -- If you control more creatures than each opponent, {effect}.
Silverpaw Skyriders5GW
Creature - Elf Knight {U} Congregate - Silverpaw Skyriders costs 3 less to cast if you control more creatures than each opponent.
Flying, vigilance, trample
Mercurial Creation1R
Sorcery (U)
Experiment 5 (When you cast this, roll a six-sided die. If you roll a 5 or greater, the experiment is successful.)
Create a 3/1 red Weird creature token with haste. Sacrifice that token at the beginning of the next end step unless the experiment was successful. "Hmmm. Perhaps it could use more lightning?"
(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)
Beguiling Operative2U
Creature - Human Rogue (U)
Whenever Beguiling Operative becomes blocked, you may have it go undercover. (This and all cards attached to it are treated as though they don’t exist until the beginning of your next turn.) 2: Draw a card, then discard a card. Activate this ability only if Beguiling Operative is undercover.
2/2
Flames of WarR
Instant [U]
Flames of War deals 2 damage to any target. Warlike — Flames of War deals 3 damage to that permanent or player instead if a creature you control dealt combat damage this turn. Nothing stokes the Boros’ flames like a battle.
Making a new mechanic for the first round? That's one of the hardest tasks you can set out to solve. I'm in. If I find something. Found something!
Izzet
Catalyst Weird2R
Creature - Weird (C)
When Catalyst Weird enters the battlefield, spelltest. (The next time you cast an instant or sorcery spell this turn, put it into your hand as it resolves.)
Sacrifice Catalyst Weird: Add UR.
1/3
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
Mechanic: Revelry - {Effect} if you lost life this turn.
Rabid Ragemutt4R
Creature - Elemental Hound (Common)
Menace Revelry - At the beginning of your end step, if you lost life this turn, Rabid Ragemutt deals 2 damage to each opponent. "What's not to like? Everyone likes dogs!"
-Juri, proprieter of the Juri Revue
4/3
Ghor-Clan Channeler1G
Creature - Human Shaman (U)
Primal 1 (You may have this creature enter the battlefield with a +1/+1 counters on it. If you do, it loses all other abilities.) T: Add G. Gruul shamans know when it's time to stop chanting and start smashing.
2/2
Plot is a keyword mechanic. To plot, exile the top card of your library face-down. Most plot cards will have abilities that will happen based of those hidden cards!
Duskmantle BloodseerB
Creature - Human Wizard (Uncommon)
Whenever Duskmantle Bloodseer enters the battlefield, plot (To plot, exile the top card of your library face-down. You may look at it any time.)
Turn a face-down card you own in exile face-up: Put that card in your hand. You lose life equel to its mana cost.
1/1
Wojek Recruiter2R
Creature — Human Soldier (C)
When Wojek Recruiter enters the battlefield, if you cast it from your hand, recruit 2. (Look at the top two cards of your library. You may put a creature card from among them onto the battlefield if it costs less than this permanent. That creature gains haste. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.) “To join our special unit, you must be as fast and deadly as lightning.”
2/2
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.)
Omen of the Revel2BB
Creature - Horror (U)
Unbound (When the last card in your hand is played or discarded, and this creature isn't unbound, put a +1/+1 counter on it and it becomes unbound.)
When Omen of the Revel enters the battlefield, discard a card.
When Omen of the Revel becomes unbound, return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand. 4/3
Customs Stop
Instant (U)
Exile target spell unless it’s controller pays X.
Exile Customs Stop from your hand: Appropriate (You may cast an exiled card your opponent owns with equal or lesser converted mana cost to this card without paying it's mana cost.) Lightning-charged fire slugs! These are strictly fobidden by the 17th amendment to the Izzet-Rakdos-Simic weapons cross-contamination accord. They will be added to the Magical Deterrent Armory for emergency deployment.
Vitu-Ghazi HealersWG
Creature - Dryad (U)
Unity (When you cast a creature spell, you may tap this creature, if you do that creature enters the battlefield with a +1/+1 counters on it.)
Whenever a creature enters the battlefield you gain life equal to the thougness of that creature.
1/3
Boros Opportunist3R
Creature - Human Soldier (Common)
Haste
Ambition 2 (At the beginning of combat on your turn, you may reveal the top two cards of your library. For each creature card revealed this way, this creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn. Put those cards on the bottom of your library in any order.)
2/2
I've used this before, but it's the perfect time to bring it back. And Dimir is where it goes.
Demand Departure1U
Instant (U)
Plot 3, then reveal a plotted card. Return target non-land permanent to it's owner's hand if it's converted mana cost is less than or equal to the revealed card. (To plot 3, exile the top three cards of your library face down. You may look at them at any time.)
well, i'll claim Golgari since nobody else is doing it
Entomancer2B
Creature - Human Wizard (C)
When Entomancer enters the battlefield, spawn 2. (Exile up to two target creature cards from among graveyards. Create a 1/1 black and green Insect creature token for each card exiled this way.)
2/1
Scab-Clan Cultivator1RG
Creature - Human Shaman (U)
As an additional cost to cast Scab-Clan Cultivator, smash. (Sacrifice a mountain, forest, or creature.)
When Scab-Clan Cultivator enters the battlefield, if you sacrificed a mountain or forest this turn, search your library for a mountain and a forest and put them onto the battlefield tapped. If you sacrificed a creature this turn, search your library for a creature card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library. "The Scab-Clan tend to mark their borders with rocks and timber, but you'll do."
2/1
September MCC 2018 Round 1 - Homecoming
Welcome to Ravnica, city of guilds. Welcome home.
Who are you? Fervent Boros soldier? Peaceful Selesnya druid? Mysterious Dimir spy? Dogmatic Azorius lawmage? Insane Rakdos cultist? Methodical Simic biomancer? Hardworking Golgari rot farmer? Manipulative Orzhov priest? Reckless Gruul barbarian? Mad Izzet scientist?...
Whoever you are, Ravnica needs you. The city is a complex mechanism, and how well it works depends on you. You were lucky - your guildmaster noticed you and ordered you to come up with something fresh and creative for your guild's glory, so don't let him down!
Main Challenge: Claim your guild, design a new mechanic for it and make a card with this mechanic.
Subchallenge 1: The card is monocolored.
Subchallenge 2: The card is a common or uncommon.
Subchallenge 1: Your card isn't colorless or multicolored and has exactly one of your guild's colors in its mana cost. However, multicolor identity (monocolored mana cost plus different mana symbols in the rules text) is acceptable.
Subchallenge 2: To make your card a more or less simple example of your mechanic, please avoid high rarities.
Please feel free to ask additional questions if you have any in the MCC Discussion thread.
Design Deadline: All submissions are to be final and submitted by September 5th 11:59 PM EST
Judging Deadline: All judgements are to be final and completed by September 9th 11:59 PM EST
(X/3) Appeal: Do the different player psychographics (Timmy/Johhny/Spike) have a use for the card?
(X/3) Elegance: Is the card easily understandable at a glance? Do all the flavor and mechanics combined as a whole make sense?
Development -
(X/3) Viability: How well does the card fit into the color wheel? Does it break or bend the rules of the game? Is it the appropriate rarity?
(X/3) Balance: Does the card have a power level appropriate for contemporary constructed/limited environments without breaking them? Does it play well in casual and multiplayer formats? Does it create or fit into a deck/archetype? Does it create an oppressive environment?
Creativity -
(X/3) Uniqueness: Has a card like this ever been printed before? Does it use new mechanics, ideas, or design space? Does it combine old ideas in a new way? Overall, does it feel “fresh”?
(X/3) Flavor: Does the name seem realistic for a card? Does the flavor text sound professional? Do all the flavor elements synch together to please Vorthos players?
Polish -
(X/3) Quality: Points deducted for incorrect spelling, grammar, and templating.
(X/2) *Main Challenge: Was the main challenge satisfied? Was it approached in a unique or interesting way? Does the card fit the intent of the challenge?
(X/2) Subchallenges: One point awarded per satisfied subchallenge condition.
Total: X/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
Judges:
Raptorchan
void_nothing
Antiantiserum
Contestants:
This round is open for everyone!
Brackets:
void_nothing
Gerrard's Mom
Cardz5000
Subject16
bravelion83
picnic_bomber
Rudyard
StonerOfKruphix
Raptorchan
RaikouRider
The_Hittite
Koopa
Forestguy
mirrodin71
Marco
Psyop
Clockwork Gamer
Antiantiserum
Flatline
doomfish
netn10
egoblinsw
Jimmy Groove
BlackWaltz3
TotallyHaywire
A helpful tip for those formatting their cards:
Archive Plunder 5U
Sorcery (U)
Mission 2U - When the assigned creature deals combat damage to a player. (You may exile this card face down assigned to a creature you control as a sorcery. You may turn it face up and cast it for its mission cost when the trigger is met.)
Target player draws three cards.
Ability word: Congregate -- If you control more creatures than each opponent, {effect}.
Silverpaw Skyriders 5GW
Creature - Elf Knight {U}
Congregate - Silverpaw Skyriders costs 3 less to cast if you control more creatures than each opponent.
Flying, vigilance, trample
4/4
Emille, Seven-Sting Dancer Shalin Nariya
Sorcery (U)
Experiment 5 (When you cast this, roll a six-sided die. If you roll a 5 or greater, the experiment is successful.)
Create a 3/1 red Weird creature token with haste. Sacrifice that token at the beginning of the next end step unless the experiment was successful.
"Hmmm. Perhaps it could use more lightning?"
-------------------------------------
Dimir
Beguiling Operative 2U
Creature - Human Rogue (U)
Whenever Beguiling Operative becomes blocked, you may have it go undercover. (This and all cards attached to it are treated as though they don’t exist until the beginning of your next turn.)
2: Draw a card, then discard a card. Activate this ability only if Beguiling Operative is undercover.
2/2
Flames of War R
Instant [U]
Flames of War deals 2 damage to any target.
Warlike — Flames of War deals 3 damage to that permanent or player instead if a creature you control dealt combat damage this turn.
Nothing stokes the Boros’ flames like a battle.
If I find something.Found something!Izzet
Catalyst Weird 2R
Creature - Weird (C)
When Catalyst Weird enters the battlefield, spelltest. (The next time you cast an instant or sorcery spell this turn, put it into your hand as it resolves.)
Sacrifice Catalyst Weird: Add UR.
1/3
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
Mechanic: Revelry - {Effect} if you lost life this turn.
Rabid Ragemutt 4R
Creature - Elemental Hound (Common)
Menace
Revelry - At the beginning of your end step, if you lost life this turn, Rabid Ragemutt deals 2 damage to each opponent.
"What's not to like? Everyone likes dogs!"
-Juri, proprieter of the Juri Revue
4/3
Ghor-Clan Channeler 1G
Creature - Human Shaman (U)
Primal 1 (You may have this creature enter the battlefield with a +1/+1 counters on it. If you do, it loses all other abilities.)
T: Add G.
Gruul shamans know when it's time to stop chanting and start smashing.
2/2
BGStandard Green AggroGB
UWRGModern Saheeli CobraGRWU
UBRGLegacy StormGRBU
Wizards Certified Rules Advisor
Plot is a keyword mechanic. To plot, exile the top card of your library face-down. Most plot cards will have abilities that will happen based of those hidden cards!
Duskmantle Bloodseer B
Creature - Human Wizard (Uncommon)
Whenever Duskmantle Bloodseer enters the battlefield, plot (To plot, exile the top card of your library face-down. You may look at it any time.)
Turn a face-down card you own in exile face-up: Put that card in your hand. You lose life equel to its mana cost.
1/1
Wojek Recruiter 2R
Creature — Human Soldier (C)
When Wojek Recruiter enters the battlefield, if you cast it from your hand, recruit 2. (Look at the top two cards of your library. You may put a creature card from among them onto the battlefield if it costs less than this permanent. That creature gains haste. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.)
“To join our special unit, you must be as fast and deadly as lightning.”
2/2
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.)
Omen of the Revel 2BB
Creature - Horror (U)
Unbound (When the last card in your hand is played or discarded, and this creature isn't unbound, put a +1/+1 counter on it and it becomes unbound.)
When Omen of the Revel enters the battlefield, discard a card.
When Omen of the Revel becomes unbound, return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand.
4/3
Customs Stop
Instant (U)
Exile target spell unless it’s controller pays X.
Exile Customs Stop from your hand: Appropriate (You may cast an exiled card your opponent owns with equal or lesser converted mana cost to this card without paying it's mana cost.)
Lightning-charged fire slugs! These are strictly fobidden by the 17th amendment to the Izzet-Rakdos-Simic weapons cross-contamination accord. They will be added to the Magical Deterrent Armory for emergency deployment.
Vitu-Ghazi Healers WG
Creature - Dryad (U)
Unity (When you cast a creature spell, you may tap this creature, if you do that creature enters the battlefield with a +1/+1 counters on it.)
Whenever a creature enters the battlefield you gain life equal to the thougness of that creature.
1/3
Creature - Human Soldier (Common)
Haste
Ambition 2 (At the beginning of combat on your turn, you may reveal the top two cards of your library. For each creature card revealed this way, this creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn. Put those cards on the bottom of your library in any order.)
2/2
Demand Departure 1U
Instant (U)
Plot 3, then reveal a plotted card. Return target non-land permanent to it's owner's hand if it's converted mana cost is less than or equal to the revealed card. (To plot 3, exile the top three cards of your library face down. You may look at them at any time.)
Entomancer 2B
Creature - Human Wizard (C)
When Entomancer enters the battlefield, spawn 2. (Exile up to two target creature cards from among graveyards. Create a 1/1 black and green Insect creature token for each card exiled this way.)
2/1
Scab-Clan Cultivator 1RG
Creature - Human Shaman (U)
As an additional cost to cast Scab-Clan Cultivator, smash. (Sacrifice a mountain, forest, or creature.)
When Scab-Clan Cultivator enters the battlefield, if you sacrificed a mountain or forest this turn, search your library for a mountain and a forest and put them onto the battlefield tapped. If you sacrificed a creature this turn, search your library for a creature card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library.
"The Scab-Clan tend to mark their borders with rocks and timber, but you'll do."
2/1