This month we will be messing with different abilities
Main Challenge: Design a land without a mana ability. Subchallenge 1: Your land helps play spells or abilites by itself. Subchallenge 2: Your land has an activated ability.
If you have questions about the challenge, please post in the MCC discussion thread. Best of luck!
Subchallenge 1: "Paying for a spell by itself" just means that the land assists to help play your spells/abilities. Searching for a land does not fulfill the challenge.
Subchallenge 2: The activated ability can be a mana ability, but obviously you will fail the main challenge
Design Deadline: All submissions are to be final and submitted by August 6th 11:59 PM EST
Judging Deadline: All judgements are to be final and completed by August 9th 11:59 PM EST
Design - (X/3) Appeal: Do the different player psychographics (Timmy/Johhny/Spike) have a use for the card? (X/3) Elegance: Is the card easily understandable at a glance? Do all the flavor and mechanics combined as a whole make sense?
Development - (X/3) Viability: How well does the card fit into the color wheel? Does it break or bend the rules of the game? Is it the appropriate rarity? (X/3) Balance: Does the card have a power level appropriate for contemporary constructed/limited environments without breaking them? Does it play well in casual and multiplayer formats? Does it create or fit into a deck/archetype? Does it create an oppressive environment?
Creativity - (X/3) Uniqueness: Has a card like this ever been printed before? Does it use new mechanics, ideas, or design space? Does it combine old ideas in a new way? Overall, does it feel “fresh”? (X/3) Flavor: Does the name seem realistic for a card? Does the flavor text sound professional? Do all the flavor elements synch together to please Vorthos players?
Polish - (X/3) Quality: Points deducted for incorrect spelling, grammar, and templating. (X/2) *Main Challenge: Was the main challenge satisfied? Was it approached in a unique or interesting way? Does the card fit the intent of the challenge? (X/2) Subchallenges: One point awarded per satisfied subchallenge condition.
Total: X/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
A reminder to everyone: In the MCC, putting rarity on cards is mandatory! If you don't put a rarity on your card, expect huge deductions in both Viability AND Quality.
Also, you should format your text cards accordingly to the forum rules (see the "this formatting looks best" spoiler in the linked OP). Again, expect deductions in Quality otherwise.
Darkheart Nexus
Legendary Land (Mythic)
Wheb Darkheart Nexus enters the battlefield, target opponent gains control of it.
Spells you cast cost 2 less and an additional 2 life. 5: Target player gains control of Darkheart Nexus.
Harmonious Garden
Land [R] T: Add one mana of any color. Target opponent gains 2 life. Though few reap it's fruit, all benefit from its presence.
An activated ability is a mana ability if it meets all of the following criteria: it doesn’t have a target, it could add mana to a player’s mana pool when it resolves, and it’s not a loyalty ability.
Sealed Crypts of Thraben
Legendary Land (Rare)
When Sealed Crypts of Thraben enters the battlefield, put the top two cards of your library into your graveyard. 1B, T, Discard a card, Sacrifice Sealed Crypts of Thraben: You may cast Zombie cards from your graveyard this turn. There never was a Blessed Sleep.
The Seedheart
Legendary Land (R)
When The Seedheart enters the battlefield, you may search you library for a basic Forest card, put it onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle your library. 3G: Return The Seedheart to your hand.
Culstath's Academy
Legendary Land (R)
Instant and sorcery spells cost 1 less to cast. 1, t: Target Wizard gains prowess until end of turn. "Developing fine, young mages since 1143."
-Sign outside of Egrod's Hall
(22 Total) - October 2014; December 2014; January 2015; April 2015; June 2015; August 2015; September 2015; November 2015; December 2015(T); January 2016; March 2016(T); April 2016; June 2016; October 2016; December 2016(T); February 2017; April 2017; December 2017; November 2018(T); January 2019; April 2019; June 2019
(8 Total) - May 2015; May 2016; June 2016; August 2016; October 2016; December 2016; October 2017; May 2019
(7 Total) - September 2015; October 2015; January 2016; March 2016; April 2016; July 2016(T); March 2019(T)
Flooding Hurst
Land {R}
When Flooding Hurst enters the battlefield, add three mana in any combination of G and/or U. 3: Return Flooding Hurst to your hand. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.
I'm available if an additional judge is needed. If not then:
Velis Vel, Mutable Cave
Legendary Land (R)
As Velis Vel, Mutable Cave enters the battlefield, choose a creature type.
Spells you cast of the chosen type cost 1 less to cast. T: Target creature gains all creature types until end of turn. Light in the changelings’ hideout is as fickle as its inhabitants.
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.)
Death Gardens(M)
Legendary Land
Whenever a creature your control dies add G or B to your mana pool. T: Sacrifice a creature. “To you, it was just picking flowers. To them, it was a massacre.”
-Vraska, the unseen
Art by
ATTACHMENTS
Death Gardens
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Over time, all trips end up in the same place, at home."
Maw of Valakut R Land Creature - Dragon {R}
Flying
Maw of Valakut enters the battlefield tapped and doesn't untap during your untap step. Landfall - Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, if three or more lands have entered the battlefield under your control this turn, untap Maw of Valakut. 5/5
Yavimaya
Legendary Land (m) x: Spend only green mana on X. Yavimaya becomes a X/X green Plant Avatar creature with "Whenever Yavimaya deals combat damage to a player, you may put a green creature card with converted mana cost X or less from your hand onto the battlefield." until end of turn.
Forgotten Desert
Legendary Land - Desert {M}
Sacrifice Forgotten Desert: Exile the top two cards of your library. You may play them this turn and they cost 2 less. “My name is Ozymandias, king of kings; Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!”
— The broken pedestal.
Kitezh, the Disappearing Town
Legendary Land (M)
Kitezh, the Disappearing Town enters the battlefield tapped. t: Return target land you control to its owner's hand. Knyaz Itslav's people were surprised but understood that their motherland have protected itself from the Chud invasion by its own will.
Panglacial Rift
Snow Land (Common)
While you’re searching your library, you may play Panglacial Rift from your library.
Panglacial Rift enters the battlefield tapped. T, Sacrifice Panglacial Rift: Search your library for a snow land card, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle your library.
W, tap: Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn. U, tap: Return a creature you control to its owner's hand. B, tap: Target opponent loses 1 life and you gain 1 life. R, tap: Deal 1 damage to any target. G, tap: Target creature you control gains trample until end of turn.
Zediyennon, Center of Worship
Legendary Land (M)
White creature spells you cast cost your choice of U, B, R, or G less to cast. This effect only reduces the amount of colored mana you pay. (You choose as you cast the spell. For example, you could pay RW or GW to cast a creature spell that cost RGW. 5W: Zediyennon, Center of Worship becomes a 3/5 white Archon creature with flying and first strike until end of turn. Blue creatures, black creatures, red creatures, and green creatures you control get +1/+1 until end of turn. Kolzag's sole real sacred thing.
Nexus, Time's Laboratory
Legendary Land (M)
Spells you cast from your graveyard, library, or exile cost 1 less to cast.
You may look at and cast exiled cards you own if they are face down.
: Reveal the top card of your library, you may cast that card. Activate this ability only if you cast a spell from your graveyard, library or exile this turn. Past or future, it's got to be better than the present.
Zhalfir the Desolate
Legendary Land {R}
When Zhalfir the Desolate enters the battlefield or at the beginning of your upkeep, exile the top 2 cards of your library face down. You may look at cards exiled this way. 0: You may play a noncreature card exiled with Zhalfir the Desolate. Zhalfir phases out. Activate this ability only once each turn. So many lifetimes spent, all to return a continent that had long since destroyed itself.
August MCC 2018 Round 1 - Abilities!
This month we will be messing with different abilities
Main Challenge: Design a land without a mana ability.
Subchallenge 1: Your land helps play spells or abilites by itself.
Subchallenge 2: Your land has an activated ability.
If you have questions about the challenge, please post in the MCC discussion thread. Best of luck!
Subchallenge 1: "Paying for a spell by itself" just means that the land assists to help play your spells/abilities. Searching for a land does not fulfill the challenge.
Subchallenge 2: The activated ability can be a mana ability, but obviously you will fail the main challenge
Design Deadline: All submissions are to be final and submitted by August 6th 11:59 PM EST
Judging Deadline: All judgements are to be final and completed by August 9th 11:59 PM EST
(X/3) Appeal: Do the different player psychographics (Timmy/Johhny/Spike) have a use for the card?
(X/3) Elegance: Is the card easily understandable at a glance? Do all the flavor and mechanics combined as a whole make sense?
Development -
(X/3) Viability: How well does the card fit into the color wheel? Does it break or bend the rules of the game? Is it the appropriate rarity?
(X/3) Balance: Does the card have a power level appropriate for contemporary constructed/limited environments without breaking them? Does it play well in casual and multiplayer formats? Does it create or fit into a deck/archetype? Does it create an oppressive environment?
Creativity -
(X/3) Uniqueness: Has a card like this ever been printed before? Does it use new mechanics, ideas, or design space? Does it combine old ideas in a new way? Overall, does it feel “fresh”?
(X/3) Flavor: Does the name seem realistic for a card? Does the flavor text sound professional? Do all the flavor elements synch together to please Vorthos players?
Polish -
(X/3) Quality: Points deducted for incorrect spelling, grammar, and templating.
(X/2) *Main Challenge: Was the main challenge satisfied? Was it approached in a unique or interesting way? Does the card fit the intent of the challenge?
(X/2) Subchallenges: One point awarded per satisfied subchallenge condition.
Total: X/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
Judges:
Koopa
Gerrard's Mom
Antiantiserum
Please sign up to be a judge if you do not play!
Contestants:
The first round is open to everyone!
A helpful tip for those formatting their cards:
BGStandard Green AggroGB
UWRGModern Saheeli CobraGRWU
UBRGLegacy StormGRBU
Wizards Certified Rules Advisor
Legendary Land (Mythic)
Wheb Darkheart Nexus enters the battlefield, target opponent gains control of it.
Spells you cast cost 2 less and an additional 2 life.
5: Target player gains control of Darkheart Nexus.
Land [R]
T: Add one mana of any color. Target opponent gains 2 life.
Though few reap it's fruit, all benefit from its presence.
Legendary Land (Rare)
When Sealed Crypts of Thraben enters the battlefield, put the top two cards of your library into your graveyard.
1B, T, Discard a card, Sacrifice Sealed Crypts of Thraben: You may cast Zombie cards from your graveyard this turn.
There never was a Blessed Sleep.
Legendary Land (R)
When The Seedheart enters the battlefield, you may search you library for a basic Forest card, put it onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle your library.
3G: Return The Seedheart to your hand.
Legendary Land (R)
Instant and sorcery spells cost 1 less to cast.
1, t: Target Wizard gains prowess until end of turn.
"Developing fine, young mages since 1143."
-Sign outside of Egrod's Hall
Land {R}
When Flooding Hurst enters the battlefield, add three mana in any combination of G and/or U.
3: Return Flooding Hurst to your hand. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.
Velis Vel, Mutable Cave
Legendary Land (R)
As Velis Vel, Mutable Cave enters the battlefield, choose a creature type.
Spells you cast of the chosen type cost 1 less to cast.
T: Target creature gains all creature types until end of turn.
Light in the changelings’ hideout is as fickle as its inhabitants.
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.)
Land (R)
R, T: Target land becomes a Mountain until your next turn. Untap up to two basic lands you control.
Legendary Land
Whenever a creature your control dies add G or B to your mana pool.
T: Sacrifice a creature.
“To you, it was just picking flowers. To them, it was a massacre.”
-Vraska, the unseen
Art by
R Land Creature - Dragon {R}
Flying
Maw of Valakut enters the battlefield tapped and doesn't untap during your untap step.
Landfall - Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, if three or more lands have entered the battlefield under your control this turn, untap Maw of Valakut.
5/5
Emille, Seven-Sting Dancer Shalin Nariya
Legendary Land (m)
x: Spend only green mana on X. Yavimaya becomes a X/X green Plant Avatar creature with "Whenever Yavimaya deals combat damage to a player, you may put a green creature card with converted mana cost X or less from your hand onto the battlefield." until end of turn.
Legendary Land - Desert {M}
Sacrifice Forgotten Desert: Exile the top two cards of your library. You may play them this turn and they cost 2 less.
“My name is Ozymandias, king of kings; Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!”
— The broken pedestal.
Legendary Land (M)
Kitezh, the Disappearing Town enters the battlefield tapped.
t: Return target land you control to its owner's hand.
Knyaz Itslav's people were surprised but understood that their motherland have protected itself from the Chud invasion by its own will.
Snow Land (Common)
While you’re searching your library, you may play Panglacial Rift from your library.
Panglacial Rift enters the battlefield tapped.
T, Sacrifice Panglacial Rift: Search your library for a snow land card, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle your library.
Land
Chromatic Gardens enters the battlefield tapped.
W, tap: Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.
U, tap: Return a creature you control to its owner's hand.
B, tap: Target opponent loses 1 life and you gain 1 life.
R, tap: Deal 1 damage to any target.
G, tap: Target creature you control gains trample until end of turn.
Legendary Land (M)
White creature spells you cast cost your choice of U, B, R, or G less to cast. This effect only reduces the amount of colored mana you pay. (You choose as you cast the spell. For example, you could pay RW or GW to cast a creature spell that cost RGW.
5W: Zediyennon, Center of Worship becomes a 3/5 white Archon creature with flying and first strike until end of turn. Blue creatures, black creatures, red creatures, and green creatures you control get +1/+1 until end of turn.
Kolzag's sole real sacred thing.
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
Legendary Land (M)
Spells you cast from your graveyard, library, or exile cost 1 less to cast.
You may look at and cast exiled cards you own if they are face down.
: Reveal the top card of your library, you may cast that card. Activate this ability only if you cast a spell from your graveyard, library or exile this turn.
Past or future, it's got to be better than the present.
Legendary Land {R}
When Zhalfir the Desolate enters the battlefield or at the beginning of your upkeep, exile the top 2 cards of your library face down. You may look at cards exiled this way.
0: You may play a noncreature card exiled with Zhalfir the Desolate. Zhalfir phases out. Activate this ability only once each turn.
So many lifetimes spent, all to return a continent that had long since destroyed itself.
BGStandard Green AggroGB
UWRGModern Saheeli CobraGRWU
UBRGLegacy StormGRBU
Wizards Certified Rules Advisor