You may have noticed a sub theme to this months assortment of distortion based challenges... the number three. This round it couldn't be more blatant. To be successful here will but the number 3 to odd usage.
Main Challenge: Create a card that use numbers divisible by three at least three times. (Flavor text does not count)
Sub Challenge 1: No number on your card is repeated more that once.
Sub Challenge 2: Your card does not target.
Clarifications
Numbers on your card include both a number written out, such as "three", or listed numerically like a creatures P/T box.
0 Doesn't count as divisible by 3.
CMC of a card does not count. A number divisible by three in the cost (3, 6, 9) does count.
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.
The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, February 24th 11:59 PM EST. The judge deadline will be next Saturday, February 27th at the same hour. Best of luck!
Spell Stealer9C
Creature - Eldrazi (M)
Trample
Whenever Spell Stealer deals combat damage to a player, that player exiles the top three cards of his or her library.
You may cast cards exiled with Spell Stealer and you may spend mana as though it were mana of any color to cast them.
6/12
Increasing Haziness3U
Instant (R)
Creatures your opponents control get -4/-0 until end of turn. If Increasing Haziness was cast from a graveyard, those creatures get -9/-0 until end of turn instead.
Flashback 6UU
Omen Reaver3BB
Creature - Zombie (R)
When Omen Reaver enters the battlefield, creatures get -X/-X until end of turn, where X is the number of instants and/or sorceries in your graveyard. "The presence of an Omen Reaver can be brief, but either way it's very impactful. Also very bad." - Ghoulcaller Gisa
6/3
Necromantic ConferenceBBB
Sorcery (R)
Starting with the next player, each player reveals a card from his or her hand until six cards are revealed in this way or until no player can reveal additional cards. Choose three, then exile the rest.
Tap untapped creatures you control with total converted mana costs 9 or more: You may cast Necromantic Conference from your graveyard this turn.
Archivist of Vryn6UU
Creature - Sphinx (M)
Flying
At the beginning of your upkeep, draw three cards.
At the beginning of each opponent's upkeep, that player draws a card. He may hold the secret to ending the war, but every piece of information he gives only stokes the flames.
5/9
Cataclysm Clock1
Artifact (M)
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a charge counter on Cataclysm Clock. Then, if there are exactly three charge counters on Cataclysm Clock, Cataclysm Clock deals 2 damage to each creature. If there are exactly six charge counters on Cataclysm Clock, Cataclysm Clock deals 5 damage to each creature and each player. If there are exactly nine charge counters on Cataclysm Clock, destroy all permanents and Cataclysm Clock deals 10 damage to each player. It counts down the seconds left in this pitiful world.
Autochthon Caravan Partners3GGGG
Creature - Elf Knight (R)
Haste, reach, vigilance
Renown 15
Whenever Autochthon Caravan Partners attacks and isn't blocked, you gain life equal to the total toughness of creatures you control that are renowned. It takes a daring soul to ride Ravnica's largest organisms, and a different breed altogether to take them to market.
0/9
Relic of Revolution3
Artifact (R) T: Add C to your mana pool. 6, T: Draw two cards and discard a card. 9, T, Sacrifice Relic of Revolution: Choose up to one nonland permanent. Destroy the rest.
Earthflayer Elemental3RG
Creature - Elemental (MR)
Whenever Earthflayer Elemental enters the battlefield, if you control six or more lands, Earthflayer Elemental deals 2 damage to each creature without flying your opponents control. Landfall - Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, if you control nine or more lands, all creatures you control gain +3/+3 and trample until end of turn. On Zendikar, the ground steps on you.
6/4
Judgments complete, not final until deadline. The difference in scores is so wide that I see very little changing if at all though.
Check my "Mark of Quality" articles (link in signature) for a list of the most common Quality mistakes to avoid.
Challenges: what counts is always the letter of the law, unless explicit specifications of the host.
Quality: half a point deducted for any error in templating, wording, spelling, or grammar, no matter how little they may be; a whole point for particularly serious errors.
No complaints unless I got something objectively wrong.
Omen Reaver3BB
Creature - Zombie (R)
When Omen Reaver enters the battlefield, creatures get -X/-X until end of turn, where X is the number of instants and/or sorceries in your graveyard. "The presence of an Omen Reaver can be brief, but either way it's very impactful. Also very bad." - Ghoulcaller Gisa
6/3
Design (1.5/3) Appeal - Timmy would like this if it didn't impact his own creatures too with its ETB ability. Johnny can build whole decks around this card, and he's already brewing. Spike just sees this as a highly situational Wrath. (3/3) Elegance - Other than a few adjustments to the wording (see Quality), I don't see other problems here.
Development (2/3) Viability - Black usually cares about creatures in the graveyard, not instant and sorceries. That feels more blue or even red than black. Maybe this should have been a blue/black gold card? I'd see it very well in that spot. Rarity feels right. (2/3) Balance - I think this will range from being as useless as a vanilla creature to being very good in a deck built to have a lot of instants and sorceries in the graveyard. In limited, you usually don't have a lot of instants and sorceries in your deck, you will certainly have some, but will it be enough to take full advantage of this card? Maybe, because you have to keep in mind that this does NOT say "OTHER creatures" (even though it may be meant to say so, see Quality, and I'd like it much better if it did), so as is the Reaver itself gets the -X/-X too. With 3 toughness, if you want it to survive you will need to have not more than 2 instants or sorceries in your graveyard, so you won't want to play with too many of those, which can make you more likely to play this in limited. In constructed, it's playable in a deck built around it, but not universally playable. Let Johnny have his fun! I can't see any particular problem in casual or multiplayer.
Creativity (2/3) Uniqueness - I can't remember any black card caring about the number of instants and sorceries in the graveyard instead of creatures. That's new, but the rest of the card is just things we see all the time. (2.5/3) Flavor - The flavor in itself if fine, both the name and the flavor text, it just looks a little strange to me to see the exact card name quoted in the flavor text. I can't remember any real card where this happens, but I might very well be wrong here.
Polish (1.5/3) Quality - Which creatures get -X/-X? "All creatures"? "Other creatures"? "Creatures your opponents control"? (Half a point deducted.) Instants and sorceries don't exist as such in the graveyard, there are "instant or sorcery cards" there (half a point deducted). In the flavor text, the attribution should be on a separate line (half a point deducted). (2/2) Main Challenge - 3 in the mana cost, 6 power, 3 toughness. Good. (1/2) Subchallenges - 3 is repeated. No targets.
Archivist of Vryn6UU
Creature - Sphinx (M)
Flying
At the beginning of your upkeep, draw three cards.
At the beginning of each opponent's upkeep, that player draws a card. He may hold the secret to ending the war, but every piece of information he gives only stokes the flames.
5/9
Design (2/3) Appeal - Timmy loves such a big creature that gives him cards, and doesn't mind his opponent getting cards too. Johnny could use this to dig into his library, but if that's what he wants to do I expect him to have better, and most of all cheaper, options. Spike likes this, even though he still doesn't like giving out cards to his opponents first and also doesn't like the high mana cost. (3/3) Elegance - All good here.
Development (3/3) Viability - Everything is in color and this feels very justified as a mythic. (2/3) Balance - This is a limited bomb. It costs too much for competitive constructed, but I can see this being hugely played in non-competitive formats. Multiplayer players in particular should love this, and it fits very nicely in "group hug" archetypes. I think this card could easily become a casual staple.
Creativity (2.5/3) Uniqueness - Nothing groundbreakingly new, but a very interesting twist on the classic Howling Mine effect, partially offsetting the inherent problem of such effects: this will still give cards to your opponents first, but when it's your turn it will give you way more cards than it gave them. (3/3) Flavor - I absolutely love the flavor of this card. It makes a whole lot of sense with the little we've seen of Vryn in Jace's origin story, a plane in perpetual war where Sphinxes (including Alhammarret but not only him) manipulate information to influence that war. The mechanics reflect that flavor in a wonderful way too: give a little information to everyone but more to you. I don't see any way the flavor could have better here. Amazing job here!
Polish (3/3) Quality - All good here. (2/2) Main Challenge - 6 in the mana cost, three cards drawn, 9 toughness. Good. (2/2) Subchallenges - Both met.
Spell Stealer9C
Creature - Eldrazi (M)
Trample
Whenever Spell Stealer deals combat damage to a player, that player exiles the top three cards of his or her library.
You may cast cards exiled with Spell Stealer and you may spend mana as though it were mana of any color to cast them.
6/12
Design (1.5/3) Appeal - Timmy loves everything about this card. Johnny may use stolen spells in creative ways, even though that heavily relies on the opponent, but that's more of a Spike concern. Spike doesn't care about such a high cmc, if he hasn't won yet by the time he would be able to cast this, something's wrong. (3/3) Elegance - The abilities make a lot of sense together and with the card concept. This card really feels like a cohesive whole.
Development (3/3) Viability - First, the easy part: rarity is certainly right. The hard part is the one about the color pie. MaRo has mentioned multiple times that they carved out a specific space of effects for colorless in OGW, even though he hasn't explained yet what abilities C is specifically allowed or not allowed to have. The best we have is a sentence I remember having read in an article on the mothership by either Ken Nagle (OGW's lead designer if I recall correctly) or Sam Stoddard, I can't remember which of the two, who said that for colorless they liked playing in a space where abilities "messed out with your opponent" (the exact quote might be different, but the meaning was definitely that). This card fits very well in that mechanical space, one way of messing with your opponent's resources is certainly to ingest and then steal their spells. (2.5/3) Balance - In an environment where there is support for C in limited like OGW/BFZ, this is a limited bomb. I can't really see this in competitive constructed due to the high mana cost, but it will certainly see play in casual. From the other side of the table, it isn't that fun to see your spells getting stolen and played against you, but any removal spell can easily take care of that and it's kind of the point of the card anyway. I want to explicitly state my appreciation for trample here, it's a very good way to make sure the second ability (the ingest-like one) triggers reliably and often while also feeling like a natural part of the card.
Creativity (3/3) Uniqueness - The second ability being a tripled ingest, the high mana cost and P/T definitely establish this as a good Eldrazi, but those are all things we're used to see in Eldrazi by now. The last ability is what actually gives this particular one an identity among all Eldrazi, and it does a very good job in doing that. Somehow that last ability reminds me of Oblivion Sower, but it's certainly different enough. It's actually kind of a mirror to it: the Sower lets you take lands from exile, this one lets you take spells. This mirroring actually helps this card feeling unique to me. (2.5/3) Flavor - The flavor is very good here even without flavor text. The second ability basically is "ingest 3", so it feels right at home on an Eldrazi, which I assume to be of Ulamog's brood, as ingest is his thing. Normally I only give half points here to a card without flavor text, but in this case I want to prize how well this card manages to have a very well defined and compelling flavor even without it.
Polish (3/3) Quality - All good here. (2/2) Main Challenge - Three cards exiled, 6 power, 9 in the mana cost, and 12 toughness! Four multiples of three, even more than required! Extra style points awarded, a shame they don't actually count in scoring... (2/2) Subchallenges - Both met.
Necrotic Beacon3BB
Creature - Zombie Wall (MR)
Defender
At the beginning of your upkeep, put the top six cards of your library into your graveyard.
Other Zombie creatures you control get +2/+1 and have "Upkeep - Exile a creature card from your graveyard.". "During wartime, necromancers build these pillars of carcasses to empower their creations."
0/9
Design (1/3) Appeal - Timmy doesn't mind flavorful drawbacks, but when he starts being forced to sacrifice his creatures because he no longer can pay the (cumulative? See Quality) upkeep cost, he won't like this very much. Johnny can use the selfmill in a lot of ways. Spike expects much more than a 0/9 defender for those drawbacks. (1.5/3) Elegance - What this card does is understandable enough, but I can see some players (especially less experienced ones) going like: "Why would I ever mill myself or risk having to sacrifice my creatures?".
Development (1.5/3) Viability - Black is secondary in milling and primary in exiling cards from graveyards and Zombie tribal, while Walls are in all colors, so no problem color-pie-wise. A 0/9 defender with two drawbacks is not exactly my idea of a mythic, even though it pumps your other Zombies. I can easily see this at regular rare. (1.5/3) Balance - I understand that the two drawbacks are meant to interact (the selfmill giving you creatures to exile for the cumulative upkeep), but I wonder if a 0/9 defender with a "lord" ability for five mana needs not even one but two drawbacks? I don't think so. A Gatherer search for creatures with defender and 0 power that cost five mana shows cards like Dazzling Ramparts, which I think overall is not that far behind in power level (how many creatures can you think of that a 0/9 can block profitably and a 0/7 cannot? I can only think of Lorthos, the Tidemaker, which is hard to block anyway) and is an uncommon without drawbacks, or very old cards like Wall of Opposition and Snow Fortress that come from a time where creatures were much less powerful than now. For the reward (your other Zombies getting +2/+1) to be worth more than the drawbacks, I think you would just have to play this in a Zombie tribal deck, which is certainly possible in casual constructed but not necessarily in limited (it depends on the features of the environment, in one like Innistrad and probably SOI it's possible, in one where Zombies are not explicitly supported as a tribe it's far from a given). I can't see this in competitive constructed in any way.
Creativity (1/3) Uniqueness - We see things like defender and selfmill in almost all the sets. The most original thing here is granting all your Zombies what I assume to be cumulative upkeep (see Quality), but even that only feels fresh to me probably because it's from a time I didn't play yet (I've only played with cumulative upkeep at the time of Time Spiral and Coldsnap). It's probably something that has been already done back in the times of early Magic (did I say the word "time" enough times? ). (3/3) Flavor - The flavor works, and makes the strange pair of creature types make sense. I don't really see a reason for the flavor text to be quoted, but that's not that big of a problem.
Polish (2/3) Quality - What is "Upkeep -"? You mean "Cumulative upkeep"? If so, you should have written that out fully, while also including the latest reminder text for cumulative upkeep, which you could have found with a simple Gatherer search (half a point deducted). To get a link, copy and paste the following URL (autolink doesn't work because of square brackets in the URL): http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?text= [%22cumulative%20upkeep%22]
In that search, I notice Balduvian Shaman, which Oracle text is a perfect example of how to grant cumulative upkeep to a permanent. Also, no need for a full stop after closing the quotation marks, as there is one already right before the quotation mark (half a point deducted). This is one of those things that would be correct in English grammar but not in Magic grammar (I wrote one whole article about those in my Lion's Lair series, feel free to check it out if you want). (2/2) Main Challenge - 3 in the mana cost, six cards milled, 9 toughness. Good. (2/2) Subchallenges - 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.)
Necromantic ConferenceBBB
Sorcery (R)
Starting with the next player, each player reveals a card from his or her hand until six cards are revealed in this way or until no player can reveal additional cards. Choose three, then exile the rest.
Tap untapped creatures you control with total converted mana costs 9 or more: You may cast Necromantic Conference from your graveyard this turn.
Design - (2.5/3) Appeal: Spike love the huge value this can generate and timmy look at ways to break the converted mana cost ability. Jhonny doesn't find the effect as satisfying even though the repeated casting is fun. (1/3) Elegance: This card has a bunch of complex parts and recursion that don't seem well linked and form an inelegant card.
Development - (2.5/3) Viability: The effects and minigame stuff is fine in black but the tapping creature graveyard recursion is a little more white or green in my mind. (0/3) Balance: This card seems busted. Especially with how it can be repeatable. Allowing a huge amount of exiled cards and a resource intensive lock card. The BBB cost looks expensive but is actually simply a mistake.
Creativity - (3/3) Uniqueness: While the card is broken and inelegant it certainly is unique. (1.5/3) Flavor: The name is great. However the way it combines with the effects isn't great.
Polish - (3/3) Quality: No incorrect spelling, grammar, and templating. (2/2) *Main Challenge: 3, 6 and 9 are here. Well done! (2/2) Subchallenges: This card niether targets or repeats a number, well done.
Total: 17.5/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
Cataclysm Clock1
Artifact (M)
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a charge counter on Cataclysm Clock. Then, if there are exactly three charge counters on Cataclysm Clock, Cataclysm Clock deals 2 damage to each creature. If there are exactly six charge counters on Cataclysm Clock, Cataclysm Clock deals 5 damage to each creature and each player. If there are exactly nine charge counters on Cataclysm Clock, destroy all permanents and Cataclysm Clock deals 10 damage to each player. It counts down the seconds left in this pitiful world.
Design - (2/3) Appeal: Johnny looks at charge counters and other effects that can break this card while timmy loves how massive the effects potentially get even if he doesn't like how symmetrical they are. Spike tries to break the symmetry but its too slow and inefficient. (2.5/3) Elegance: the progression of damage etc is a little random but the build up etc is great and elegant.
Development - (2.5/3) Viability: This is certainly a mythic. I worry how easily artifact gets pyroclasm from this color pie wise but otherwise this is very viable. (3/3) Balance: Unless you can somehow get a loop of removing and reading charge counters to break this, its powerful but slow and fair.
Creativity - (2/3) Uniqueness: Charge counters with a huge payoff have been seen before with cards like Lux Cannon and Darksteel Reactor but this exact effect and the different effect depending on how charged it is makes it unique. (3/3) Flavor: The name is great, fits the mechanics and overall is flavorful.
Polish - (3/3) Quality: No errors that I can see. (2/2) *Main Challenge: Seems to fit the requirements perfectly. (2/2) Subchallenges: both subchallenges complete
Total: 22/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
Archivist of Vryn6UU
Creature - Sphinx (M)
Flying
At the beginning of your upkeep, draw three cards.
At the beginning of each opponent's upkeep, that player draws a card. He may hold the secret to ending the war, but every piece of information he gives only stokes the flames.
5/9
Design - (2/3) Appeal:Timmy loves the massive effects and stats. Spike also loves the options this gives even if they are not a fan of giving your opponent gain options too. (3/3) Elegance: There are no pieces here that look out of place and the individual pieces synergize nicely.
Development - (3/3) Viability: The cards very much like a mythic with the combination of amazing effect and huge stats/cost. The effects are squarely within the realm of blues color pie. (3/3) Balance: This is a
Creativity - (2/3) 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”? (2.5/3) 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 - (3/3) Quality: Points deducted for incorrect spelling, grammar, and templating. (2/2) *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? (2/2) Subchallenges: One point awarded per satisfied subchallenge condition.
Total: 22.5/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
Omen Reaver3BB
Creature - Zombie (R)
When Omen Reaver enters the battlefield, creatures get -X/-X until end of turn, where X is the number of instants and/or sorceries in your graveyard. "The presence of an Omen Reaver can be brief, but either way it's very impactful. Also very bad." - Ghoulcaller Gisa
6/3
Design - (1.5/3) Appeal: Spike loves the efficiency and two for one potential and while johnny can try to make the instant/sorcery effect bigger it doesn't scale well enough. Just killing a single creature in the end to be really worth breaking for johnny or timmy. (1.5/3) Elegance: Being a black card that cares about instant/sorceries and the main body are both decent but not really forming a coherent package.
Development - (1.5/3) Viability: The -x/-x effect is black but black doesn't usually care about instant/sorcery counts. Also the body is weird for a black 5 drop. Rarity is good. (2.5/3) Balance: For a bomb rare its balanced for constructed and while maybe even a little weak for constructed it really depends on the archetypes and threats in the format as any ETB effect that can kill is always strong to an extent.
Creativity - (2/3) Uniqueness: While the black instant and sorcery theme is new the black ETB kill something design isn't a super new idea. So while it will play similar to a lot of other cards it still reads differently which is a plus. (1/3) Flavor: The flavor text and to a certain extent the name fell flat to me. Not quite explaining why this cares about instant/sorcery cards and the dialogue being a little awkward.
Polish - (1.5/3) Quality: instant or sorcery cards need to be referenced for the graveyard and the rules text lacks either a target or "all" text. Finally the flavor text needs to have the name of the person being quoted on a new line. (2/2) *Main Challenge: Looks like the main challenge has been met! (1/2) Subchallenges: The 3 was repeated in the cost and toughness, otherwise good.
Total: 14.5/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
Please bring any questions/comments/concerns to the MCC discussion thread. This weekend is very busy for me, but I'll try to address these up until the judge deadline.
Quote from maplesmall »
Earthflayer Elemental 3RG
Creature - Elemental (MR)
Whenever Earthflayer Elemental enters the battlefield, if you control six or more lands, Earthflayer Elemental deals 2 damage to each creature without flying your opponents control.
Landfall - Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, if you control nine or more lands, all creatures you control gain +3/+3 and trample until end of turn.
On Zendikar, the ground steps on you.
6/4
Design -
(3/3) Appeal: Each of the psychographs find something to enjoy here. There is plenty of opportunity to experience, express, and prove using Earthflayer Elemental.
(1/3) Elegance: The name really clashes with the card's text; it isn't flaying any earth. Some numbers are at inelegant points as well. Specifically, the 2 damage feels out of place.
Development -
(2.5/3) Viability: Red has been hitting all creatures and fliers moreso than nonfliers lately, and with green in the mix this should really be hitting flying creatures with the first mode. Everything else is solid.
(3/3) Balance: The balance here seems pretty reasonable for a Mythic Rare. Limited isn't effected. Standard probably plays it as an efficient sweep effect in a RG ramp deck. It could get really dangerous in more casual formats, but it requires enough setup that it's fine. If anything, the card is poised to be slightly weak in most metagames.
Creativity -
(1.5/3) Uniqueness: There's a long line of red sweeping creatures - Caldera Hellion, Crater Hellion, Magma Giant, Thunder Dragon, etc. There's also plenty of creatures that give overrun effects - Ezuri, Kamhal, etc. They haven't been paired before, so you get some points there, but overall this isn't particularly new.
(2/3) Flavor: Vorthos isn't too keen on the name, but can overlook it since he enjoys the flavor text so much.
Polish -
(2/3) Quality: The enter the battlefield ability should be "When" instead of "Whenever". The overrun ability should say "get +3/+3 and gain trample".
(2/2) Main Challenge: 3, 6, 9. Card looks fine.
(1/2) Subchallenges: Doesn't target, but +3/+3 means 3 shows up twice.
Total: 18/25
Quote from shinike1729 »
Relic of Revolution 3
Artifact (R)
T: Add C to your mana pool.
6, T: Draw two cards and discard a card.
9, T, Sacrifice Relic of Revolution: Choose up to one nonland permanent. Destroy the rest.
Design -
(2/3) Appeal: Spike is happy to prove he can use the Relic better than others. Timmy isn't too keen, but might enjoy the experience of the final mode taking place. Johnny is willing to try to express cleverness with the combination of abilities, but finds better options elsewhere.
(3/3) Elegance: Each of the abilities ties into the "Revolution" concept in some way, and each is understandable in its own right. Seems fine here.
Development -
(2.5/3) Viability: These are all things that colorless can do at acceptable price points for colorless to bite off. Black and Red have had access to enchantment destruction in similar ways in the past. The one rule it bends is in the final ability not targeting - without very good reason, cards should really target in abilities like this.
(3/3) Balance: This isn't breaking any formats anytime soon. Nor does it imply any oppression of archetypes.
Creativity -
(1/3) Uniqueness: We've been seeing more mana rock + utility cards lately, and we've seen card filtering and sweeping before on things like Emmessi Tome and Oblivion Stone. This relic isn't doing anything particularly revolutionary.
(1/3) Flavor: Not much flavor to go on here, though the card text would only allow for a small amount of it. Still, the name fits well enough for Vorthos to not riot.
Polish -
(2.5/3) Quality: The middle ability should say "then discard a card".
(2/2) Main Challenge: 3, 6, 9. Card looks fine.
(2/2) Subchallenges: No number word is repeated. It technically doesn't target, but the final ability really ought to.
Total: 19/25
Quote from RickyRister »
Cataclysm Clock 1
Artifact (M)
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a charge counter on Cataclysm Clock. Then, if there are exactly three charge counters on Cataclysm Clock, Cataclysm Clock deals 2 damage to each creature. If there are exactly six charge counters on Cataclysm Clock, Cataclysm Clock deals 5 damage to each creature and each player. If there are exactly nine charge counters on Cataclysm Clock, destroy all permanents and Cataclysm Clock deals 10 damage to each player.
It counts down the seconds left in this pitiful world.
Design -
(2/3) Appeal: Timmy loves the experience of watching the clock tick upward to doom. Johnny likes that he can trick the clock into going faster. Spike takes one look and says "too slow," "doesn't have board impact," and other such sentiments.
(0/3) Elegance: The card is quite a mouthful, and has a ton of numbers being thrown around. Nothing is particularly unintuitive though, it's just a slog to get to the right piece of text. There's nine lines of rules text and one of flavor text - for comparison, Wizards' hasn't released a card with more than 8 lines of text since... I don't actually know the precedent, but it's been a long time!
Development -
(3/3) Viability: Voltaic Rig shows us that such effects are acceptable on colorless cards.
(3/3) Balance: Unless Johnny finds a better way to break it than I can, this isn't causing any problems in any environment.
Creativity -
(2.5/3) Uniqueness: Besides Voltaic Rig, Modern hasn't seen an artifact that does indiscriminate damage.
(3/3) Flavor: Vorthos wishes the flavor text was attributed to Nicol Bolas, but is still jazzed about the flavor.
Polish -
(3/3) Quality: No wording errors to be found.
(2/2) Main Challenge: 3, 6, 9. Card looks fine.
(2/2) Subchallenges: Doesn't target, doesn't repeat numbers.
Total: 20.5/25
Quote from willows »
Necromantic Conference BBB
Sorcery (R)
Starting with the next player, each player reveals a card from his or her hand until six cards are revealed in this way or until no player can reveal additional cards. Choose three, then exile the rest.
Tap untapped creatures you control with total converted mana costs 9 or more: You may cast Necromantic Conference from your graveyard this turn.
Design -
(3/3) Appeal: Spike loves the value of the first cast. Timmy loves the experience of casting it again. Johnny immediately digs through his collection for Scornful Egotist.
(2/3) Elegance: You'll have to explain to the table what's supposed to happen, but it's pretty clear how it works. Considering the complexity of what the card pulls off, this is done in a reasonably elegant manner.
Development -
(3/3) Viability: Selective discard and graveyard interactions are perfectly black. Nothing is breaking game rules here, but as we see in Balance some design rules are broken.
(0/3) Balance: Games need to feel different for people to enjoy them. That means repeatable effects need to be handled with great care, and ideally need to require increasingly different conditions to employ. As soon as a player has the ability to, s/he can lock a player out with the gravecast ability. Yes it requires a lot of resources to pull off, but it effectively removes other players from the game in a frustrating way. This primarily affects casual formats, but could cause serious problems in Standard as well.
Creativity -
(3/3) Uniqueness: Never has a discard spell worked quite like this. Black used to do a lot of minigame type effects, and this is reminiscent of the days of Fact or Fiction or Pain's Reward.
(2/3) Flavor: The name seems realistic for a card, but I'm not sure it's this card. There isn't much to do with Necromancy, but the Conference matches the effect quite well. The lack of flavor text hurts as well.
Polish -
(3/3) Quality: No wording errors found.
(2/2) Main Challenge: 3, 6, 9. Card looks fine.
(2/2) Subchallenges: No numbers repeated, no targeting.
Design: 4.5/6
Appeal: 1.5/3 Spike likes card advantage and wants to cheat this out quickly, but doesn't like a 10-drop with no immediate impact, so will likely pass on this in search of something more consistent. Timmy just fainted. Johnny sees some fun potential for combos. Elegance: 3/3 Nice and understandable.
Development: 5.5/6
Viability: 3/3 This fits well with processors, so I'd say colorless can probably have it. It's definitely a mythic-y card. Balance: 2.5/3 For just over three times the cost of Nightveil Specter, you get 3 times the power, 4 times the toughness, and 3 times the utility. Seems fair. Would probably be better as a 6- or 7-drop with slightly smaller stats (5/7 or 6/8?) and an ability that exiles two cards.
Creativity: 3/6
Uniqueness: 1/3 This is a big colorless Nightveil Specter. Not much else to be said, it adds the Daxos of Meletis "any color" clause though. Flavor: 2/3 Could use flavor text, and the name would ring better with the flavor as Spell Thief. "Stealer" just sounds kind of odd.
Polish: 7/7
Quality: 3/3 All good. Main Challenge: 2/2 All good. Subchallenges: 2/2 All good.
Total: 20/25
Design: 2/6
Appeal: 1/3 Johnny will have fun making this work. Timmy doesn't like the drawback because it's not fun, and Spike because it's not worth it. Elegance: 1/3 What does "Upkeep" do? Is it cumulative upkeep? Does it read, "At the beginning of your upkeep, ----?" "At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice ~ unless you -----?".
Development: 3.5/6
Viability: 2.5/3 Definitely black. This should probably be rare in a vacuum, but in a world with the flavor of necromancer warlords waging large-scale wars on each other or on civilization, this could be mythic too. Balance: 1/3 5 mana for a 0/9 defender? No thanks. For four mana you get the same bonus in Undead Warchief with an additional cost-lowering bonus, and it's effectively a 3/2. I'd rather have an 0/9 defender than a 3/2 but not by much, and the one mana shaved off casting cost, the additional bonus (which is relevant for Zombie tribal, as I want to cast my Grave Titan to follow this up and I can do it on t5 with Warchief) and the lack of drawbacks more than makes up for the p/t difference... and Warchief is an uncommon. The mill can be seen as a bonus, but when it's 6 per turn, it can begin to get dangerous in a grindy game... which is when you no longer want to rely on your 0/9 defender that's slowly killing you and presumably (not sure though because of the vagueness around "Upkeep") making you sacrifice some of your own creatures.
Creativity: 5/6
Uniqueness: 2/3 Mill and defenders aren't all that unique, but the ability set as a whole is. Flavor: 3/3 The flavor is cool, I like the all-out necromancer war idea.
Polish: 5.5/7
Quality: 1.5/3 Once again, what's "upkeep" as an ability word? If it is cumulative, look at Balduvian Shaman for reference on how to grant this. Also, only one period needed at the end of the last ability. Main Challenge: 2/2 All good. Subchallenges: 2/2 All good.
Total: 16/25
Design: 4/6
Appeal: 1.5/3 Timmy loves everything about this. Johnny wants to try and make a renown-themed combo deck, but needs something a bit stranger to get him more interested. Spike looks away after the mana cost and power. Elegance: 2.5/3 Nice and understandable. Some people might think renown triggers even if power=0, which it doesn't, though. Especially because the second ability does trigger... but requires renown to have triggered already for a creature.
Development: 4/6
Viability: 2/3 This seems kind of green-white— Lifegain that counts creatures is seen on Congregate. It is definitely right at rare. Balance: 2/3 This would be nice as a 1/9 so it can trigger its own renowned ability— Otherwise it needs a boost. It's pretty good in EDH anyway and might see some play if a standard ramp deck became big, and is probably a limited bomb if there are enough ways to give it power.
Creativity: 6/6
Uniqueness: 3/3 This is pretty original, it has an unprecedentedly large renown ability and there isn't precedent for counting renowned creatures either. Or for having 0-power renowned creatures. Flavor: 3/3 I like the flavor of some elves casually riding an Autochthon Wurm to the market.
Polish: 7/7
Quality: 3/3 All good. Main Challenge: 2/2 All good. Subchallenges: 2/2 All good.
Design:
Appeal: 1.5/3 This is big and splashy, Timmy likes. Johnny might want to go the extra mile to trigger the landfall ability multiple times. The power level of this and combination of abilities falls short for spike. Hitting nine lands is tough, and is the real ability that hold weight. Elegance: 2.5/3 The numbers are little all over the place. Making them feel natural was part of the challenge and you fell a bit short.
Development:
Viability: 3/3 The landfall ability feels mythic. The colors fit. Seems to work. Balance: 2/3 This is a casual table mythic. It costs five, but wants to be played once you get 6 lands, which by then its stats and abilities are sub par. Only when you get to 9 lands does this really kick in, and that give opponents plenty of time to handle it. Its fair. It has a hint a power. But tournament players will let it pass.
Creativity:
Uniqueness: 1.5/3 It a mix off effects that individual have been done, but not together. Flavor: 3/3 The story this card tells is both apparent and funny. Good job.
Quality: 2.5/3 Just "When" not "Whenever" it enters the battlefield. Main Challenge: 2/2 Good. Subchallenges: 1/2 3 is repeated 3 times, so you lose points there.
Total: 19/25
Design:
Appeal: 2/3 Timmy is attracted to the big boom. Johnny likes the filtration, but this doesn't inspire much cleverness. Spike enjoys the versatility. Elegance: 2/3 Surprisingly elegant given the challenge. Good job.
Development:
Viability: 3/3 This seems reasonable for colorless. Rare is right, and it works within the game. Balance: 2.5/3 I think this is balanced reasonably close. You have to be careful with colorless cost like this as giving all colors access to mass removal can be dangerous. It will be use a plenty in Commander. In standard an environment that accels towards the late game can put this to use. It's use in limited is... limited. I'd like the abilities more if they costed 5 and 10 respectively, but that wouldn't have fit the challenge.
Creativity:
Uniqueness: 2/3 The way this card builds makes it feel fresh though similar abilities have always been around. Flavor: 2.5/3 This could of really used a one liner to make the card sing, but the name and effects play together to make a narrative.
Polish:
Quality: 2.5/3 "Then" discard a card, not "and." Main Challenge: 2/2 On point. Subchallenges: 2/2 Fine.
You may have noticed a sub theme to this months assortment of distortion based challenges... the number three. This round it couldn't be more blatant. To be successful here will but the number 3 to odd usage.
Main Challenge: Create a card that use numbers divisible by three at least three times. (Flavor text does not count)
Sub Challenge 1: No number on your card is repeated more that once.
Sub Challenge 2: Your card does not target.
Clarifications
(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.
Our Judges:
IcariiFA
Doombringer
sperlman
Piar
bravelion83
Our Players:
bubblecat2
glurman
maplesmall
Moss_Elemental
RickyRister
shinike1729
theazurespirit
TriceDefied
void_nothing
willows
The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, February 24th 11:59 PM EST. The judge deadline will be next Saturday, February 27th at the same hour. Best of luck!
Spell Stealer 9C
Creature - Eldrazi (M)
Trample
Whenever Spell Stealer deals combat damage to a player, that player exiles the top three cards of his or her library.
You may cast cards exiled with Spell Stealer and you may spend mana as though it were mana of any color to cast them.
6/12
Instant (R)
Creatures your opponents control get -4/-0 until end of turn. If Increasing Haziness was cast from a graveyard, those creatures get -9/-0 until end of turn instead.
Flashback 6UU
Creature - Zombie (R)
When Omen Reaver enters the battlefield, creatures get -X/-X until end of turn, where X is the number of instants and/or sorceries in your graveyard.
"The presence of an Omen Reaver can be brief, but either way it's very impactful. Also very bad." - Ghoulcaller Gisa
6/3
Sorcery (R)
Starting with the next player, each player reveals a card from his or her hand until six cards are revealed in this way or until no player can reveal additional cards. Choose three, then exile the rest.
Tap untapped creatures you control with total converted mana costs 9 or more: You may cast Necromantic Conference from your graveyard this turn.
Creature - Sphinx (M)
Flying
At the beginning of your upkeep, draw three cards.
At the beginning of each opponent's upkeep, that player draws a card.
He may hold the secret to ending the war, but every piece of information he gives only stokes the flames.
5/9
Artifact (M)
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a charge counter on Cataclysm Clock. Then, if there are exactly three charge counters on Cataclysm Clock, Cataclysm Clock deals 2 damage to each creature. If there are exactly six charge counters on Cataclysm Clock, Cataclysm Clock deals 5 damage to each creature and each player. If there are exactly nine charge counters on Cataclysm Clock, destroy all permanents and Cataclysm Clock deals 10 damage to each player.
It counts down the seconds left in this pitiful world.
Creature - Elf Knight (R)
Haste, reach, vigilance
Renown 15
Whenever Autochthon Caravan Partners attacks and isn't blocked, you gain life equal to the total toughness of creatures you control that are renowned.
It takes a daring soul to ride Ravnica's largest organisms, and a different breed altogether to take them to market.
0/9
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
Artifact (R)
T: Add C to your mana pool.
6, T: Draw two cards and discard a card.
9, T, Sacrifice Relic of Revolution: Choose up to one nonland permanent. Destroy the rest.
Creature - Elemental (MR)
Whenever Earthflayer Elemental enters the battlefield, if you control six or more lands, Earthflayer Elemental deals 2 damage to each creature without flying your opponents control.
Landfall - Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, if you control nine or more lands, all creatures you control gain +3/+3 and trample until end of turn.
On Zendikar, the ground steps on you.
6/4
glurman vs theazurespirit
bravelion93 and Doombringer judging.
maplesmall vs shinike1729
IcariiFA and Piar judging.
Moss_Elemental vs TriceDefied
sperlman and bravelion83 judging.
RickyRister vs willows
Doombringer and Piar judging
void_nothing receives a by, but as a courtesy for his efforts sperlman and I will still judge his entry. Judgments due Saturday night EST!
Check my "Mark of Quality" articles (link in signature) for a list of the most common Quality mistakes to avoid.
Challenges: what counts is always the letter of the law, unless explicit specifications of the host.
Quality: half a point deducted for any error in templating, wording, spelling, or grammar, no matter how little they may be; a whole point for particularly serious errors.
No complaints unless I got something objectively wrong.
Design
(1.5/3) Appeal - Timmy would like this if it didn't impact his own creatures too with its ETB ability. Johnny can build whole decks around this card, and he's already brewing. Spike just sees this as a highly situational Wrath.
(3/3) Elegance - Other than a few adjustments to the wording (see Quality), I don't see other problems here.
Development
(2/3) Viability - Black usually cares about creatures in the graveyard, not instant and sorceries. That feels more blue or even red than black. Maybe this should have been a blue/black gold card? I'd see it very well in that spot. Rarity feels right.
(2/3) Balance - I think this will range from being as useless as a vanilla creature to being very good in a deck built to have a lot of instants and sorceries in the graveyard. In limited, you usually don't have a lot of instants and sorceries in your deck, you will certainly have some, but will it be enough to take full advantage of this card? Maybe, because you have to keep in mind that this does NOT say "OTHER creatures" (even though it may be meant to say so, see Quality, and I'd like it much better if it did), so as is the Reaver itself gets the -X/-X too. With 3 toughness, if you want it to survive you will need to have not more than 2 instants or sorceries in your graveyard, so you won't want to play with too many of those, which can make you more likely to play this in limited. In constructed, it's playable in a deck built around it, but not universally playable. Let Johnny have his fun! I can't see any particular problem in casual or multiplayer.
Creativity
(2/3) Uniqueness - I can't remember any black card caring about the number of instants and sorceries in the graveyard instead of creatures. That's new, but the rest of the card is just things we see all the time.
(2.5/3) Flavor - The flavor in itself if fine, both the name and the flavor text, it just looks a little strange to me to see the exact card name quoted in the flavor text. I can't remember any real card where this happens, but I might very well be wrong here.
Polish
(1.5/3) Quality - Which creatures get -X/-X? "All creatures"? "Other creatures"? "Creatures your opponents control"? (Half a point deducted.) Instants and sorceries don't exist as such in the graveyard, there are "instant or sorcery cards" there (half a point deducted). In the flavor text, the attribution should be on a separate line (half a point deducted).
(2/2) Main Challenge - 3 in the mana cost, 6 power, 3 toughness. Good.
(1/2) Subchallenges - 3 is repeated. No targets.
Total: 17.5/25
Design
(2/3) Appeal - Timmy loves such a big creature that gives him cards, and doesn't mind his opponent getting cards too. Johnny could use this to dig into his library, but if that's what he wants to do I expect him to have better, and most of all cheaper, options. Spike likes this, even though he still doesn't like giving out cards to his opponents first and also doesn't like the high mana cost.
(3/3) Elegance - All good here.
Development
(3/3) Viability - Everything is in color and this feels very justified as a mythic.
(2/3) Balance - This is a limited bomb. It costs too much for competitive constructed, but I can see this being hugely played in non-competitive formats. Multiplayer players in particular should love this, and it fits very nicely in "group hug" archetypes. I think this card could easily become a casual staple.
Creativity
(2.5/3) Uniqueness - Nothing groundbreakingly new, but a very interesting twist on the classic Howling Mine effect, partially offsetting the inherent problem of such effects: this will still give cards to your opponents first, but when it's your turn it will give you way more cards than it gave them.
(3/3) Flavor - I absolutely love the flavor of this card. It makes a whole lot of sense with the little we've seen of Vryn in Jace's origin story, a plane in perpetual war where Sphinxes (including Alhammarret but not only him) manipulate information to influence that war. The mechanics reflect that flavor in a wonderful way too: give a little information to everyone but more to you. I don't see any way the flavor could have better here. Amazing job here!
Polish
(3/3) Quality - All good here.
(2/2) Main Challenge - 6 in the mana cost, three cards drawn, 9 toughness. Good.
(2/2) Subchallenges - Both met.
Total: 22.5/25
Design
(1.5/3) Appeal - Timmy loves everything about this card. Johnny may use stolen spells in creative ways, even though that heavily relies on the opponent, but that's more of a Spike concern. Spike doesn't care about such a high cmc, if he hasn't won yet by the time he would be able to cast this, something's wrong.
(3/3) Elegance - The abilities make a lot of sense together and with the card concept. This card really feels like a cohesive whole.
Development
(3/3) Viability - First, the easy part: rarity is certainly right. The hard part is the one about the color pie. MaRo has mentioned multiple times that they carved out a specific space of effects for colorless in OGW, even though he hasn't explained yet what abilities C is specifically allowed or not allowed to have. The best we have is a sentence I remember having read in an article on the mothership by either Ken Nagle (OGW's lead designer if I recall correctly) or Sam Stoddard, I can't remember which of the two, who said that for colorless they liked playing in a space where abilities "messed out with your opponent" (the exact quote might be different, but the meaning was definitely that). This card fits very well in that mechanical space, one way of messing with your opponent's resources is certainly to ingest and then steal their spells.
(2.5/3) Balance - In an environment where there is support for C in limited like OGW/BFZ, this is a limited bomb. I can't really see this in competitive constructed due to the high mana cost, but it will certainly see play in casual. From the other side of the table, it isn't that fun to see your spells getting stolen and played against you, but any removal spell can easily take care of that and it's kind of the point of the card anyway. I want to explicitly state my appreciation for trample here, it's a very good way to make sure the second ability (the ingest-like one) triggers reliably and often while also feeling like a natural part of the card.
Creativity
(3/3) Uniqueness - The second ability being a tripled ingest, the high mana cost and P/T definitely establish this as a good Eldrazi, but those are all things we're used to see in Eldrazi by now. The last ability is what actually gives this particular one an identity among all Eldrazi, and it does a very good job in doing that. Somehow that last ability reminds me of Oblivion Sower, but it's certainly different enough. It's actually kind of a mirror to it: the Sower lets you take lands from exile, this one lets you take spells. This mirroring actually helps this card feeling unique to me.
(2.5/3) Flavor - The flavor is very good here even without flavor text. The second ability basically is "ingest 3", so it feels right at home on an Eldrazi, which I assume to be of Ulamog's brood, as ingest is his thing. Normally I only give half points here to a card without flavor text, but in this case I want to prize how well this card manages to have a very well defined and compelling flavor even without it.
Polish
(3/3) Quality - All good here.
(2/2) Main Challenge - Three cards exiled, 6 power, 9 in the mana cost, and 12 toughness! Four multiples of three, even more than required! Extra style points awarded, a shame they don't actually count in scoring...
(2/2) Subchallenges - Both met.
Total: 22.5/25
Design
(1/3) Appeal - Timmy doesn't mind flavorful drawbacks, but when he starts being forced to sacrifice his creatures because he no longer can pay the (cumulative? See Quality) upkeep cost, he won't like this very much. Johnny can use the selfmill in a lot of ways. Spike expects much more than a 0/9 defender for those drawbacks.
(1.5/3) Elegance - What this card does is understandable enough, but I can see some players (especially less experienced ones) going like: "Why would I ever mill myself or risk having to sacrifice my creatures?".
Development
(1.5/3) Viability - Black is secondary in milling and primary in exiling cards from graveyards and Zombie tribal, while Walls are in all colors, so no problem color-pie-wise. A 0/9 defender with two drawbacks is not exactly my idea of a mythic, even though it pumps your other Zombies. I can easily see this at regular rare.
(1.5/3) Balance - I understand that the two drawbacks are meant to interact (the selfmill giving you creatures to exile for the cumulative upkeep), but I wonder if a 0/9 defender with a "lord" ability for five mana needs not even one but two drawbacks? I don't think so. A Gatherer search for creatures with defender and 0 power that cost five mana shows cards like Dazzling Ramparts, which I think overall is not that far behind in power level (how many creatures can you think of that a 0/9 can block profitably and a 0/7 cannot? I can only think of Lorthos, the Tidemaker, which is hard to block anyway) and is an uncommon without drawbacks, or very old cards like Wall of Opposition and Snow Fortress that come from a time where creatures were much less powerful than now. For the reward (your other Zombies getting +2/+1) to be worth more than the drawbacks, I think you would just have to play this in a Zombie tribal deck, which is certainly possible in casual constructed but not necessarily in limited (it depends on the features of the environment, in one like Innistrad and probably SOI it's possible, in one where Zombies are not explicitly supported as a tribe it's far from a given). I can't see this in competitive constructed in any way.
Creativity
(1/3) Uniqueness - We see things like defender and selfmill in almost all the sets. The most original thing here is granting all your Zombies what I assume to be cumulative upkeep (see Quality), but even that only feels fresh to me probably because it's from a time I didn't play yet (I've only played with cumulative upkeep at the time of Time Spiral and Coldsnap). It's probably something that has been already done back in the times of early Magic (did I say the word "time" enough times? ).
(3/3) Flavor - The flavor works, and makes the strange pair of creature types make sense. I don't really see a reason for the flavor text to be quoted, but that's not that big of a problem.
Polish
(2/3) Quality - What is "Upkeep -"? You mean "Cumulative upkeep"? If so, you should have written that out fully, while also including the latest reminder text for cumulative upkeep, which you could have found with a simple Gatherer search (half a point deducted). To get a link, copy and paste the following URL (autolink doesn't work because of square brackets in the URL):
http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?text= [%22cumulative%20upkeep%22]
In that search, I notice Balduvian Shaman, which Oracle text is a perfect example of how to grant cumulative upkeep to a permanent. Also, no need for a full stop after closing the quotation marks, as there is one already right before the quotation mark (half a point deducted). This is one of those things that would be correct in English grammar but not in Magic grammar (I wrote one whole article about those in my Lion's Lair series, feel free to check it out if you want).
(2/2) Main Challenge - 3 in the mana cost, six cards milled, 9 toughness. Good.
(2/2) Subchallenges - Both met.
Total: 15.5/25
glurman: 17.5
theazurespirit: 22.5
Moss_Elemental: 22.5
TriceDefied: 15.5
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.)
Design -
(2.5/3) Appeal: Spike love the huge value this can generate and timmy look at ways to break the converted mana cost ability. Jhonny doesn't find the effect as satisfying even though the repeated casting is fun.
(1/3) Elegance: This card has a bunch of complex parts and recursion that don't seem well linked and form an inelegant card.
Development -
(2.5/3) Viability: The effects and minigame stuff is fine in black but the tapping creature graveyard recursion is a little more white or green in my mind.
(0/3) Balance: This card seems busted. Especially with how it can be repeatable. Allowing a huge amount of exiled cards and a resource intensive lock card. The BBB cost looks expensive but is actually simply a mistake.
Creativity -
(3/3) Uniqueness: While the card is broken and inelegant it certainly is unique.
(1.5/3) Flavor: The name is great. However the way it combines with the effects isn't great.
Polish -
(3/3) Quality: No incorrect spelling, grammar, and templating.
(2/2) *Main Challenge: 3, 6 and 9 are here. Well done!
(2/2) Subchallenges: This card niether targets or repeats a number, well done.
Total: 17.5/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
Design -
(2/3) Appeal: Johnny looks at charge counters and other effects that can break this card while timmy loves how massive the effects potentially get even if he doesn't like how symmetrical they are. Spike tries to break the symmetry but its too slow and inefficient.
(2.5/3) Elegance: the progression of damage etc is a little random but the build up etc is great and elegant.
Development -
(2.5/3) Viability: This is certainly a mythic. I worry how easily artifact gets pyroclasm from this color pie wise but otherwise this is very viable.
(3/3) Balance: Unless you can somehow get a loop of removing and reading charge counters to break this, its powerful but slow and fair.
Creativity -
(2/3) Uniqueness: Charge counters with a huge payoff have been seen before with cards like Lux Cannon and Darksteel Reactor but this exact effect and the different effect depending on how charged it is makes it unique.
(3/3) Flavor: The name is great, fits the mechanics and overall is flavorful.
Polish -
(3/3) Quality: No errors that I can see.
(2/2) *Main Challenge: Seems to fit the requirements perfectly.
(2/2) Subchallenges: both subchallenges complete
Total: 22/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
Design -
(2/3) Appeal:Timmy loves the massive effects and stats. Spike also loves the options this gives even if they are not a fan of giving your opponent gain options too.
(3/3) Elegance: There are no pieces here that look out of place and the individual pieces synergize nicely.
Development -
(3/3) Viability: The cards very much like a mythic with the combination of amazing effect and huge stats/cost. The effects are squarely within the realm of blues color pie.
(3/3) Balance: This is a
Creativity -
(2/3) 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”?
(2.5/3) 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 -
(3/3) Quality: Points deducted for incorrect spelling, grammar, and templating.
(2/2) *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?
(2/2) Subchallenges: One point awarded per satisfied subchallenge condition.
Total: 22.5/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
Design -
(1.5/3) Appeal: Spike loves the efficiency and two for one potential and while johnny can try to make the instant/sorcery effect bigger it doesn't scale well enough. Just killing a single creature in the end to be really worth breaking for johnny or timmy.
(1.5/3) Elegance: Being a black card that cares about instant/sorceries and the main body are both decent but not really forming a coherent package.
Development -
(1.5/3) Viability: The -x/-x effect is black but black doesn't usually care about instant/sorcery counts. Also the body is weird for a black 5 drop. Rarity is good.
(2.5/3) Balance: For a bomb rare its balanced for constructed and while maybe even a little weak for constructed it really depends on the archetypes and threats in the format as any ETB effect that can kill is always strong to an extent.
Creativity -
(2/3) Uniqueness: While the black instant and sorcery theme is new the black ETB kill something design isn't a super new idea. So while it will play similar to a lot of other cards it still reads differently which is a plus.
(1/3) Flavor: The flavor text and to a certain extent the name fell flat to me. Not quite explaining why this cares about instant/sorcery cards and the dialogue being a little awkward.
Polish -
(1.5/3) Quality: instant or sorcery cards need to be referenced for the graveyard and the rules text lacks either a target or "all" text. Finally the flavor text needs to have the name of the person being quoted on a new line.
(2/2) *Main Challenge: Looks like the main challenge has been met!
(1/2) Subchallenges: The 3 was repeated in the cost and toughness, otherwise good.
Total: 14.5/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
Rickyrister: 22
Azurespirit: 22.5
Glurman: 14.5
Are you designing commons? Check out my primer on NWO.
Interested in making a custom set? Check out my Set skeleton and archetype primer.
I also write articles about getting started with custom card creation.
Go and PLAYTEST your designs, you will learn more in a single playtests than a dozen discussions.
My custom sets:
Dreamscape
Coins of Mercalis [COMPLETE]
Exodus of Zendikar - ON HOLD
Design -
(3/3) Appeal: Each of the psychographs find something to enjoy here. There is plenty of opportunity to experience, express, and prove using Earthflayer Elemental.
(1/3) Elegance: The name really clashes with the card's text; it isn't flaying any earth. Some numbers are at inelegant points as well. Specifically, the 2 damage feels out of place.
Development -
(2.5/3) Viability: Red has been hitting all creatures and fliers moreso than nonfliers lately, and with green in the mix this should really be hitting flying creatures with the first mode. Everything else is solid.
(3/3) Balance: The balance here seems pretty reasonable for a Mythic Rare. Limited isn't effected. Standard probably plays it as an efficient sweep effect in a RG ramp deck. It could get really dangerous in more casual formats, but it requires enough setup that it's fine. If anything, the card is poised to be slightly weak in most metagames.
Creativity -
(1.5/3) Uniqueness: There's a long line of red sweeping creatures - Caldera Hellion, Crater Hellion, Magma Giant, Thunder Dragon, etc. There's also plenty of creatures that give overrun effects - Ezuri, Kamhal, etc. They haven't been paired before, so you get some points there, but overall this isn't particularly new.
(2/3) Flavor: Vorthos isn't too keen on the name, but can overlook it since he enjoys the flavor text so much.
Polish -
(2/3) Quality: The enter the battlefield ability should be "When" instead of "Whenever". The overrun ability should say "get +3/+3 and gain trample".
(2/2) Main Challenge: 3, 6, 9. Card looks fine.
(1/2) Subchallenges: Doesn't target, but +3/+3 means 3 shows up twice.
Total: 18/25
Design -
(2/3) Appeal: Spike is happy to prove he can use the Relic better than others. Timmy isn't too keen, but might enjoy the experience of the final mode taking place. Johnny is willing to try to express cleverness with the combination of abilities, but finds better options elsewhere.
(3/3) Elegance: Each of the abilities ties into the "Revolution" concept in some way, and each is understandable in its own right. Seems fine here.
Development -
(2.5/3) Viability: These are all things that colorless can do at acceptable price points for colorless to bite off. Black and Red have had access to enchantment destruction in similar ways in the past. The one rule it bends is in the final ability not targeting - without very good reason, cards should really target in abilities like this.
(3/3) Balance: This isn't breaking any formats anytime soon. Nor does it imply any oppression of archetypes.
Creativity -
(1/3) Uniqueness: We've been seeing more mana rock + utility cards lately, and we've seen card filtering and sweeping before on things like Emmessi Tome and Oblivion Stone. This relic isn't doing anything particularly revolutionary.
(1/3) Flavor: Not much flavor to go on here, though the card text would only allow for a small amount of it. Still, the name fits well enough for Vorthos to not riot.
Polish -
(2.5/3) Quality: The middle ability should say "then discard a card".
(2/2) Main Challenge: 3, 6, 9. Card looks fine.
(2/2) Subchallenges: No number word is repeated. It technically doesn't target, but the final ability really ought to.
Total: 19/25
Design -
(2/3) Appeal: Timmy loves the experience of watching the clock tick upward to doom. Johnny likes that he can trick the clock into going faster. Spike takes one look and says "too slow," "doesn't have board impact," and other such sentiments.
(0/3) Elegance: The card is quite a mouthful, and has a ton of numbers being thrown around. Nothing is particularly unintuitive though, it's just a slog to get to the right piece of text. There's nine lines of rules text and one of flavor text - for comparison, Wizards' hasn't released a card with more than 8 lines of text since... I don't actually know the precedent, but it's been a long time!
Development -
(3/3) Viability: Voltaic Rig shows us that such effects are acceptable on colorless cards.
(3/3) Balance: Unless Johnny finds a better way to break it than I can, this isn't causing any problems in any environment.
Creativity -
(2.5/3) Uniqueness: Besides Voltaic Rig, Modern hasn't seen an artifact that does indiscriminate damage.
(3/3) Flavor: Vorthos wishes the flavor text was attributed to Nicol Bolas, but is still jazzed about the flavor.
Polish -
(3/3) Quality: No wording errors to be found.
(2/2) Main Challenge: 3, 6, 9. Card looks fine.
(2/2) Subchallenges: Doesn't target, doesn't repeat numbers.
Total: 20.5/25
Design -
(3/3) Appeal: Spike loves the value of the first cast. Timmy loves the experience of casting it again. Johnny immediately digs through his collection for Scornful Egotist.
(2/3) Elegance: You'll have to explain to the table what's supposed to happen, but it's pretty clear how it works. Considering the complexity of what the card pulls off, this is done in a reasonably elegant manner.
Development -
(3/3) Viability: Selective discard and graveyard interactions are perfectly black. Nothing is breaking game rules here, but as we see in Balance some design rules are broken.
(0/3) Balance: Games need to feel different for people to enjoy them. That means repeatable effects need to be handled with great care, and ideally need to require increasingly different conditions to employ. As soon as a player has the ability to, s/he can lock a player out with the gravecast ability. Yes it requires a lot of resources to pull off, but it effectively removes other players from the game in a frustrating way. This primarily affects casual formats, but could cause serious problems in Standard as well.
Creativity -
(3/3) Uniqueness: Never has a discard spell worked quite like this. Black used to do a lot of minigame type effects, and this is reminiscent of the days of Fact or Fiction or Pain's Reward.
(2/3) Flavor: The name seems realistic for a card, but I'm not sure it's this card. There isn't much to do with Necromancy, but the Conference matches the effect quite well. The lack of flavor text hurts as well.
Polish -
(3/3) Quality: No wording errors found.
(2/2) Main Challenge: 3, 6, 9. Card looks fine.
(2/2) Subchallenges: No numbers repeated, no targeting.
Total: 20/25
maplesmall - 18/25
shinike1729 - 19/25
RickyRister - 20.5/25
willows - 20/25
Design: 4.5/6
Appeal: 1.5/3 Spike likes card advantage and wants to cheat this out quickly, but doesn't like a 10-drop with no immediate impact, so will likely pass on this in search of something more consistent. Timmy just fainted. Johnny sees some fun potential for combos.
Elegance: 3/3 Nice and understandable.
Development: 5.5/6
Viability: 3/3 This fits well with processors, so I'd say colorless can probably have it. It's definitely a mythic-y card.
Balance: 2.5/3 For just over three times the cost of Nightveil Specter, you get 3 times the power, 4 times the toughness, and 3 times the utility. Seems fair. Would probably be better as a 6- or 7-drop with slightly smaller stats (5/7 or 6/8?) and an ability that exiles two cards.
Creativity: 3/6
Uniqueness: 1/3 This is a big colorless Nightveil Specter. Not much else to be said, it adds the Daxos of Meletis "any color" clause though.
Flavor: 2/3 Could use flavor text, and the name would ring better with the flavor as Spell Thief. "Stealer" just sounds kind of odd.
Polish: 7/7
Quality: 3/3 All good.
Main Challenge: 2/2 All good.
Subchallenges: 2/2 All good.
Total: 20/25
Design: 2/6
Appeal: 1/3 Johnny will have fun making this work. Timmy doesn't like the drawback because it's not fun, and Spike because it's not worth it.
Elegance: 1/3 What does "Upkeep" do? Is it cumulative upkeep? Does it read, "At the beginning of your upkeep, ----?" "At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice ~ unless you -----?".
Development: 3.5/6
Viability: 2.5/3 Definitely black. This should probably be rare in a vacuum, but in a world with the flavor of necromancer warlords waging large-scale wars on each other or on civilization, this could be mythic too.
Balance: 1/3 5 mana for a 0/9 defender? No thanks. For four mana you get the same bonus in Undead Warchief with an additional cost-lowering bonus, and it's effectively a 3/2. I'd rather have an 0/9 defender than a 3/2 but not by much, and the one mana shaved off casting cost, the additional bonus (which is relevant for Zombie tribal, as I want to cast my Grave Titan to follow this up and I can do it on t5 with Warchief) and the lack of drawbacks more than makes up for the p/t difference... and Warchief is an uncommon. The mill can be seen as a bonus, but when it's 6 per turn, it can begin to get dangerous in a grindy game... which is when you no longer want to rely on your 0/9 defender that's slowly killing you and presumably (not sure though because of the vagueness around "Upkeep") making you sacrifice some of your own creatures.
Creativity: 5/6
Uniqueness: 2/3 Mill and defenders aren't all that unique, but the ability set as a whole is.
Flavor: 3/3 The flavor is cool, I like the all-out necromancer war idea.
Polish: 5.5/7
Quality: 1.5/3 Once again, what's "upkeep" as an ability word? If it is cumulative, look at Balduvian Shaman for reference on how to grant this. Also, only one period needed at the end of the last ability.
Main Challenge: 2/2 All good.
Subchallenges: 2/2 All good.
Total: 16/25
Design: 4/6
Appeal: 1.5/3 Timmy loves everything about this. Johnny wants to try and make a renown-themed combo deck, but needs something a bit stranger to get him more interested. Spike looks away after the mana cost and power.
Elegance: 2.5/3 Nice and understandable. Some people might think renown triggers even if power=0, which it doesn't, though. Especially because the second ability does trigger... but requires renown to have triggered already for a creature.
Development: 4/6
Viability: 2/3 This seems kind of green-white— Lifegain that counts creatures is seen on Congregate. It is definitely right at rare.
Balance: 2/3 This would be nice as a 1/9 so it can trigger its own renowned ability— Otherwise it needs a boost. It's pretty good in EDH anyway and might see some play if a standard ramp deck became big, and is probably a limited bomb if there are enough ways to give it power.
Creativity: 6/6
Uniqueness: 3/3 This is pretty original, it has an unprecedentedly large renown ability and there isn't precedent for counting renowned creatures either. Or for having 0-power renowned creatures.
Flavor: 3/3 I like the flavor of some elves casually riding an Autochthon Wurm to the market.
Polish: 7/7
Quality: 3/3 All good.
Main Challenge: 2/2 All good.
Subchallenges: 2/2 All good.
Total: 21/25
Design:
Appeal: 1.5/3 This is big and splashy, Timmy likes. Johnny might want to go the extra mile to trigger the landfall ability multiple times. The power level of this and combination of abilities falls short for spike. Hitting nine lands is tough, and is the real ability that hold weight.
Elegance: 2.5/3 The numbers are little all over the place. Making them feel natural was part of the challenge and you fell a bit short.
Development:
Viability: 3/3 The landfall ability feels mythic. The colors fit. Seems to work.
Balance: 2/3 This is a casual table mythic. It costs five, but wants to be played once you get 6 lands, which by then its stats and abilities are sub par. Only when you get to 9 lands does this really kick in, and that give opponents plenty of time to handle it. Its fair. It has a hint a power. But tournament players will let it pass.
Creativity:
Uniqueness: 1.5/3 It a mix off effects that individual have been done, but not together.
Flavor: 3/3 The story this card tells is both apparent and funny. Good job.
Quality: 2.5/3 Just "When" not "Whenever" it enters the battlefield.
Main Challenge: 2/2 Good.
Subchallenges: 1/2 3 is repeated 3 times, so you lose points there.
Total: 19/25
Design:
Appeal: 2/3 Timmy is attracted to the big boom. Johnny likes the filtration, but this doesn't inspire much cleverness. Spike enjoys the versatility.
Elegance: 2/3 Surprisingly elegant given the challenge. Good job.
Development:
Viability: 3/3 This seems reasonable for colorless. Rare is right, and it works within the game.
Balance: 2.5/3 I think this is balanced reasonably close. You have to be careful with colorless cost like this as giving all colors access to mass removal can be dangerous. It will be use a plenty in Commander. In standard an environment that accels towards the late game can put this to use. It's use in limited is... limited. I'd like the abilities more if they costed 5 and 10 respectively, but that wouldn't have fit the challenge.
Creativity:
Uniqueness: 2/3 The way this card builds makes it feel fresh though similar abilities have always been around.
Flavor: 2.5/3 This could of really used a one liner to make the card sing, but the name and effects play together to make a narrative.
Polish:
Quality: 2.5/3 "Then" discard a card, not "and."
Main Challenge: 2/2 On point.
Subchallenges: 2/2 Fine.
Total: 20.5/25
TBJ
The results are:
glurman (14.5 + 17.5 = 32) vs theazurespirit (22.5 + 22.5 = 45)
maplesmall (18 + 19 = 37) vs shinike1729 (19 + 20.5 = 39.5)
Moss_Elemental (20 + 22.5 = 42.5) vs TriceDefied (16 + 15.5 = 31.5)
RickyRister (20.5 + 22 = 42.5) vs willows (20 + 17.5 = 37.5)
Congratulations to our winners who will move on to the final round! Be prepared for one of the toughest single card challenges in MCC history!