Faro, Conclave Guardian3GW
Legendary Creature - Elemental Beast (r)
Vigilance, lifelink
Whenever Faro, Conclave Guardian becomes untapped, you may have it fight target creature an opponent controls. Our peace is guarded by the wildest beasts.
6/6
Boros Battleguide2RW
Creature — Human Soldier (U)
First strike
Mentor (Whenever this creature attacks, put a +1/+1 counter on target attacking creature with lesser power.)
As long as Boros Battleguide is attacking, each other attacking creature you control with a +1/+1 counter on it has first strike.
4/1
Design (2/3) Appeal - Timmy likes a high-power creature that can make his other creatures bigger and give them an ability that makes easier for them to survive combat. I don't see much for Johnny, but maybe he can do something with the counters. Spike likes this but in her eyes this card has the same problem of most real mentor cards: too low toughness. (3/3) Elegance - I see no problems here.
Development (3/3) Viability - No problems with the color pie: it could even be a perfect hybrid card, but it's also perfectly fine as a gold card. I agree uncommon is the proper rarity for this card. (2.5/3) Balance - This looks on line with the real mentor cards from GRN, and that's a good thing. I'd play this almost always in my limited Boros deck. Not sure about constructed, but giving all your attackers first strike is probably worth of at least some consideration for Standard purposes. I see no problems in casual or multiplayer.
Creativity (1.5/3) Uniqueness - The most original thing on this card is the last ability, but it immediately reminded me of the Abzan cards from Khans of Tarkir that gave bonuses to creatures with +1/+1 counters on them. The high synergy between the abilities helps giving this card an identity more of its own though. (2/3) Flavor - The name is good and makes sense for its guild. I would have liked to see some flavor text though, there is probably room for a couple lines here.
Polish (3/3) Quality - All good. (2/2) Main Challenge - Gold card. Good. (2/2) Subchallenges - Not mythic. CMC 3 or greater. Both met.
Total: 21/25
Waker of Reflections3(G/W)
Creature - Elemental (R)
When Waker of Reflections enters the battlefield, create a 1/1 green and white Elemental creature token with "If an effect would create one or more tokens under your control, it creates twice that many of those tokens instead."
1/1
Design (2.5/3) Appeal - Timmy is a bit disappointed at power and toughness but he just loves the doubling tokens ability. Johnny can also use that to his advantage. Spike's dream is flickering this and create multiple doubling tokens effects for exponential gain. (2/3) Elegance - Giving the doubling tokens ability to a token rather than to this creature itself might make this a bit harder to understand at first glance than necessary.
Development (3/3) Viability - Doubling tokens has been in both green and white, so no problems with the color pie. That effect has traditionally been rare, and this card could even create more than one token with that ability by blinking it (not that difficult). This doesn't feel mythic to me, so I agree that regular rare is the right rarity for this card. (2/3) Balance - I've already mentioned how powerful this looks with flickering effects, so it's probably for the best that the mana cost is a bit on the high side. I'd play this card in limited if I have enough token making cards to take advantage of it. In constructed, it's probably better to have this effect on a hard-to-kill enchantment than on a fragile creature token. For this reason, I don't think this is as powerful as Doubling Season, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I see no problems in casual or multiplayer.
Creativity (2.5/3) Uniqueness - Despite it having being on multiple cards by now, putting the "doubling tokens" effect on a token itself is something new and feels quite original. (1/3) Flavor - The name is just too similar to Wake the Reflections. The similarity might be intentional as doubling tokens is close to populate as an effect, but I would have liked this name more on an actual populate card, which unfortunately you couldn't do because of the "comes from Guilds of Ravnica" requirement of the main challenge. I honestly would just have looked for a different name. Also, I would have liked to see some flavor text on this card, there is certainly room for it here.
Polish (3/3) Quality - All good. (2/2) Main Challenge - Hybrid card. Good. (2/2) Subchallenges - Not mythic. CMC 3 or greater. Both met.
Total: 20/25
Sparks of Ingenuity3RU
Sorcery (R)
Choose an instant or sorcery card with converted mana cost 1 in your graveyard, then do the same for instant or sorcery cards with converted mana costs 2 and 3. Cast those spells without paying their mana costs.
Design (2/3) Appeal - This is a pure Johnny card, and he loves it. Timmy probably doesn't care that much. Spike likes the card advantage. (3/3) Elegance - Easy to understand and the 1-2-3 sequence is very nice on an aesthetic level.
Development (3/3) Viability - No problems with the color pie and rarity feels righ to me. (2.5/3) Balance - You're essentially paying five mana in two colors to cast six mana worth of spells. Seen in this way, it's probably fair enough. I don't think I would play this card in limited, where you want your noncreature spells to directly interact with creatures, but it might have some constructed implications, if not in competitive formats certainly in casual. No problems in multiplayer.
Creativity (0.5/3) Uniqueness - This really feels too close to Firemind's Foresight, even though a couple details are different (cast vs. tutor and library vs. graveyard). The only reason this isn't a whole zero is because this particular card has never been printed technically. (2/3) Flavor - The name is good and makes sense with both its guild and the card's mechanics. I would have liked to see some flavor text though, there is certainly room for a couple lines here.
Polish (2.5/3) Quality - Wrong order of mana symbols in the mana cost. Blue should come before red (-0.5). All the rest is good. (2/2) Main Challenge - Gold card. Good. (2/2) Subchallenges - Not mythic. CMC 3 or greater. Both met.
Total: 19.5/25
Ledev AssemblyGGW
Enchantment {R}
The first spell you cast each turn has convoke. (Your creatures can help cast that spell. Each creature you tap while casting that spell pays for 1 or one mana of that creature's color.)
Whenever you cast a spell, if no mana was spent to cast it, draw a card.
Design (3/3) Appeal - Timmy just likes convoke in any use of it. Johnny can probably do something with the last ability. Spike likes both convoke and drawing cards. (3/3) Elegance - Short, effective, and very easy to understand. What more could I ask for here?
Development (2/3) Viability - No problems with the first ability or with rarity. The second ability feels more Izzet than Selesnya to me, even if I see why you put it in Selesnya (synergy with convoke). I agree that this card is way more green than white, which you acknowledged by giving this card an asymmetric mana cost. I just think you could have gone even further and just make this a monogreen card. (3/3) Balance - The intervening if clause essentially requires the spells to be cast only using convoke, and that's a quite big restriction, so I don't think this card is broken. The mana cost also looks definitely restrictive enough. If you have a lot of cheap creatures in your deck, you'd probably play this card in limited. I can easily see constructed implications at Standard level. I think this card would be very well liked in casual. I see no problems in multiplayer.
Creativity (2.5/3) Uniqueness - Giving convoke to your spell is technically new but a somewhat obvious place to go when you're trying to do an original design that's supposed to come from Guilds of Ravnica. The second ability does feel original though. (2.5/3) Flavor - The name is good and makes a lot of sense with the card's mechanics. I also really like the mention of the Ledev in the card name. I would have liked to see some flavor text though, there is certainly room for a couple lines here.
Polish (3/3) Quality - All good. (2/2) Main Challenge - Gold card and interacts with the guild mechanic. Good. (2/2) Subchallenges - Not mythic. CMC 3 or greater. Both met.
Total: 23/25
Ollie, Izzet Theorist1UR
Legendary Creature - Human Wizard (R)
Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, you may have target player put the top two cards of their library into their graveyard. 1UR: Target instant or sorcery card in your graveyard gains jump-start until end of turn.
1/3
Design (2.5/3) Appeal - Out of the three psychographics, Timmy is the one that likes mill as a strategy the most. He would probably like it more on a bigger creature, obviously adjusting the mana cost accordingly. Johnny and Spike are both interested in the activated ability for different reasons: Johnny for combo potential and Spike for card advantage. (3/3) Elegance - Clear enough, not too long, and nice synergy between the abilities: give jump-start to cards in your graveyard so that you can cast them, and trigger the mill ability, multiple times.
Development (2.5/3) Viability - This card feels much more blue than red to me, if it weren't for the red in the activation cost I'd say this card should be monoblue. Rarity feels right to me. (2.5/3) Balance - I think the mana costs are fair enough, especially considering that with jump-start you also still have to pay the cost of the card you're jump-starting. I would certainly play this in a spell-focused Izzet limited deck. While I think the mill ability has no relevance in constructed, the jump-start-granting ability might very well have some (can you see why I hate the name "jump-start" for that ability?). I see no problems in casual or multiplayer.
Creativity (2/3) Uniqueness - The first ability is nothing new. The second one is technically new, but giving jump-start to cards in your graveyard is a somewhat obvious place to go when you're trying to do an original design that's supposed to come from Guilds of Ravnica. (2/3) Flavor - The name is very good and makes perfect sense for the Izzet guild. I would have liked to see some flavor text though, there is certainly room for a couple lines here.
Polish (2.5/3) Quality - Jump-start is a non-evergreen mechanic and there is room for reminder text, so this card should definitely have it (-0.5). All the rest is good. (2/2) Main Challenge - Gold card and interacts with the guild mechanic. Good. (2/2) Subchallenges - Not mythic. CMC 3 or greater. Both met.
Total: 21/25
Eyes of the Undercity1BG
Enchantment (U)
Whenever a nontoken creature dies, you may put the top card of your library into your graveyard. If it's a creature card, create a 1/1 black and green Insect creature token. (B/G), Sacrifice an Insect: Draw a card. Izoni always knows who is entering the Undercity and why.
Design (3/3) Appeal - Timmy likes this as a kind of insurance from his own creatures dying. Johnny can definitely exploit both abilities. Spike is quite interested in the fact that the first ability triggers from opposing creatures dying too for use with removal spells, and she also likes the card advantage the activated ability can give her. (2.5/3) Elegance - Some less experienced players might not realize this triggers from your opponents' creatures dying too. Except that, the text is not too long and very clear.
Development (2.5/3) Viability - The first ability is self-mill and token creation, both things that can be green. Sacrificing creatures to draw cards is primary black but could also be green as card draw tied to creatures. Death triggers also tend to be black. No problems with the color pie. Between this triggering from your opponent's creatures dying too and the potential for card advantage, I'd honestly see this better as a rare. It still doesn't break anything at uncommon though. (3/3) Balance - I'm not sure whether I like this triggering off of removal spells, but I don't think it makes this card broken. I would almost certainly play this card in my limited Golgari deck. It's not a creature but the value looks definitely worth it. I can see this getting some Standard play, it might fit quite nicely in the real Golgari midrange decks we're seeing in Standard right now. I see no problems in casual. In multiplayer this gets even better as there are more creatures for you to kill, more Insects for you to get, and more cards for you to potentially draw.
Creativity (1.5/3) Uniqueness - None of the effects are technically new, but the very synergistic way they've been put together on this card helps giving it its own identity. (3/3) Flavor - No problems with the card name. Even though the flavor text is maybe a bit too bland, I want to prize the fact that yours is the only card in my bracket that has some flavor text in the first place.
Polish (3/3) Quality - All good. (2/2) Main Challenge - Gold card. Good. (2/2) Subchallenges - Not mythic. CMC 3 or greater. Both met.
Total: 22.5/25
Fire in the Hole2(R/W)
Instant (U)
If W was spent to cast ~, creatures you control gain indestructible until end of turn. If R was spent to cast ~, it deals 2 damage to each creature. (Do both if WR was spent.)
Design (2/3) Appeal - Timmy likes to be able to save his creatures from removal. I don't see much for Johnny here. Spike likes this as a Pyroclasm variant that can become one-sided thanks to the synergy between the two abilites. (3/3) Elegance - Very easy to understand, not too long, and the high synergy between the abilites is very nice.
Development (3/3) Viability - Thw white effect requires white mana and the red effect requires red mana, so no problems with the color pie. Shadowmoor tells us uncommon is the right rarity for this kind of card. (2/3) Balance - This card is definitely safe from a power level point of view. I could see myself playing this in limited, where any removal you can get is good, but honestly not in constructed. Maybe as a sideboard card. Gets better in multiplayer as a removal spell that can potentially kill all creatures but yours.
Creativity (0.5/3) Uniqueness - This exact idea has already been used on a whole cycle of ten cards in the Shadowmoor mini-block, and those cards are among the more memorable in that block. The two abilities are also things we see almost every set. The only reason this isn't a whole zero is because this particular card has never been printed technically, but it really looks like the opposite of uniqueness to me. (2/3) Flavor - The name is very good and quite original. I would have liked to see some flavor text though, there is plenty of room for it here.
Polish (2/3) Quality - You shouldn't use the tilde as a replacement for the card's name in the MCC (-0.5 twice). All the rest is good. (2/2) Main Challenge - Hybrid card. Good. (2/2) Subchallenges - Not mythic. CMC 3 or greater. Both met.
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.)
Aether Vortex 1UR
Instant (U)
Counter target spell. If a spell is countered this way, its owner shuffles it into his or her library.
If this card was jump-started, if a spell is countered this way, exile it instead.
Jump-start (You may cast this card from your graveyard by discarding a card in addition to paying its other costs. Then exile this card.)
Design -
(1,5/3) Appeal: Two counterspells in one card are interesting only for Spike.
(2/3) Elegance: Shuffle and exile are not that different from themselves, I don't think the wordiness is worth it for the difference.
Development -
(1,5/3) Viability: There's basically nothing red about this card.
(1/3) Balance: Double, quite efficient, counterspell in uncommon? Of course not. Play patterns are even worse when it's in graveyard, no matter how it got there.
Creativity -
(2/3) Uniqueness: Dissipate with Jump-start, nothing special. As I said, shuffling and exile are basically the same.
(2,5/3) Flavor: This name would make sense with Agyrem on Ravnica, but Izzet has nothing to do with the ghost plane. It is generic for MTG, though.
Polish -
(1,5/3) Quality: If THAT spell is countered. If this SPELL was jump-started. "Instead of into that player's graveyard" in both clauses.
(2/2) Main Challenge: OK
(2/2) Subchallenges: OK
Total: 16/25
Herald of the Legion RWW
Creature - Angel {R}
Flying
Mentor (Whenever this creature attacks, put a +1/+1 counter on target attacking creature with lesser power.)
When Herald of the Legion enters the battlefield, it deals X damage to any target and you gain X life, where X is the number of +1/+1 counters on all creatures you control.
Together we stand, together they fall.
3/2
Design -
(2,5/3) Appeal: Spike is happy with 3/2 flyer with upside. Timmy is happy that he will deal 10 damage and gain 10 life. Johnny could try this as well, but unlikely.
(2,5/3) Elegance: Card looks like straight from Play Design session that added some text and meddled in P/T for Standard/Limited reasons. Compare it with new Aurelia. It is not aggravating, though.
Development -
(3/3) Viability: No problems here. Maybe too close to Mythic, but the line is blurry.
(2,5/3) Balance: It is pushed frenchvanillawise. I feel that some cards with a lot of counters, like hydras, may break this one. In Limited quite hard cost should temper it powerwise.
Creativity -
(3/3) Uniqueness: Counting counters on all creatures is new, as far as I know.
(2,5/3) Flavor: Totally correct, yet not spectacular, Boros angel.
Polish -
(2,5/3) Quality: Flavor text should be in quotes. Something's off in the last ability, I think Ghalta's wording would sound better, but I can't find anything to compare, and I think this works.
(2/2) Main Challenge: OK
(1,5/2) Subchallenges: A little too Mythic for my taste.
Total: 22/25
Paradise XGG // Praise XWW
Sorcery (R) // Sorcery (R)
Convoke (Your creatures can help cast this spell. Each creature you tap while casting this spell pays for 1 or one mana of that creature’s color.)
Search your library for a green card whit converted mana cost X or less. Reveal that card and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library.
//
Convoke (Your creatures can help cast this spell. Each creature you tap while casting this spell pays for 1 or one mana of that creature’s color.)
Search your library for a white card whit converted mana cost X or less. Reveal that card and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library.
Design -
(1,5/3) Appeal: Not terribly efficient tutor on both sides is tolerable yet unexciting for all psychographics.
(2/3) Elegance: Well, the symmetry is elegant, but the card becomes redundant.
Development -
(0/3) Viability: Neither white nor green can tutor for any card in their colors. This is a blatant break.
(1,5/3) Balance: As a break, you never know what it can do, especially in older formats. It doesn't look very scary as is, but who knows.
Creativity -
(1/3) Uniqueness: an illegitimate son of DT and Chord of Calling. Technically new, but for a reason.
(2,5/3) Flavor: Both sides could individually work as tutor names, but with such symmetry in text, I'd expect the symmetry in names and their meaning as well.
Polish -
(2/3) Quality: whit
(1,5/2) Main Challenge: In clarifications, it is said that the card should be like it came from GRN. However, there are no such cards in GRN (M//N split cards), and the naming convention is not realised as well.
(2/2) Subchallenges: OK
Total: 14/25
Mender of the Conclave 4(G/W)(G/W)
Creature - Dryad Cleric (R)
Convoke (Your creatures can help cast this spell. Each creature you tap while casting this spell pays for 1 or one mana of that creature’s color.)
At the beginning of your end step, you gain 1 life for each tapped creature you control.
4/4
Design -
(2/3) Appeal: Timmy likes big life. Johnny tries to abuse trigger, but lifegain is not that enticing. Spike uses it only if he needs big, defensive, OK creature, which is not often.
(3/3) Elegance: Beatiful Selesnya card in multiple ways.
Development -
(3/3) Viability: I feel that ability would fit into uncommon, but it could be too annoying in limited, so maybe rare is correct.
(3/3) Balance: Seems fine for rare, maybe even could be pushed a bit.
Creativity -
(2,5/3) Uniqueness: Not exactly groundbreaking, but also a little different than anything before.
(3/3) Flavor: Selesnya incarnated.
Polish -
(3/3) Quality: OK
(2/2) Main Challenge: OK
(2/2) Subchallenges: OK
Total: 23,5/25
Fruit of the Many 4GG
Creature - Plant Hydra (Rare)
Trample
Convoke (Your creatures can help cast this spell. Each creature you tap while casting this spell pays for 1 or one mana of that creature's color.)
When Fruit of the Many enters the battlefield, draw a card for each creature that convoked it.
Nurturing a Phytohydra is a rewarding task. Doing so together is a far greater one.
5/5
Design -
(3/3) Appeal: Do the different player psychographics (Timmy/Johhny/Spike) have a use for the card?
(3/3) Elegance: Easily understandable and elegant.
Development -
(2/3) Viability: Such massive card draw stapled to relevant, efficient (for convoke) creature would be rather in Mythic.
(1,5/3) Balance: T5 draw 4 or 5, create 5/5 trample? You must be kidding me. This card is more powerful than Venerated Loxodon, which already is a bomb and constructed playable.
Creativity -
(2/3) Uniqueness: Venerated Loxodon/Collective Unconscious. I don't feel it's groundbreaking.
(3/3) Flavor: Phytohydras didn't seem to me to be such giving things, but well, I'm not Selesnya Gardener
Polish -
(3/3) Quality: OK
(2/2) Main Challenge: OK
(1/2) Subchallenges: I can't agree that it's a rare.
Total: 20,5/25
Inspired Chemister 2RU
Creature - Human Wizard (R)
Instant and sorcery cards in your graveyard have Jump-Start.
Inspired Chemister gets +1/+1 for each instant and sorcery card you own in exile.
1/2
Yes, a new record! A working invention with only 403 previous iterations!
Design -
(1,5/3) Appeal: Only Johnny has real fun.
(2/3) Elegance: Cards are supposed to come from Guilds of Ravnica. There, all similar cards were checking graveyard and exile. Also, math of this card is quite annoyingly hard, like for Tarmogoyf.
Development -
(3/3) Viability: No problems here.
(1,5/3) Balance: I have no proof that it's the case, of course... But I feel such a card could be quite broken in Standard, and maybe even more in Modern. Each of your card having basically flashback, and the creature itself can get big? Just two Opts in gravayard would be huge for this card, and in older format you have even more possibilities.
Creativity -
(3/3) Uniqueness: Quite unique.
(2/3) Flavor: Flavor text really lacks a name or field of the experiments to feel Izzet enough. Also, its wording sounds off, "after only 403 iterations" would sound better. Finally, I can't believe that's a record, even for Izzet
Polish -
(2,5/3) Quality: Flavor text should be in quotes and above P/T.
(2/2) Main Challenge: OK
(2/2) Subchallenges: OK
Total: 19,5/25
Faro, Conclave Guardian 3GW
Legendary Creature - Elemental Beast (r)
Vigilance, lifelink
Whenever Faro, Conclave Guardian becomes untapped, you may have it fight target creature an opponent controls.
Our peace is guarded by the wildest beasts.
6/6
Design -
(2/3) Appeal: Someone could say that 6/6 for 5 is awesome for both Spike and Timmy. Not necessarily. If you wish me to elaborate, feel free to ask. In this scenario, I feel it's passable to good for them. Johnny sees a challenge with quite a good reward, but also a little too easy response (convoke).
(2,5/3) Elegance: The challenge of having vigilance creature without any other way be tappped is vexing at the first glance, even if that's the point of the card. Also, I'm not a fan of asymmetry of abilities on color pie (GW keyword, W keyword, G ability).
Development -
(3/3) Viability: No problems here. We have a mythic in the same set with cost/stats like this, but in two colors I don't feel that's too mythic. However...
(2/3) Balance: Just convoke once to gain 6 life and kill almost anything in set. That's too much in limited in rare, I think.
Creativity -
(2,5/3) Uniqueness: Well, we already had a mechanic for that ability. It isn't groundbreaking, but it's quite original, especially in this environment.
(2,5/3) Flavor: This card has no reason to be legendary. Even the flavor text speaks about it in general.
Polish -
(2,5/3) Quality: Flavor text should be attributed and in quotes.
(2/2) Main Challenge: OK
(2/2) Subchallenges: OK
Replace(U/B)(U/B)
Sorcery [R]
Target opponent reveals their hand. You choose a noncreature, nonland card from it. That player puts that card on the bottom of their library, then draws a card.
Draw a card.
//// Reprogram5UB
Sorcery [R]
Search target opponent's library for an artifact, creature, or planeswalker card and put that card onto the battlefield under your control. Then that player shuffles their library.
Design .:. (1/3) Appeal: A card that's effectiveness strongly depends on your opponend's cards is a Txmmy card. (3/3) Elegance: The card is easy to understand and makes sense.
Development .:. (3/3) Viability: What, discard in blue (as, you know, a hybrid card should have only abilities that either color could have)? No, because it's not discard and yes, this effect has appeared in blue, see Vendilion Clique. And still it feels like something black could do as well. All's fine here. (3/3) Balance: Two colored to replace seems fair, seven mana in two colors for a more flexible Bribery/Aquire as well. A good card early and late in the game but doesn't feel too strong.
Creativity .:. (3/3) Uniqueness: Letting discard and stealing combined in an interesting and . . . (3/3) Flavor: . . . flavorful way. A very dimir card. +1 for respecting the naming convention for split cards in RTRTR.
Polish .:. (3/3) Quality: No flaws detected! (2/2) Main Challenge: Main challenge satisfied! (1/2) Subchallenges: Subchallenge 1 satisfied!
Total: 22/25
Actionable Intelligence2UB
Instant {U}
Surveil 2 (To surveil 2, look at the top two cards of your library, then put any number of them into your graveyard and the rest on top of your library in any order.) When you put a card into your graveyard in this way, choose one —
• Target creature gets +X/+0 until end of of turn, where X is the card’s converted mana cost.
• Target creature gets -X/-0 until end of of turn, where X is the card’s converted mana cost.
Design .:. (1/3) Appeal: Combat trick involving randomnes, fun for Txmmy. (2,5/3) Elegance: Flavor and mechanics combined make sense but the card is not easy to understand. That might be a templating issue, I'm not sure but also not super-important if the deduction takes place here or below (I hope). The card checks if you put a card into your graveyard and has an effect depending on that. The effect then uses X and checks for the converted mana cost of the card put into the graveyard. The problem is, you can put up to two cards in the graveyard with surveil 2 and the card will see that you put "a card" into your graveyard, but what does this card do if you put both cards into your graveyard? "The card's converted mana cost" is exactly one card. The simplest fix would be to write "if you put exactly one card into your graveyard", or later "where X is the total converted mana cost of cards put into your graveyard this way", or try a version where you get to do both if you put two cards into your graveyard but it's also more difficult to word.
Development .:. (3/3) Viability: Giving +x/+0, while mostly appearing in red, recently appeared in black again after 8 years or so, recently on Moodmark Painter, a while ago on Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief. -X/-0 is blue though, e.g. Spontaneous Mutation. (3/3) Balance: Honestly feels a little weak for an uncommon. If you don't put a card in the graveyard you did pay 4 to order the top two cards of your deck, underwhelming. And if you happen to actually use this card you get either a random amount of additional damage, so anything from 1 to N, or that same random amount less damage, which means that, barring for prior library manipultion, you can't really calculate with this card. Could this be a common? On the other hand I like that you have to discard an action card, so something you might have been able to cast, to use this, which to me sounds like an interesting decision to make.
Creativity .:. (3/3) Uniqueness: The first card to combine +X/+0 and -X/-0 in rules text, nice. (3/3) Flavor: The card has appropiate dimir flavor.
Polish .:. (2,5/3) Quality: As far as I'm aware reminder text never comes between sentences of the same paragraph but always at the end. While the wording here is unique I'd compare this case to Vindictive Lich, meaning that you don't have to end with "choose one —". Instead I personally would have written "Surveil 2. If you put a card into your graveyard this way, choose one. (Reminder text.)" and then list the modes. It's new ground either way but mid-ability reminder text is almost off-putting. I found Aetherwind Basker that briefly explains what E is mid-sentence in reminder text. That's not a whole other sentence though. Surveil's reminder text creates at least two lines of text. Besides that only 3 cards use "the card's" whereas 51 use "that card's" and I have no clue what that's about. (2/2) Main Challenge: Main challenge satisfied! (2/2) Subchallenges: Both subchallenges satisfied!
Total: 22/25
Golgari Mulch Pile1BG
Enchantment (R)
At the beginning of your upkeep you may search target players library for a creature or planeswalker and put that card into that players graveyard, if you do that player shuffles his or her library. BGT, Exile two creature cards from any number of graveyards: Search your library for a basic Swamp or Forest and put it onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle your library.
Design .:. (1/3) Appeal: Fuels your graveyard if you're a necro-Jxnny. (2/3) Elegance: The card is easy to understand but flavored as an enchantment. Not a problem if it wouldn't have the tap-symbol. To differentiate between the identities of artifacts and enchantments WOTC likes to keep the tap symbol off their enchantments. Witch's Mist and Second Wind are considered a failed experiment.
Development .:. (3/3) Viability: The shenanigans here seem about right for a golgari card. (3/3) Balance: Against an opponent the library-thing is probably a bit slow. Putting your own reanimatable stuff in the graveyard each turn is powerful though. In addition to that it hoses enemy graveyard strategies with the second ability. That one is not super-strong. Two creatures is a lot for a land. This changes a lot in EDH, there this card can be fully used to either get your or your opponents best creatures/planeswalkers in the reach of your necromancer hands.
Creativity .:. (3/3) Uniqueness: This is a pretty fresh design. (3/3) Flavor: I like the flavor here.
Polish .:. (0/3) Quality: "At the beginning of your upkeep" is the condition that triggers this ability and is always followed by a comma. Its "target player's" with an apostrophe to indicate possession. When looking at libraries, and any other zone than the battlefield, cards are referred to by their type and as cards, so creature card for example. "If you do" comma. Since Dominaria or so "his or her" have been replace by "their" among other changes. "Exile two creature cards from among graveyards", e.g. Retribution of the Ancients. (2/2) Main Challenge: Main challenge satisfied! (2/2) Subchallenges: Both subchallenges satisfied!
Total: 19/25
Summon the Ranks4RW
Sorcery (Rare)
Create a 1/1 red Soldier creature token with mentor, a 2/2 white Knight creature token with vigilance and mentor, and a 3/3 red and white Soldier Knight creature token with vigilance, haste and mentor.
Design .:. (2/3) Appeal: A splashy token generating card for Txmmy. Bomb-potential in sealed/limited, Spike approves. (3/3) Elegance: The card is easy to understand and makes sense.
Development .:. (3/3) Viability: Yes, this is a boros rare. (3/3) Balance: Powerful in limited/sealed. But 6 power for 6 is fair.
Creativity .:. (3/3) Uniqueness: While token spells are not uncommon the scaling and layout of the tokens really sells this card. (3/3) Flavor: Spot on.
Polish .:. (2,5/3) Quality: When listing three or more things in rules text they place a comma before "and", e.g. Aurelia, Exemplar of Justice. (2/2) Main Challenge: Main challenge satisfied! (2/2) Subchallenges: Both subchallenges satisfied!
Total: 23,5/25
Djinn of the Last WishUB
Creature - Djinn Wizard (R)
Flying 2, t, Sacrifice Djinn of the Last Wish: Search your library for a card and put that card into your hand, then shuffle your library. Target opponent chooses a creature. That creature becomes a copy of Djinn of the Last Wish. Many demonologists are trying to discover where djinns are coming from, but the correct answer is unpleasant.
1/1
Design .:. (2/3) Appeal: Txmmy likes this in commander. Jxnny in general. (3/3) Elegance: The card is easy to understand and makes sense.
Development .:. (3/3) Viability: Tutoring and copying make a good dimir card. (3/3) Balance: Total mana cost wise it's a multicolored Diabolic Tutor that give your opponent options. Being able to split the costs over turns makes it feel like a 3 or 3,5 cost and that's a decent rate for any card. While you get your bomb or win condition or whatever you give an opponent the chance to do the same. On the one hand this seems kind of auto-balanced. On the other hand, forcing the opponent to give you another Djinn might be a fun accomplishment.
Creativity .:. (3/3) Uniqueness: A very cool design. (3/3) Flavor: With cool flavor.
Polish .:. (3/3) Quality: No flaws detected! (2/2) Main Challenge: Main challenge satisfied! (1/2) Subchallenges: Subchallenge 1 satisfied!
Total: 23/25
Shocked to Learn 1UR
Sorcery {R}
~ deals 3 damage to target creature.
If this card was jump-started, draw 2 cards.
Jump-start (You may cast this card from your graveyard by discarding a card in addition to paying its other costs. Then exile this card.) "Many initiates didn't understand until we give them the proper voltage"
Design .:. (2/3) Appeal: I strongly believe that all jump-start cards are Jxnny cards by default. 3 damage and draw 2 has serious Spike potential. (3/3) Elegance: The card is easy to understand and makes sense.
Development .:. (3/3) Viability: Izzet viable? It izz! (3/3) Balance: 3 mana for 3 damage to only creatures is not overwhelming, at multicolored even, kind of a bad rate. Then again, if you write jump-start on a punisher card it suddenly is worthwhile playing, see Risk Factor. This is fairly good but also costed fair and only a sorcery.
Creativity .:. (2,5/3) Uniqueness:Direct Current++ is a cool card. (3/3) Flavor: Has a healthy dose of humor.
Polish .:. (2,5/3) Quality: "This card", or more correctly "this spell" would only be used if whatever then comes modifies to spell on the stack or influences how the spell behaves on the stack, e.g. Academy Journeymage, Abrupt Decay. Here you have an additional effect if a condition is met. "If you jump-started Shocked to Learn" would be new ground in regards to wording but sounds like it would be possible. Otherwhise one could write "If you cast Shocked to Learn from your graveyard, additional effect." (2/2) Main Challenge: Main challenge satisfied! (2/2) Subchallenges: Both subchallenges satisfied!
Total: 23/25
Chord of Marshaling6GGW
Enchantment (R)
Convoke (Your creatures can help cast this spell. Each creature you tap while casting this spell pays for 1 or one mana of that creature’s color.)
Creatures you control get +1/+1 and have vigilance.
When Chord of Marshaling enters the battlefield, for each creature that convoked it, search your library for up to one creature card that shares a mana cost with that creature. Put those cards onto the battlefield, then shuffle your library.
Design .:. (2/3) Appeal: Really splasy card for Txmmy. And card to work with for Jxnny. (3/3) Elegance: The card is easy to understand and makes sense.
Development .:. (3/3) Viability: Pumps creatures and makes creatures, very green white. (3/3) Balance: If you're able to search for big stuff with this that means that yo already have big stuff on the table. In that case this card appears kind of win-more. Looking for smaller stuff might be more game changing. At nine mana this should still be okey. To note is that tokens don't have a mana cost and are thus not as valuable as usual when convoking.
Creativity .:. (3/3) Uniqueness: Intermingling Chord of Calling and Marshal's Anthem makes for a cool selesnya card. (3/3) Flavor: I wanted to write that marshaling sounds more like something the boros would do, not so much the guild of hippies. Then I found Dryad Militant and Conclave Cavalier and Armada Wurm and suddely the Selesnyans appear not as flowery anymore.
Polish .:. (2,5/3) Quality: Only types and colors (and artists and words in names) are shared so far. For me that means a card can have more than one value for each of those things and share either value with another card. As creatures can only have one mana cost I'd go with Richard here and write "the same mana cost", see Richard Garfield, Ph.D. (2/2) Main Challenge: Main challenge satisfied! (2/2) Subchallenges: Both subchallenges satisfied!
Legendary Creature - Elemental Beast (r)
Vigilance, lifelink
Whenever Faro, Conclave Guardian becomes untapped, you may have it fight target creature an opponent controls.
Our peace is guarded by the wildest beasts.
6/6
BRACKETS
Judge: Antiantiserum
admirableadmiral
Cardz5000
Loki87
netn10
Raptorchan
Ulka
void_nothing
Judge: bravelion83
Flatline
Forestsguy
Gateways7
RaikouRider
rkohn1357
StonerOfKruphix
Zemoo
Judge: Superbajt
BrainPo
Freyleyes
Hemlock
mirrodin71
soramaro
Subject16
zdtsd
Top 4 from each bracket advance.
Judgments complete, not final until deadline.
Creature — Human Soldier (U)
First strike
Mentor (Whenever this creature attacks, put a +1/+1 counter on target attacking creature with lesser power.)
As long as Boros Battleguide is attacking, each other attacking creature you control with a +1/+1 counter on it has first strike.
4/1
Design
(2/3) Appeal - Timmy likes a high-power creature that can make his other creatures bigger and give them an ability that makes easier for them to survive combat. I don't see much for Johnny, but maybe he can do something with the counters. Spike likes this but in her eyes this card has the same problem of most real mentor cards: too low toughness.
(3/3) Elegance - I see no problems here.
Development
(3/3) Viability - No problems with the color pie: it could even be a perfect hybrid card, but it's also perfectly fine as a gold card. I agree uncommon is the proper rarity for this card.
(2.5/3) Balance - This looks on line with the real mentor cards from GRN, and that's a good thing. I'd play this almost always in my limited Boros deck. Not sure about constructed, but giving all your attackers first strike is probably worth of at least some consideration for Standard purposes. I see no problems in casual or multiplayer.
Creativity
(1.5/3) Uniqueness - The most original thing on this card is the last ability, but it immediately reminded me of the Abzan cards from Khans of Tarkir that gave bonuses to creatures with +1/+1 counters on them. The high synergy between the abilities helps giving this card an identity more of its own though.
(2/3) Flavor - The name is good and makes sense for its guild. I would have liked to see some flavor text though, there is probably room for a couple lines here.
Polish
(3/3) Quality - All good.
(2/2) Main Challenge - Gold card. Good.
(2/2) Subchallenges - Not mythic. CMC 3 or greater. Both met.
Total: 21/25
Creature - Elemental (R)
When Waker of Reflections enters the battlefield, create a 1/1 green and white Elemental creature token with "If an effect would create one or more tokens under your control, it creates twice that many of those tokens instead."
1/1
Design
(2.5/3) Appeal - Timmy is a bit disappointed at power and toughness but he just loves the doubling tokens ability. Johnny can also use that to his advantage. Spike's dream is flickering this and create multiple doubling tokens effects for exponential gain.
(2/3) Elegance - Giving the doubling tokens ability to a token rather than to this creature itself might make this a bit harder to understand at first glance than necessary.
Development
(3/3) Viability - Doubling tokens has been in both green and white, so no problems with the color pie. That effect has traditionally been rare, and this card could even create more than one token with that ability by blinking it (not that difficult). This doesn't feel mythic to me, so I agree that regular rare is the right rarity for this card.
(2/3) Balance - I've already mentioned how powerful this looks with flickering effects, so it's probably for the best that the mana cost is a bit on the high side. I'd play this card in limited if I have enough token making cards to take advantage of it. In constructed, it's probably better to have this effect on a hard-to-kill enchantment than on a fragile creature token. For this reason, I don't think this is as powerful as Doubling Season, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I see no problems in casual or multiplayer.
Creativity
(2.5/3) Uniqueness - Despite it having being on multiple cards by now, putting the "doubling tokens" effect on a token itself is something new and feels quite original.
(1/3) Flavor - The name is just too similar to Wake the Reflections. The similarity might be intentional as doubling tokens is close to populate as an effect, but I would have liked this name more on an actual populate card, which unfortunately you couldn't do because of the "comes from Guilds of Ravnica" requirement of the main challenge. I honestly would just have looked for a different name. Also, I would have liked to see some flavor text on this card, there is certainly room for it here.
Polish
(3/3) Quality - All good.
(2/2) Main Challenge - Hybrid card. Good.
(2/2) Subchallenges - Not mythic. CMC 3 or greater. Both met.
Total: 20/25
Sorcery (R)
Choose an instant or sorcery card with converted mana cost 1 in your graveyard, then do the same for instant or sorcery cards with converted mana costs 2 and 3. Cast those spells without paying their mana costs.
Design
(2/3) Appeal - This is a pure Johnny card, and he loves it. Timmy probably doesn't care that much. Spike likes the card advantage.
(3/3) Elegance - Easy to understand and the 1-2-3 sequence is very nice on an aesthetic level.
Development
(3/3) Viability - No problems with the color pie and rarity feels righ to me.
(2.5/3) Balance - You're essentially paying five mana in two colors to cast six mana worth of spells. Seen in this way, it's probably fair enough. I don't think I would play this card in limited, where you want your noncreature spells to directly interact with creatures, but it might have some constructed implications, if not in competitive formats certainly in casual. No problems in multiplayer.
Creativity
(0.5/3) Uniqueness - This really feels too close to Firemind's Foresight, even though a couple details are different (cast vs. tutor and library vs. graveyard). The only reason this isn't a whole zero is because this particular card has never been printed technically.
(2/3) Flavor - The name is good and makes sense with both its guild and the card's mechanics. I would have liked to see some flavor text though, there is certainly room for a couple lines here.
Polish
(2.5/3) Quality - Wrong order of mana symbols in the mana cost. Blue should come before red (-0.5). All the rest is good.
(2/2) Main Challenge - Gold card. Good.
(2/2) Subchallenges - Not mythic. CMC 3 or greater. Both met.
Total: 19.5/25
Enchantment {R}
The first spell you cast each turn has convoke. (Your creatures can help cast that spell. Each creature you tap while casting that spell pays for 1 or one mana of that creature's color.)
Whenever you cast a spell, if no mana was spent to cast it, draw a card.
Design
(3/3) Appeal - Timmy just likes convoke in any use of it. Johnny can probably do something with the last ability. Spike likes both convoke and drawing cards.
(3/3) Elegance - Short, effective, and very easy to understand. What more could I ask for here?
Development
(2/3) Viability - No problems with the first ability or with rarity. The second ability feels more Izzet than Selesnya to me, even if I see why you put it in Selesnya (synergy with convoke). I agree that this card is way more green than white, which you acknowledged by giving this card an asymmetric mana cost. I just think you could have gone even further and just make this a monogreen card.
(3/3) Balance - The intervening if clause essentially requires the spells to be cast only using convoke, and that's a quite big restriction, so I don't think this card is broken. The mana cost also looks definitely restrictive enough. If you have a lot of cheap creatures in your deck, you'd probably play this card in limited. I can easily see constructed implications at Standard level. I think this card would be very well liked in casual. I see no problems in multiplayer.
Creativity
(2.5/3) Uniqueness - Giving convoke to your spell is technically new but a somewhat obvious place to go when you're trying to do an original design that's supposed to come from Guilds of Ravnica. The second ability does feel original though.
(2.5/3) Flavor - The name is good and makes a lot of sense with the card's mechanics. I also really like the mention of the Ledev in the card name. I would have liked to see some flavor text though, there is certainly room for a couple lines here.
Polish
(3/3) Quality - All good.
(2/2) Main Challenge - Gold card and interacts with the guild mechanic. Good.
(2/2) Subchallenges - Not mythic. CMC 3 or greater. Both met.
Total: 23/25
Legendary Creature - Human Wizard (R)
Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, you may have target player put the top two cards of their library into their graveyard.
1UR: Target instant or sorcery card in your graveyard gains jump-start until end of turn.
1/3
Design
(2.5/3) Appeal - Out of the three psychographics, Timmy is the one that likes mill as a strategy the most. He would probably like it more on a bigger creature, obviously adjusting the mana cost accordingly. Johnny and Spike are both interested in the activated ability for different reasons: Johnny for combo potential and Spike for card advantage.
(3/3) Elegance - Clear enough, not too long, and nice synergy between the abilities: give jump-start to cards in your graveyard so that you can cast them, and trigger the mill ability, multiple times.
Development
(2.5/3) Viability - This card feels much more blue than red to me, if it weren't for the red in the activation cost I'd say this card should be monoblue. Rarity feels right to me.
(2.5/3) Balance - I think the mana costs are fair enough, especially considering that with jump-start you also still have to pay the cost of the card you're jump-starting. I would certainly play this in a spell-focused Izzet limited deck. While I think the mill ability has no relevance in constructed, the jump-start-granting ability might very well have some (can you see why I hate the name "jump-start" for that ability?). I see no problems in casual or multiplayer.
Creativity
(2/3) Uniqueness - The first ability is nothing new. The second one is technically new, but giving jump-start to cards in your graveyard is a somewhat obvious place to go when you're trying to do an original design that's supposed to come from Guilds of Ravnica.
(2/3) Flavor - The name is very good and makes perfect sense for the Izzet guild. I would have liked to see some flavor text though, there is certainly room for a couple lines here.
Polish
(2.5/3) Quality - Jump-start is a non-evergreen mechanic and there is room for reminder text, so this card should definitely have it (-0.5). All the rest is good.
(2/2) Main Challenge - Gold card and interacts with the guild mechanic. Good.
(2/2) Subchallenges - Not mythic. CMC 3 or greater. Both met.
Total: 21/25
Enchantment (U)
Whenever a nontoken creature dies, you may put the top card of your library into your graveyard. If it's a creature card, create a 1/1 black and green Insect creature token.
(B/G), Sacrifice an Insect: Draw a card.
Izoni always knows who is entering the Undercity and why.
Design
(3/3) Appeal - Timmy likes this as a kind of insurance from his own creatures dying. Johnny can definitely exploit both abilities. Spike is quite interested in the fact that the first ability triggers from opposing creatures dying too for use with removal spells, and she also likes the card advantage the activated ability can give her.
(2.5/3) Elegance - Some less experienced players might not realize this triggers from your opponents' creatures dying too. Except that, the text is not too long and very clear.
Development
(2.5/3) Viability - The first ability is self-mill and token creation, both things that can be green. Sacrificing creatures to draw cards is primary black but could also be green as card draw tied to creatures. Death triggers also tend to be black. No problems with the color pie. Between this triggering from your opponent's creatures dying too and the potential for card advantage, I'd honestly see this better as a rare. It still doesn't break anything at uncommon though.
(3/3) Balance - I'm not sure whether I like this triggering off of removal spells, but I don't think it makes this card broken. I would almost certainly play this card in my limited Golgari deck. It's not a creature but the value looks definitely worth it. I can see this getting some Standard play, it might fit quite nicely in the real Golgari midrange decks we're seeing in Standard right now. I see no problems in casual. In multiplayer this gets even better as there are more creatures for you to kill, more Insects for you to get, and more cards for you to potentially draw.
Creativity
(1.5/3) Uniqueness - None of the effects are technically new, but the very synergistic way they've been put together on this card helps giving it its own identity.
(3/3) Flavor - No problems with the card name. Even though the flavor text is maybe a bit too bland, I want to prize the fact that yours is the only card in my bracket that has some flavor text in the first place.
Polish
(3/3) Quality - All good.
(2/2) Main Challenge - Gold card. Good.
(2/2) Subchallenges - Not mythic. CMC 3 or greater. Both met.
Total: 22.5/25
Instant (U)
If W was spent to cast ~, creatures you control gain indestructible until end of turn. If R was spent to cast ~, it deals 2 damage to each creature. (Do both if WR was spent.)
Design
(2/3) Appeal - Timmy likes to be able to save his creatures from removal. I don't see much for Johnny here. Spike likes this as a Pyroclasm variant that can become one-sided thanks to the synergy between the two abilites.
(3/3) Elegance - Very easy to understand, not too long, and the high synergy between the abilites is very nice.
Development
(3/3) Viability - Thw white effect requires white mana and the red effect requires red mana, so no problems with the color pie. Shadowmoor tells us uncommon is the right rarity for this kind of card.
(2/3) Balance - This card is definitely safe from a power level point of view. I could see myself playing this in limited, where any removal you can get is good, but honestly not in constructed. Maybe as a sideboard card. Gets better in multiplayer as a removal spell that can potentially kill all creatures but yours.
Creativity
(0.5/3) Uniqueness - This exact idea has already been used on a whole cycle of ten cards in the Shadowmoor mini-block, and those cards are among the more memorable in that block. The two abilities are also things we see almost every set. The only reason this isn't a whole zero is because this particular card has never been printed technically, but it really looks like the opposite of uniqueness to me.
(2/3) Flavor - The name is very good and quite original. I would have liked to see some flavor text though, there is plenty of room for it here.
Polish
(2/3) Quality - You shouldn't use the tilde as a replacement for the card's name in the MCC (-0.5 twice). All the rest is good.
(2/2) Main Challenge - Hybrid card. Good.
(2/2) Subchallenges - Not mythic. CMC 3 or greater. Both met.
Total: 18.5/25
RaikouRider: 23
StonerOfKruphix: 22.5
Flatline: 21
rkohn1357: 21
Forestsguy: 20
Gateways7: 19.5
Zemoo: 18.5
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.)
Instant (U)
Counter target spell. If a spell is countered this way, its owner shuffles it into his or her library.
If this card was jump-started, if a spell is countered this way, exile it instead.
Jump-start (You may cast this card from your graveyard by discarding a card in addition to paying its other costs. Then exile this card.)
Design -
(1,5/3) Appeal: Two counterspells in one card are interesting only for Spike.
(2/3) Elegance: Shuffle and exile are not that different from themselves, I don't think the wordiness is worth it for the difference.
Development -
(1,5/3) Viability: There's basically nothing red about this card.
(1/3) Balance: Double, quite efficient, counterspell in uncommon? Of course not. Play patterns are even worse when it's in graveyard, no matter how it got there.
Creativity -
(2/3) Uniqueness: Dissipate with Jump-start, nothing special. As I said, shuffling and exile are basically the same.
(2,5/3) Flavor: This name would make sense with Agyrem on Ravnica, but Izzet has nothing to do with the ghost plane. It is generic for MTG, though.
Polish -
(1,5/3) Quality: If THAT spell is countered. If this SPELL was jump-started. "Instead of into that player's graveyard" in both clauses.
(2/2) Main Challenge: OK
(2/2) Subchallenges: OK
Total: 16/25
Creature - Angel {R}
Flying
Mentor (Whenever this creature attacks, put a +1/+1 counter on target attacking creature with lesser power.)
When Herald of the Legion enters the battlefield, it deals X damage to any target and you gain X life, where X is the number of +1/+1 counters on all creatures you control.
Together we stand, together they fall.
3/2
Design -
(2,5/3) Appeal: Spike is happy with 3/2 flyer with upside. Timmy is happy that he will deal 10 damage and gain 10 life. Johnny could try this as well, but unlikely.
(2,5/3) Elegance: Card looks like straight from Play Design session that added some text and meddled in P/T for Standard/Limited reasons. Compare it with new Aurelia. It is not aggravating, though.
Development -
(3/3) Viability: No problems here. Maybe too close to Mythic, but the line is blurry.
(2,5/3) Balance: It is pushed frenchvanillawise. I feel that some cards with a lot of counters, like hydras, may break this one. In Limited quite hard cost should temper it powerwise.
Creativity -
(3/3) Uniqueness: Counting counters on all creatures is new, as far as I know.
(2,5/3) Flavor: Totally correct, yet not spectacular, Boros angel.
Polish -
(2,5/3) Quality: Flavor text should be in quotes. Something's off in the last ability, I think Ghalta's wording would sound better, but I can't find anything to compare, and I think this works.
(2/2) Main Challenge: OK
(1,5/2) Subchallenges: A little too Mythic for my taste.
Total: 22/25
Sorcery (R) // Sorcery (R)
Convoke (Your creatures can help cast this spell. Each creature you tap while casting this spell pays for 1 or one mana of that creature’s color.)
Search your library for a green card whit converted mana cost X or less. Reveal that card and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library.
//
Convoke (Your creatures can help cast this spell. Each creature you tap while casting this spell pays for 1 or one mana of that creature’s color.)
Search your library for a white card whit converted mana cost X or less. Reveal that card and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library.
Design -
(1,5/3) Appeal: Not terribly efficient tutor on both sides is tolerable yet unexciting for all psychographics.
(2/3) Elegance: Well, the symmetry is elegant, but the card becomes redundant.
Development -
(0/3) Viability: Neither white nor green can tutor for any card in their colors. This is a blatant break.
(1,5/3) Balance: As a break, you never know what it can do, especially in older formats. It doesn't look very scary as is, but who knows.
Creativity -
(1/3) Uniqueness: an illegitimate son of DT and Chord of Calling. Technically new, but for a reason.
(2,5/3) Flavor: Both sides could individually work as tutor names, but with such symmetry in text, I'd expect the symmetry in names and their meaning as well.
Polish -
(2/3) Quality: whit
(1,5/2) Main Challenge: In clarifications, it is said that the card should be like it came from GRN. However, there are no such cards in GRN (M//N split cards), and the naming convention is not realised as well.
(2/2) Subchallenges: OK
Total: 14/25
Creature - Dryad Cleric (R)
Convoke (Your creatures can help cast this spell. Each creature you tap while casting this spell pays for 1 or one mana of that creature’s color.)
At the beginning of your end step, you gain 1 life for each tapped creature you control.
4/4
Design -
(2/3) Appeal: Timmy likes big life. Johnny tries to abuse trigger, but lifegain is not that enticing. Spike uses it only if he needs big, defensive, OK creature, which is not often.
(3/3) Elegance: Beatiful Selesnya card in multiple ways.
Development -
(3/3) Viability: I feel that ability would fit into uncommon, but it could be too annoying in limited, so maybe rare is correct.
(3/3) Balance: Seems fine for rare, maybe even could be pushed a bit.
Creativity -
(2,5/3) Uniqueness: Not exactly groundbreaking, but also a little different than anything before.
(3/3) Flavor: Selesnya incarnated.
Polish -
(3/3) Quality: OK
(2/2) Main Challenge: OK
(2/2) Subchallenges: OK
Total: 23,5/25
Fruit of the Many 4GG
Creature - Plant Hydra (Rare)
Trample
Convoke (Your creatures can help cast this spell. Each creature you tap while casting this spell pays for 1 or one mana of that creature's color.)
When Fruit of the Many enters the battlefield, draw a card for each creature that convoked it.
Nurturing a Phytohydra is a rewarding task. Doing so together is a far greater one.
5/5
Design -
(3/3) Appeal: Do the different player psychographics (Timmy/Johhny/Spike) have a use for the card?
(3/3) Elegance: Easily understandable and elegant.
Development -
(2/3) Viability: Such massive card draw stapled to relevant, efficient (for convoke) creature would be rather in Mythic.
(1,5/3) Balance: T5 draw 4 or 5, create 5/5 trample? You must be kidding me. This card is more powerful than Venerated Loxodon, which already is a bomb and constructed playable.
Creativity -
(2/3) Uniqueness: Venerated Loxodon/Collective Unconscious. I don't feel it's groundbreaking.
(3/3) Flavor: Phytohydras didn't seem to me to be such giving things, but well, I'm not Selesnya Gardener
Polish -
(3/3) Quality: OK
(2/2) Main Challenge: OK
(1/2) Subchallenges: I can't agree that it's a rare.
Total: 20,5/25
Creature - Human Wizard (R)
Instant and sorcery cards in your graveyard have Jump-Start.
Inspired Chemister gets +1/+1 for each instant and sorcery card you own in exile.
1/2
Yes, a new record! A working invention with only 403 previous iterations!
Design -
(1,5/3) Appeal: Only Johnny has real fun.
(2/3) Elegance: Cards are supposed to come from Guilds of Ravnica. There, all similar cards were checking graveyard and exile. Also, math of this card is quite annoyingly hard, like for Tarmogoyf.
Development -
(3/3) Viability: No problems here.
(1,5/3) Balance: I have no proof that it's the case, of course... But I feel such a card could be quite broken in Standard, and maybe even more in Modern. Each of your card having basically flashback, and the creature itself can get big? Just two Opts in gravayard would be huge for this card, and in older format you have even more possibilities.
Creativity -
(3/3) Uniqueness: Quite unique.
(2/3) Flavor: Flavor text really lacks a name or field of the experiments to feel Izzet enough. Also, its wording sounds off, "after only 403 iterations" would sound better. Finally, I can't believe that's a record, even for Izzet
Polish -
(2,5/3) Quality: Flavor text should be in quotes and above P/T.
(2/2) Main Challenge: OK
(2/2) Subchallenges: OK
Total: 19,5/25
Legendary Creature - Elemental Beast (r)
Vigilance, lifelink
Whenever Faro, Conclave Guardian becomes untapped, you may have it fight target creature an opponent controls.
Our peace is guarded by the wildest beasts.
6/6
Design -
(2/3) Appeal: Someone could say that 6/6 for 5 is awesome for both Spike and Timmy. Not necessarily. If you wish me to elaborate, feel free to ask. In this scenario, I feel it's passable to good for them. Johnny sees a challenge with quite a good reward, but also a little too easy response (convoke).
(2,5/3) Elegance: The challenge of having vigilance creature without any other way be tappped is vexing at the first glance, even if that's the point of the card. Also, I'm not a fan of asymmetry of abilities on color pie (GW keyword, W keyword, G ability).
Development -
(3/3) Viability: No problems here. We have a mythic in the same set with cost/stats like this, but in two colors I don't feel that's too mythic. However...
(2/3) Balance: Just convoke once to gain 6 life and kill almost anything in set. That's too much in limited in rare, I think.
Creativity -
(2,5/3) Uniqueness: Well, we already had a mechanic for that ability. It isn't groundbreaking, but it's quite original, especially in this environment.
(2,5/3) Flavor: This card has no reason to be legendary. Even the flavor text speaks about it in general.
Polish -
(2,5/3) Quality: Flavor text should be attributed and in quotes.
(2/2) Main Challenge: OK
(2/2) Subchallenges: OK
Total: 20/25
Freyleyes Total: 22/25
Hemlock Total: 20/25
mirrodin71 Total: 14/25
soramaro Total: 23,5/25
Subject16 Total: 20,5/25
zdtsd Total: 19,5/25
Sorcery [R]
Target opponent reveals their hand. You choose a noncreature, nonland card from it. That player puts that card on the bottom of their library, then draws a card.
Draw a card.
////
Reprogram 5UB
Sorcery [R]
Search target opponent's library for an artifact, creature, or planeswalker card and put that card onto the battlefield under your control. Then that player shuffles their library.
Design .:.
(1/3) Appeal: A card that's effectiveness strongly depends on your opponend's cards is a Txmmy card.
(3/3) Elegance: The card is easy to understand and makes sense.
Development .:.
(3/3) Viability: What, discard in blue (as, you know, a hybrid card should have only abilities that either color could have)? No, because it's not discard and yes, this effect has appeared in blue, see Vendilion Clique. And still it feels like something black could do as well. All's fine here.
(3/3) Balance: Two colored to replace seems fair, seven mana in two colors for a more flexible Bribery/Aquire as well. A good card early and late in the game but doesn't feel too strong.
Creativity .:.
(3/3) Uniqueness: Letting discard and stealing combined in an interesting and . . .
(3/3) Flavor: . . . flavorful way. A very dimir card. +1 for respecting the naming convention for split cards in RTRTR.
Polish .:.
(3/3) Quality: No flaws detected!
(2/2) Main Challenge: Main challenge satisfied!
(1/2) Subchallenges: Subchallenge 1 satisfied!
Total: 22/25
Instant {U}
Surveil 2 (To surveil 2, look at the top two cards of your library, then put any number of them into your graveyard and the rest on top of your library in any order.) When you put a card into your graveyard in this way, choose one —
• Target creature gets +X/+0 until end of of turn, where X is the card’s converted mana cost.
• Target creature gets -X/-0 until end of of turn, where X is the card’s converted mana cost.
Design .:.
(1/3) Appeal: Combat trick involving randomnes, fun for Txmmy.
(2,5/3) Elegance: Flavor and mechanics combined make sense but the card is not easy to understand. That might be a templating issue, I'm not sure but also not super-important if the deduction takes place here or below (I hope). The card checks if you put a card into your graveyard and has an effect depending on that. The effect then uses X and checks for the converted mana cost of the card put into the graveyard. The problem is, you can put up to two cards in the graveyard with surveil 2 and the card will see that you put "a card" into your graveyard, but what does this card do if you put both cards into your graveyard? "The card's converted mana cost" is exactly one card. The simplest fix would be to write "if you put exactly one card into your graveyard", or later "where X is the total converted mana cost of cards put into your graveyard this way", or try a version where you get to do both if you put two cards into your graveyard but it's also more difficult to word.
Development .:.
(3/3) Viability: Giving +x/+0, while mostly appearing in red, recently appeared in black again after 8 years or so, recently on Moodmark Painter, a while ago on Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief. -X/-0 is blue though, e.g. Spontaneous Mutation.
(3/3) Balance: Honestly feels a little weak for an uncommon. If you don't put a card in the graveyard you did pay 4 to order the top two cards of your deck, underwhelming. And if you happen to actually use this card you get either a random amount of additional damage, so anything from 1 to N, or that same random amount less damage, which means that, barring for prior library manipultion, you can't really calculate with this card. Could this be a common? On the other hand I like that you have to discard an action card, so something you might have been able to cast, to use this, which to me sounds like an interesting decision to make.
Creativity .:.
(3/3) Uniqueness: The first card to combine +X/+0 and -X/-0 in rules text, nice.
(3/3) Flavor: The card has appropiate dimir flavor.
Polish .:.
(2,5/3) Quality: As far as I'm aware reminder text never comes between sentences of the same paragraph but always at the end. While the wording here is unique I'd compare this case to Vindictive Lich, meaning that you don't have to end with "choose one —". Instead I personally would have written "Surveil 2. If you put a card into your graveyard this way, choose one. (Reminder text.)" and then list the modes. It's new ground either way but mid-ability reminder text is almost off-putting. I found Aetherwind Basker that briefly explains what E is mid-sentence in reminder text. That's not a whole other sentence though. Surveil's reminder text creates at least two lines of text. Besides that only 3 cards use "the card's" whereas 51 use "that card's" and I have no clue what that's about.
(2/2) Main Challenge: Main challenge satisfied!
(2/2) Subchallenges: Both subchallenges satisfied!
Total: 22/25
Enchantment (R)
At the beginning of your upkeep you may search target players library for a creature or planeswalker and put that card into that players graveyard, if you do that player shuffles his or her library.
BGT, Exile two creature cards from any number of graveyards: Search your library for a basic Swamp or Forest and put it onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle your library.
Design .:.
(1/3) Appeal: Fuels your graveyard if you're a necro-Jxnny.
(2/3) Elegance: The card is easy to understand but flavored as an enchantment. Not a problem if it wouldn't have the tap-symbol. To differentiate between the identities of artifacts and enchantments WOTC likes to keep the tap symbol off their enchantments. Witch's Mist and Second Wind are considered a failed experiment.
Development .:.
(3/3) Viability: The shenanigans here seem about right for a golgari card.
(3/3) Balance: Against an opponent the library-thing is probably a bit slow. Putting your own reanimatable stuff in the graveyard each turn is powerful though. In addition to that it hoses enemy graveyard strategies with the second ability. That one is not super-strong. Two creatures is a lot for a land. This changes a lot in EDH, there this card can be fully used to either get your or your opponents best creatures/planeswalkers in the reach of your necromancer hands.
Creativity .:.
(3/3) Uniqueness: This is a pretty fresh design.
(3/3) Flavor: I like the flavor here.
Polish .:.
(0/3) Quality: "At the beginning of your upkeep" is the condition that triggers this ability and is always followed by a comma. Its "target player's" with an apostrophe to indicate possession. When looking at libraries, and any other zone than the battlefield, cards are referred to by their type and as cards, so creature card for example. "If you do" comma. Since Dominaria or so "his or her" have been replace by "their" among other changes. "Exile two creature cards from among graveyards", e.g. Retribution of the Ancients.
(2/2) Main Challenge: Main challenge satisfied!
(2/2) Subchallenges: Both subchallenges satisfied!
Total: 19/25
Sorcery (Rare)
Create a 1/1 red Soldier creature token with mentor, a 2/2 white Knight creature token with vigilance and mentor, and a 3/3 red and white Soldier Knight creature token with vigilance, haste and mentor.
Design .:.
(2/3) Appeal: A splashy token generating card for Txmmy. Bomb-potential in sealed/limited, Spike approves.
(3/3) Elegance: The card is easy to understand and makes sense.
Development .:.
(3/3) Viability: Yes, this is a boros rare.
(3/3) Balance: Powerful in limited/sealed. But 6 power for 6 is fair.
Creativity .:.
(3/3) Uniqueness: While token spells are not uncommon the scaling and layout of the tokens really sells this card.
(3/3) Flavor: Spot on.
Polish .:.
(2,5/3) Quality: When listing three or more things in rules text they place a comma before "and", e.g. Aurelia, Exemplar of Justice.
(2/2) Main Challenge: Main challenge satisfied!
(2/2) Subchallenges: Both subchallenges satisfied!
Total: 23,5/25
Creature - Djinn Wizard (R)
Flying
2, t, Sacrifice Djinn of the Last Wish: Search your library for a card and put that card into your hand, then shuffle your library. Target opponent chooses a creature. That creature becomes a copy of Djinn of the Last Wish.
Many demonologists are trying to discover where djinns are coming from, but the correct answer is unpleasant.
1/1
Design .:.
(2/3) Appeal: Txmmy likes this in commander. Jxnny in general.
(3/3) Elegance: The card is easy to understand and makes sense.
Development .:.
(3/3) Viability: Tutoring and copying make a good dimir card.
(3/3) Balance: Total mana cost wise it's a multicolored Diabolic Tutor that give your opponent options. Being able to split the costs over turns makes it feel like a 3 or 3,5 cost and that's a decent rate for any card. While you get your bomb or win condition or whatever you give an opponent the chance to do the same. On the one hand this seems kind of auto-balanced. On the other hand, forcing the opponent to give you another Djinn might be a fun accomplishment.
Creativity .:.
(3/3) Uniqueness: A very cool design.
(3/3) Flavor: With cool flavor.
Polish .:.
(3/3) Quality: No flaws detected!
(2/2) Main Challenge: Main challenge satisfied!
(1/2) Subchallenges: Subchallenge 1 satisfied!
Total: 23/25
Sorcery {R}
~ deals 3 damage to target creature.
If this card was jump-started, draw 2 cards.
Jump-start (You may cast this card from your graveyard by discarding a card in addition to paying its other costs. Then exile this card.)
"Many initiates didn't understand until we give them the proper voltage"
Design .:.
(2/3) Appeal: I strongly believe that all jump-start cards are Jxnny cards by default. 3 damage and draw 2 has serious Spike potential.
(3/3) Elegance: The card is easy to understand and makes sense.
Development .:.
(3/3) Viability: Izzet viable? It izz!
(3/3) Balance: 3 mana for 3 damage to only creatures is not overwhelming, at multicolored even, kind of a bad rate. Then again, if you write jump-start on a punisher card it suddenly is worthwhile playing, see Risk Factor. This is fairly good but also costed fair and only a sorcery.
Creativity .:.
(2,5/3) Uniqueness: Direct Current++ is a cool card.
(3/3) Flavor: Has a healthy dose of humor.
Polish .:.
(2,5/3) Quality: "This card", or more correctly "this spell" would only be used if whatever then comes modifies to spell on the stack or influences how the spell behaves on the stack, e.g. Academy Journeymage, Abrupt Decay. Here you have an additional effect if a condition is met. "If you jump-started Shocked to Learn" would be new ground in regards to wording but sounds like it would be possible. Otherwhise one could write "If you cast Shocked to Learn from your graveyard, additional effect."
(2/2) Main Challenge: Main challenge satisfied!
(2/2) Subchallenges: Both subchallenges satisfied!
Total: 23/25
Enchantment (R)
Convoke (Your creatures can help cast this spell. Each creature you tap while casting this spell pays for 1 or one mana of that creature’s color.)
Creatures you control get +1/+1 and have vigilance.
When Chord of Marshaling enters the battlefield, for each creature that convoked it, search your library for up to one creature card that shares a mana cost with that creature. Put those cards onto the battlefield, then shuffle your library.
Design .:.
(2/3) Appeal: Really splasy card for Txmmy. And card to work with for Jxnny.
(3/3) Elegance: The card is easy to understand and makes sense.
Development .:.
(3/3) Viability: Pumps creatures and makes creatures, very green white.
(3/3) Balance: If you're able to search for big stuff with this that means that yo already have big stuff on the table. In that case this card appears kind of win-more. Looking for smaller stuff might be more game changing. At nine mana this should still be okey. To note is that tokens don't have a mana cost and are thus not as valuable as usual when convoking.
Creativity .:.
(3/3) Uniqueness: Intermingling Chord of Calling and Marshal's Anthem makes for a cool selesnya card.
(3/3) Flavor: I wanted to write that marshaling sounds more like something the boros would do, not so much the guild of hippies. Then I found Dryad Militant and Conclave Cavalier and Armada Wurm and suddely the Selesnyans appear not as flowery anymore.
Polish .:.
(2,5/3) Quality: Only types and colors (and artists and words in names) are shared so far. For me that means a card can have more than one value for each of those things and share either value with another card. As creatures can only have one mana cost I'd go with Richard here and write "the same mana cost", see Richard Garfield, Ph.D.
(2/2) Main Challenge: Main challenge satisfied!
(2/2) Subchallenges: Both subchallenges satisfied!
Total: 23,5/25
void_nothing 23,5
Raptorchan 23,0
Ulka 23,0
Admirableadmiral 22,0
Cardz5000 22,0
Loki87 19,0