Welcome to the Card Creation League! Everyone is free to participate in either or both of the first two rounds. Come join us!
Theme
This month is all about mana! Generate it, spend it, put it in a stew (note: MTG Salvation staff bears no responsibility from injuries due to stewing mana.) We will be trying to pay homage to every type of mana from Hybrid to Phyrexian to Colorless to Snow.
Challenge
Design a non-land card that can add exactly two, three, or four specific colors of mana to your mana pool.
• A card that is a land and another permanent type does not qualify.
• A card that adds one or more mana that can be any color to your mana pool does not qualify. (i.e. Black Lotus does not qualify)
• A card that could add any color of mana to your mana pool given specific conditions as set by your card, does not qualify (i.e. Bloom Tender does not qualify.)
• The mana ability does not need to generate more mana than it costs to activate. (i.e. Manaforge Cinder qualifies)
• The card does not need to be able to produce mana 'on demand'. (i.e. Bounty of the Luxa qualifies)
• The card does not need to produce more than one mana at a time. (i.e. Manaforge Cinder qualifies...again...)
Stay tuned for February's CCL Final Poll. Anyone who provides critiques of the finalists' entries will receive 2 bonus points for March's CCL qualifiers!
PLEASE NOTE: This month will continue the use of the "Mandatory Top 3 Rule." For this month, you must submit a Top 3 during a round's critique period in order to receive any points for the round. Submitting critiques as well will be worth 2 bonus points in the round.
Your submissions are due Saturday, March 10th, 23:59 PST.
Schedule
• Round 1 — Open to Everyone (February 27th-March 4th)
• Round 2 — Open to Everyone (March 5th–10th)
• Rounds 1 and 2 Critiques (Due March 12th)
• Top 8 — Open to top 8 finishers (March 13th–18th)
• Top 8 Critiques (Due March 20th)
• Top 4 — Open to top 4 finishers from last round (March 21st–26th)
• Top 4 Critiques (Due March 28th)
• Final (End of month, winner determined by public poll)
(no name) 2
Artifact (U)
At the beginning of you precombat main phase add RGW to your mana pool only if you control a creature with power 5 or greater.
Private Mod Note
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"Over time, all trips end up in the same place, at home."
Uwari Baptist2G
Creature - Human Cleric (R) T: Add BW to your mana pool. You may spend this mana only to cast creature spells. If a creature cast with this mana dies this turn, return it to the battlefield at the end of turn. In the Uwari faith, the children are baptized in their on blood.
2/1
Four Gates Gardener2G
Creature - Human Monk (R) 2: Choose one —
- Add W and Four Gates Gardener gains vigilance until end of turn.
- Add U and Four Gates Gardener gains hexproof until end of turn.
- Add B and Four Gates Gardener gains deathtouch until end of turn.
- Add R and Four Gates Gardener gains trample until end of turn.
3/3
yass Dominaria template change makes my card actually probably fit
Freyalise, Woodland Deceit2RG
Legendary Planeswalker - Freyalise (M)
+2: Until your next turn, counter all activated abilities of target permanent unless they're mana abilities, and up to one target permanent you control that shares a card type with it gains all activated abilities of that permanent.
-2: Target creature fights another target creature controlled by a different player.
-6: Add five mana in any combination of R and/or G. Whenever this mana is used to activate an ability of a permanent you control, copy that ability. You may choose new targets for the copy.
{3}
Hybrid mana cannot be added to the mana pool, it's only a cost. An effect that tries to add hybrid mana (Elemental Resonance) will result in one of the two colors of the effect's controller's choice being added.
Magmatic Cataclysm1RG
Sorcery (Rare)
Escalate 2(Pay this cost for each mode chosen beyond the first.)
Choose one or more. You may choose the same mode more than once.
• Destroy target land.
• Add RRGG to your mana pool.
• Magma Surge deals 3 damage to each creature without flying.
Boros BattlecasterRW
Creature - Human Warrior Wizard (u)
First strike
Whenever Boros Battlecaster attacks, if it's equipped, add RW to your mana pool. Magic is useless if you can't use it in battle
2/2
Please be sure to double check and make sure your card actually meets the challenge, specifically: If you card does not produce two, three, or four different colors of mana, your card does not qualify -or- If your card has the potential to be able to produce all five colors of mana your card does not qualify (barring being equipped by a Paradise Mantle)
Inspired1U
Sorcery (Rare)
Until end of turn, whenever you cast a spell, draw a card. If you do, discard a card.
//////////////// Create1RG
Sorcery (Rare)
Aftermath
Add WBRG to your mana pool.
Abzan Totem2
Artifact (R) 2, t: Put a brick counter on Abzan Totem. t: Add W to your mana pool. t: add GW to your mana pool. Activate this ability only if there is one or more brick counters on Abzan Totem. t: add WBG to your mana pool. Activate this ability only if there are two or more brick counters on Abzan Totem.
Pallal, The Duel Essence2RG
Legendary Creature - Elemental (M)
Trample 2RG: Pallal, The Duel Essence gets +4/+4 until end of turn. Grandeur — Discard another card named Pallal, The Duel Essence: Add RG to your mana pool. Spend this mana only on activated abilities, and copy those abilities. You may choose new targets for the copies.
4/4
Comfort in Destruction3R
Enchantment (R)
Whenever a spell or ability you control destroys a permanent, put a number of +1/+1 counters on target creature equal to that permanent's converted mana cost. If that permanent is a land, put two +1/+1 counters on that creature instead. R, Sacrifice an enchantment: Add WBG to your mana pool. Activate this ability only during your main phase. "Schools of magic - hydromancy, necromancy, who knows what other mancies - are a noble and pretty façade. Real magic has but one goal."
That's a wrap for this round!
Each participant please provide Critiques and your Top 3 for the 6 people ABOVE your name on the list (people near the top of the list will have to circle around to the top):
1) void_nothing: I'm with you until the last ability. Why?
I personally really like the first ability. It's weird and interesting. It'd be fun to draft around, and has potential applications elsewhere. I'm just really struggling to understand the last ability. The mana generation hits you out of left field, as do the colors. Maybe this is just one of those cards where I have to assume you have something in mind for a set that I don't know about.
2) IcariiFA: I like it. It's simple and feels similar to Electrostatic Pummeler or Kiln Fiend in how much it excites me. I like the 4 CMC 4/4 Trample base frame too - that shows good attention to detail. I also really appreciate the mythic rarity here. As someone who loves drafting, I prefer to see really powerful limited cards at mythic even if their complexity is more rare in nature.
3) Hemlock: I like this card. I think the application here is smart because one of the ways you really fall behind with equipment is with regard to tempo, and adding mana to your mana pool helps you catch up. Because you already have to fall behind on tempo to catch back up on tempo with this ability, I think it's balanced. Very nice!
4) Raptorchan: I think this is quite clever. It feels fresh and innovative...quite the feat given that it is a mana rock! I'd consider one of two changes. Either (i) have the CMC be 1 or (ii) have the activation cost to add a brick counter to it be 1 instead of 2. Count me as a fan!
5) rkohn1357: A good mana dork that pushes deck building in directions off the beaten path. At the moment I think it is slightly too strong, but there is an easy way to fix this - make it a 2/2 or a 2/1 flyer. My rationale is that I want this thing to be killable because control decks gaining a mana advantage would be really busted, and so I want Magma Spray or Shock to be able to take care of it. Only because we're adding blue mana do I have this concern. Other than that, I really like the design! Nice submission
6) Jimmy Groove: Geez, another interesting design. I think this one is quite clever as well. A combo piece for aristocrat or sacrifice based decks. Colors are good, I think it is fair? You obviously were trying to prevent infinite loops by having it return to the battlefield only at the end of turn, but I think it would be even safer (and more printable?) to have it return to hand if it died that turn.
Flavor is on point too. Good name, good flavor text (change "on" to "own").
I really love these cards, y'all did a great job and came up with some interesting designs.
Gerrard's Mom - Interesting, feels very Zen. I do like this sort of design where you can connect a monocolor creature to other colors and give it their shared keywords. The filtering mana with no net gain is also an interesting balancing force.
Jimmy Groove - I love effects like this and adding those colors specifically feels altogether right; this kind of recursion is a somewhat green effect so there's not even too bad of a color pie bend. Feels like it'd be abuseable, but otherwise, sure.
rkohn1357 - "Mana just for instants/flash" is a good concept and this feels like a theme-signal uncommon. Otherwise though this is sort of a bland card and could use punchier flavor; definitely room for flavor text with such relatively short rules text.
Raptorchan - Interesting mana rock idea, reminds me of Pyramid of the Pantheon. Might be a bit wordy and overcrowded in the text box but would make for a more interesting mana artifact cycle than we usually get.
Hemlock - Decent build-around card that seems spiritually connected to Sunforger. Definitely Boros-esque, white feels almost out of place on a Radha, Heir to Keld riff though.
IcariiFA - Sublime. I love how this all clicks in a Melvin sort of way; a good beater/finisher even without grandeur and with grandeur, making this a 12/12 is only the first of many tricks. This should probably be "Dual" essence, though.
|Katamari| - Great design, giving spells rebound can let me get a lot of value and/or build around an expensive instant/sorcery, and I like the little touches like being able to trigger prowess twice.
mirrodin71 - I always enjoy cards with the power five or greater theme, and this one is no different. However, I'm not sure why this is an artifact; I don't think something like a monoblue deck should be able to access this effect. A colored enchantment would probably fit better.
netn10 - Very creative, I like that you managed to fit the entire color pie into this challenge. I'd be very interested to try to build a deck using this card.
Subject16 - I like the concept, but it seems very overpowered at its current cost. Three-mana Stone Rain/Firespout already seems really good, but once you hit five lands you can do either for essentially one mana.
Gerrard's Mom - All of the keywords it gets are technically green, but I'd still be a bit worried putting all of them on the same card. I also question whether having all these effects is worth how much text is actually required.
Jimmy Groove - I think you're on to something really cool, but at the moment it seems a bit too narrow, since you basically need to sacrifice the creature as soon as you cast it to get any value. (and that's assuming your creature has a relevant etb or death effect).
Subject16: This would of been a good card even if it had one option and multikicker instead of a suite of choices. Very powerful. Killing multiple lands this way in particular seems pretty unfun.
Gerrard's Mom: Weak mana conversion with upside on a relevant body. Seems fine.
Jimmy Groove: Neath idea that wants some johnny abuse, but more often than not, just a double mana dork. Maybe some more versatility in when the creature can die, with a marker/counter to track?
rkohn1357: Simple and clean. This seems like a good design that in the right set could have some great play. Environment will determine how strong it is.
Raptorchan: I like this a great deal except for using brick counters here. I think it's worth differentiating from building pyramids.
Hemlock: Solid design, makes sense. Warrants a specific environment to make worthwhile.
1st: Raptorchan
2nd: rkohn1357
3rd: Jimmy Groove
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art by Izzy
March CCL 2018 Round 1 - Mo Mana Mo Problems
Welcome to the Card Creation League! Everyone is free to participate in either or both of the first two rounds. Come join us!
Theme
This month is all about mana! Generate it, spend it, put it in a stew (note: MTG Salvation staff bears no responsibility from injuries due to stewing mana.) We will be trying to pay homage to every type of mana from Hybrid to Phyrexian to Colorless to Snow.
Challenge
• A card that is a land and another permanent type does not qualify.
• A card that adds one or more mana that can be any color to your mana pool does not qualify. (i.e. Black Lotus does not qualify)
• A card that could add any color of mana to your mana pool given specific conditions as set by your card, does not qualify (i.e. Bloom Tender does not qualify.)
• The mana ability does not need to generate more mana than it costs to activate. (i.e. Manaforge Cinder qualifies)
• The card does not need to be able to produce mana 'on demand'. (i.e. Bounty of the Luxa qualifies)
• The card does not need to produce more than one mana at a time. (i.e. Manaforge Cinder qualifies...again...)
Stay tuned for February's CCL Final Poll. Anyone who provides critiques of the finalists' entries will receive 2 bonus points for March's CCL qualifiers!
PLEASE NOTE: This month will continue the use of the "Mandatory Top 3 Rule." For this month, you must submit a Top 3 during a round's critique period in order to receive any points for the round. Submitting critiques as well will be worth 2 bonus points in the round.
Schedule
• Round 1 — Open to Everyone (February 27th-March 4th)
• Round 2 — Open to Everyone (March 5th–10th)
• Rounds 1 and 2 Critiques (Due March 12th)
• Top 8 — Open to top 8 finishers (March 13th–18th)
• Top 8 Critiques (Due March 20th)
• Top 4 — Open to top 4 finishers from last round (March 21st–26th)
• Top 4 Critiques (Due March 28th)
• Final (End of month, winner determined by public poll)
Artifact (U)
At the beginning of you precombat main phase add RGW to your mana pool only if you control a creature with power 5 or greater.
Creature - Naga Druid (U)
T: Add GU to your mana pool. You can't spend this mana during your main phases.
1/3
Creature - Human Cleric (R)
T: Add BW to your mana pool. You may spend this mana only to cast creature spells. If a creature cast with this mana dies this turn, return it to the battlefield at the end of turn.
In the Uwari faith, the children are baptized in their on blood.
2/1
Creature - Human Monk (R)
2: Choose one —
- Add W and Four Gates Gardener gains vigilance until end of turn.
- Add U and Four Gates Gardener gains hexproof until end of turn.
- Add B and Four Gates Gardener gains deathtouch until end of turn.
- Add R and Four Gates Gardener gains trample until end of turn.
3/3
yass Dominaria template change makes my card actually probably fit
Legendary Planeswalker - Freyalise (M)
+2: Until your next turn, counter all activated abilities of target permanent unless they're mana abilities, and up to one target permanent you control that shares a card type with it gains all activated abilities of that permanent.
-2: Target creature fights another target creature controlled by a different player.
-6: Add five mana in any combination of R and/or G. Whenever this mana is used to activate an ability of a permanent you control, copy that ability. You may choose new targets for the copy.
{3}
Hybrid mana cannot be added to the mana pool, it's only a cost. An effect that tries to add hybrid mana (Elemental Resonance) will result in one of the two colors of the effect's controller's choice being added.
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
Sorcery (Rare)
Escalate 2 (Pay this cost for each mode chosen beyond the first.)
Choose one or more. You may choose the same mode more than once.
• Destroy target land.
• Add RRGG to your mana pool.
• Magma Surge deals 3 damage to each creature without flying.
Creature - Human Warrior Wizard (u)
First strike
Whenever Boros Battlecaster attacks, if it's equipped, add RW to your mana pool.
Magic is useless if you can't use it in battle
2/2
Sorcery (Rare)
Until end of turn, whenever you cast a spell, draw a card. If you do, discard a card.
////////////////
Create 1RG
Sorcery (Rare)
Aftermath
Add WBRG to your mana pool.
Artifact (R)
2, t: Put a brick counter on Abzan Totem.
t: Add W to your mana pool.
t: add GW to your mana pool. Activate this ability only if there is one or more brick counters on Abzan Totem.
t: add WBG to your mana pool. Activate this ability only if there are two or more brick counters on Abzan Totem.
Legendary Creature - Elemental (M)
Trample
2RG: Pallal, The Duel Essence gets +4/+4 until end of turn.
Grandeur — Discard another card named Pallal, The Duel Essence: Add RG to your mana pool. Spend this mana only on activated abilities, and copy those abilities. You may choose new targets for the copies.
4/4
Enchantment (R)
Whenever a spell or ability you control destroys a permanent, put a number of +1/+1 counters on target creature equal to that permanent's converted mana cost. If that permanent is a land, put two +1/+1 counters on that creature instead.
R, Sacrifice an enchantment: Add WBG to your mana pool. Activate this ability only during your main phase.
"Schools of magic - hydromancy, necromancy, who knows what other mancies - are a noble and pretty façade. Real magic has but one goal."
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
Each participant please provide Critiques and your Top 3 for the 6 people ABOVE your name on the list (people near the top of the list will have to circle around to the top):
kjsharp
|Katamari|
mirrodin71
netn10
Subject16
Gerrard's Mom
Jimmy Groove
rkohn1357
Raptorchan
Hemlock
IcariiFA
void_nothing
Crits and Top 3 are due by March 12th 11:59 PM PST
I personally really like the first ability. It's weird and interesting. It'd be fun to draft around, and has potential applications elsewhere. I'm just really struggling to understand the last ability. The mana generation hits you out of left field, as do the colors. Maybe this is just one of those cards where I have to assume you have something in mind for a set that I don't know about.
2) IcariiFA: I like it. It's simple and feels similar to Electrostatic Pummeler or Kiln Fiend in how much it excites me. I like the 4 CMC 4/4 Trample base frame too - that shows good attention to detail. I also really appreciate the mythic rarity here. As someone who loves drafting, I prefer to see really powerful limited cards at mythic even if their complexity is more rare in nature.
3) Hemlock: I like this card. I think the application here is smart because one of the ways you really fall behind with equipment is with regard to tempo, and adding mana to your mana pool helps you catch up. Because you already have to fall behind on tempo to catch back up on tempo with this ability, I think it's balanced. Very nice!
4) Raptorchan: I think this is quite clever. It feels fresh and innovative...quite the feat given that it is a mana rock! I'd consider one of two changes. Either (i) have the CMC be 1 or (ii) have the activation cost to add a brick counter to it be 1 instead of 2. Count me as a fan!
5) rkohn1357: A good mana dork that pushes deck building in directions off the beaten path. At the moment I think it is slightly too strong, but there is an easy way to fix this - make it a 2/2 or a 2/1 flyer. My rationale is that I want this thing to be killable because control decks gaining a mana advantage would be really busted, and so I want Magma Spray or Shock to be able to take care of it. Only because we're adding blue mana do I have this concern. Other than that, I really like the design! Nice submission
6) Jimmy Groove: Geez, another interesting design. I think this one is quite clever as well. A combo piece for aristocrat or sacrifice based decks. Colors are good, I think it is fair? You obviously were trying to prevent infinite loops by having it return to the battlefield only at the end of turn, but I think it would be even safer (and more printable?) to have it return to hand if it died that turn.
Flavor is on point too. Good name, good flavor text (change "on" to "own").
2) IcariiFA
3) Jimmy Groove
Gerrard's Mom - Interesting, feels very Zen. I do like this sort of design where you can connect a monocolor creature to other colors and give it their shared keywords. The filtering mana with no net gain is also an interesting balancing force.
Jimmy Groove - I love effects like this and adding those colors specifically feels altogether right; this kind of recursion is a somewhat green effect so there's not even too bad of a color pie bend. Feels like it'd be abuseable, but otherwise, sure.
rkohn1357 - "Mana just for instants/flash" is a good concept and this feels like a theme-signal uncommon. Otherwise though this is sort of a bland card and could use punchier flavor; definitely room for flavor text with such relatively short rules text.
Raptorchan - Interesting mana rock idea, reminds me of Pyramid of the Pantheon. Might be a bit wordy and overcrowded in the text box but would make for a more interesting mana artifact cycle than we usually get.
Hemlock - Decent build-around card that seems spiritually connected to Sunforger. Definitely Boros-esque, white feels almost out of place on a Radha, Heir to Keld riff though.
IcariiFA - Sublime. I love how this all clicks in a Melvin sort of way; a good beater/finisher even without grandeur and with grandeur, making this a 12/12 is only the first of many tricks. This should probably be "Dual" essence, though.
1. IcariiFA
2. Jimmy Groove
3. Gerrard's Mom
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
|Katamari| - Great design, giving spells rebound can let me get a lot of value and/or build around an expensive instant/sorcery, and I like the little touches like being able to trigger prowess twice.
mirrodin71 - I always enjoy cards with the power five or greater theme, and this one is no different. However, I'm not sure why this is an artifact; I don't think something like a monoblue deck should be able to access this effect. A colored enchantment would probably fit better.
netn10 - Very creative, I like that you managed to fit the entire color pie into this challenge. I'd be very interested to try to build a deck using this card.
Subject16 - I like the concept, but it seems very overpowered at its current cost. Three-mana Stone Rain/Firespout already seems really good, but once you hit five lands you can do either for essentially one mana.
Gerrard's Mom - All of the keywords it gets are technically green, but I'd still be a bit worried putting all of them on the same card. I also question whether having all these effects is worth how much text is actually required.
Jimmy Groove - I think you're on to something really cool, but at the moment it seems a bit too narrow, since you basically need to sacrifice the creature as soon as you cast it to get any value. (and that's assuming your creature has a relevant etb or death effect).
1. |Katamari|
2. netn10
3. Subject16
Gerrard's Mom: Weak mana conversion with upside on a relevant body. Seems fine.
Jimmy Groove: Neath idea that wants some johnny abuse, but more often than not, just a double mana dork. Maybe some more versatility in when the creature can die, with a marker/counter to track?
rkohn1357: Simple and clean. This seems like a good design that in the right set could have some great play. Environment will determine how strong it is.
Raptorchan: I like this a great deal except for using brick counters here. I think it's worth differentiating from building pyramids.
Hemlock: Solid design, makes sense. Warrants a specific environment to make worthwhile.
1st: Raptorchan
2nd: rkohn1357
3rd: Jimmy Groove