Hammer of Nazahn, taken from Twitter, by Victor Adame Minguez and Wizards of the Coast
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 we're going to build (or rebuild) a character in a kind of roundabout way. Won't spoil any more than that.
Now, let's see other facets of the character, and the ways in which they make changes to themselves.
Challenge
Design another version of your character and an Aura or Equipment that synergizes with both this version and the previous round's version.
No color restriction this time - you can make a version of your character in totally different colors, and the colors of the Aura/Equipment don't matter.
Make sure to include a rarity.
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.
Round 1: Salia’s Rebuttal2U
Instant {C}
This spell costs 2 less to cast if it’s your turn.
Counter target spell unless its controller pays 3. I think not.Round 2: Feedback Actuator0
Artifact Creature - Servo {C}
Whenever Feedback Actuator attacks and isn’t blocked, sacrifice it. If you do, draw a card. Salia: “Well, it’s made from scraps, I was rushed, and it can’t turn left.”
Elwin: “So it won’t work?”
Salia: “Oh, I never said that.”
0/2Round 3: Salia, Cunning Strategist1U
Legendary Creature - Human Artificer {M}
Flash 1(R/W)(R/W): Create a 1/1 colorless Servo artifact creature token. If it’s your turn, it enters the battlefield tapped and attacking. Otherwise you may have it block an attacking creature. Activate this ability only during combat before the combat damage step.
1/2
Salia, Prodigy of WarURW
Creature - Human Advisor {R}
Hexproof
Whenever a creature you control attacks you may pay 1. If you do, choose one —
• You choose which creatures block that creature this combat.
• Untap that creature.
• Switch that creatures power and toughness until end of turn.
0/2
Commander’s Regalia2
Artifact - Equipment {R}
Tapped creatures you control may block creatures blocked by equipped creature as though they weren’t tapped.
You choose the order in which creatures blocked by equipped creature assign combat damage to creatures blocking them.
Equip 2
Larion, Royal Librarian1UU
Legendary Creature — Human Wizard (M)
If you would draw one or more cards except the first one you draw in each of your draw steps, draw that many cards plus one instead.
Larion, Royal Librarian can’t be blocked as long as you have seven or more cards in hand.
Whenever Larion, Royal Librarian deals combat damage to a player, you may draw a card. His vast knowledge and deep curiosity are what convinced the king to entrust the Royal Library to him.
1/4
Larion, Knowledge Seeker4UU
Legendary Creature — Human Wizard (R)
Larion, Knowledge Seeker’s power and toughness are each equal to 2 plus the number of cards in your hand.
At the beginning of your end step, investigate. (Create a colorless Clue artifact token with "2, Sacrifice this artifact: Draw a card.") His search for knowledge is boundless, and each new book he writes contains a piece of it.
*/*
Thorough Research2U
Enchantment — Aura (U)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature has “3, T: Draw a card.” To help him in his quest, Larion hired an assistant and taught him the proper way to conduct research.
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.)
The Grim Captain2UBR
Legendary Creature - Human Pirate Wizard (M)
At the beginning of your end step, choose target creature card in a graveyard. If that card's power is less than or equal to the amount of damage dealt to its owner this turn by Pirates you control, return it to the battlefield under your control. 1B: Until end of turn, target creature you control gains menace and becomes a Pirate in addition to its other types.
3/3
Scarra, the Grim Captain3BB
Legendary Creature - Human Pirate Wizard (R)
Whenever a creature you control deals combat damage to a player, exile target creature card from that player’s graveyard. If you do, create a 2/2 black Zombie Pirate creature token. 1UR, Put a card exiled with Scarra into its owner’s graveyard: Until end of turn, target Zombie you control becomes a copy of that card.
3/2
The Grim Captain's Flag2
Artifact - Equipment (R)
Whenever equipped creature attacks, defending player puts the top X cards of their library into their graveyard, where X is the number of attacking creatures. Creatures that player controls get -1/-0 until end of turn for each creature card put into the graveyard this way.
Equip 4
Rhulor's Sowing3GU
Sorcery (R)
Create a 1/3 green Treefolk creature token. Scry X, where X is the number of creatures you control, then reveal the top two cards of your library. Put all land cards revealed this way onto the battlefield tapped and all nonland cards into your hand. For each plane, a seed. From each seed, insight.
Wandering Scion4G
Creature - Treefolk (UC)
At the beginning of your end step, put a +1/+1 counter on Wandering Scion if one or more other creatures entered the battlefield under your control this turn. “May the stories you hear become your leaves and bark, your roots and knots, until the day we meet again.”
— Rhulor, Gatherer of Lore 2/5
Rhulor, Gatherer of Lore4GU
Legendary Planeswalker - Rhulor (MR)
/+1\: Create a 1/3 green Treefolk creature token.
/+1\: Scry 1, then reveal the top card of your library. Put X +1/+1 counters on target creature you control, where X is the revealed card’s converted mana cost.
\-7/: You get an emblem with “At any time, you may look at the top three cards of your library and put them back in any order and/or play them.”
|3|
Rhulor the Murmurer1GU
Legendary Creature - Treefolk (R)
Defender, reach
At the beginning of your end step, exile the top card of your library face-down with a dream counter on it. Then if there are three or more cards your own in exile with dream counters on them, choose one of them at random and put it into your hand. 0/6
Bed of DreamsGU
Enchantment - Aura (UC)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature has hexproof.
At the beginning of your end step, if you have seven or more cards in hand, create a 0/2 green Plant creature token with defender. "There is a future in which I never woke, forever sleeping in my garden." - Rhulor, Gatherer of Lore
Dromoka the Avenger4GW
Legendary Creature - Elder Dragon (m)
Flash
Dromoka the Avenger costs less for each creature put into your graveyard from the battlefield this turn.
Flying,
Whenever a creature you control dies, put a +1/+1 counter on Dromoka the Avenger.
5/5
Adamantine Hide1GW
Enchantment - Aura (r)
Enchant creature
When Adamantine Hide enters the battlefield, put a +1/+1 counter on enchanted creature.
Enchanted creature has trample.
Whenever enchanted creature deals combat damage to a player, double the number of +1/+1 counters on it.
When enchanted creature dies, gain 1 life for each +1/+1 counter on it.
Cardz:
I like the triggered modal ability. Nice weaving of three two-color effects. Hexproof is kind of random but ok. You forgot Legendary.
Finally a General's Regalia riff...? The blocking effect is sort of weird and I don't even know how it works since you are supposed to assign blockers all at once. I'm not sure that advantageous multi-blocks are the thing most people want to start doing with their commanders and the synergy with both of your cards is kind of weak.
bravelion:
Don't they write that 2+* or did they stop doing that? I don't like this version as much as last round - having variable large stats is a bit weird for a single human. Investigating is a cool idea but I think there must have been a better implementation, like adding scry to the Clues or something.
The aura is just too obvious, and it's not very good - for one more mana up front we can get Oracle's Insight.
On a philosophical note, I feel like your cards sometimes tend to strive too hard to be realistic and safe. I can see boring draft cards by opening up a pack - for the CCL, I want to see something new and fun. I think your technical design skills are fine for designing full sets, but at least in my case I'm more likely to favor cards that showed me a cool new idea but had some problems over cards that are perfectly printable as is but are very close to things we have seen already. I would also err in the "oops Tarmogoyf" direction for power adjustment rather than aim for like 11th pick draft cards. Again, all just my take.
soramaro:
I like this concept of planting ideas and having them sprout later. Feels like a realistic tie into your walker, could even work as having given up the spark and taken root somewhere.
The aura has synergy I suppose but the plant generation doesn't feel quite right to me since it isn't tied to the creature. Something like if you have fewer cards in hand than creature's toughness, draw cards would have been a neat possibility.
Hemlock:
And a fourth Dromoka. Probably should be "Whenever another creature..." although it technically works, just doesn't do anything to herself (ironically the only creature that has "Whenever a creature you control dies" on it is Reyhan, Last of the Abzan). It's a cool new direction for her, although I'm not crazy about the tension between the cost reduction and getting counters.
If the text all fits, I really like the Aura. Nice progression of abilities and they all work well in tandem. Only thing I'm not sure on is the flavor - does her hide get more adamantine over time or something?
soramaro: I feel the time cost of the ability is far too much for formats other than limited specially when compared with something like Jungle Barrier, so I think there's room for a juicier body or card selection at legendary rare, that said, I really like the design and how it's tied to the previous version.
The token producing ability of Bed of Dreams seems too unspecific for an aura, This makes me think that the fact that your aura can't enchant your previous version was something that slipped from you when actually producing the text.
Gerrard's Mom: A veey interesting first ability that can potentially clog your board is fair at thie cost and as a damage trigger. I feel the second ability is a bit hard to take advantage unless there's good shard support. The double black in the cost goes a bit against it and looks odd. It might not seem like a big deal but a cost of 4B would make it look more inviting, as double costs are something to heed when going 3-colors.
The equipment comboes very well with both your versions of the Grim Captain but the payoff as a stand-alone card is barely worthy at such cost.
bravelion: I think it could be better as a 2/2 with a static ability mostly for the sake of not adding an extra layer to care during P/T check and even as a means to protect it from loss of abilities. which has come to be quite in vogue in later sets. That said, the most obvious point of comparison here is soramaro, first to dream in which there's a built up way of pumping the stats. The difference here is that you can actually gain a bit of card advantage of it and while Soramaro flies, the fact that the librarian has some base stats allows it the chance of helping you mount a comeback.
The aura is quite underwhelming, while it does help both versions to get better there are tons of ways to do this better. Even the late Dominaria tome for that draws for is certainly better in the great majority of the scenarios.
cardz5000: Very nice set ot effects representing what the colors are about. I think the body here is not the optimal choice. a 1/2 body would have gone a long way in giving it the ability to attack itself.
The equipment is quite odd and the effect is so natroe that it seems barely something to look up to having.
Salia, Prodigy of WarURW
Creature - Human Advisor (R)
Hexproof
Whenever a creature you control attacks, you may pay 1. If you do, choose one —
• You choose which creatures block that creature this combat.
• Untap that creature.
• Switch that creatures power and toughness until end of turn.
0/2
I love how the three modes are each representative of one of the three color pairs that make up the Jeskai wedge: the first mode is red-white, the second white-blue, and the third blue-red. My inner Melvin approves. I'm just not sure this card needs hexproof, but I like everything else.
Commander’s Regalia2
Artifact - Equipment (R)
Tapped creatures you control may block creatures blocked by equipped creature as though they weren’t tapped.
You choose the order in which creatures blocked by equipped creature assign combat damage to creatures blocking them.
Equip 2
So you can gang block an attacking creature with all your tapped creatures as long as the equipped creature is also part of the gang? I hope I understood this correctly, I had to reread the first sentence multiple times to get it, and I've been playing uninterruptly for 13 years. I can only imagine how confusing this must be to a less experienced player. And that's on top of a pseudo-banding second ability, provided I understand how banding works, I think I do but you can never be sure. I'm sorry but this card is too confusing for my taste.
Overall: one card I like, one card I don't. Let's see how the others fare.
Scarra, the Grim Captain3BB
Legendary Creature - Human Pirate Wizard (R)
Whenever a creature you control deals combat damage to a player, exile target creature card from that player’s graveyard. If you do, create a 2/2 black Zombie Pirate creature token. 1UR, Put a card exiled with Scarra into its owner’s graveyard: Until end of turn, target Zombie you control becomes a copy of that card.
3/2
At last we discover the Grim Captain's name! I like this card quite a lot. A nice synergistic pairing of a pseudo-Embalm ability with a Processor-like one. Not sure if red is needed for the activated ability, but that's just a minor thing.
The Grim Captain's Flag2
Artifact - Equipment (R)
Whenever equipped creature attacks, defending player puts the top X cards of their library into their graveyard, where X is the number of attacking creatures. Creatures that player controls get -1/-0 until end of turn for each creature card put into the graveyard this way.
Equip 4
This is not bad, but I would honestly like it a lot more as a monoblue Aura. All abilities lean heavily towards blue.
Overall: I like both cards, but a few details don't fully convince me.
Rhulor the Murmurer1GU
Legendary Creature - Treefolk (R)
Defender, reach
At the beginning of your end step, exile the top card of your library face down with a dream counter on it. Then if there are three or more cards your own in exile with dream counters on them, choose one of them at random and put it into your hand. 0/6
I just hate random abilities, but that is just my inner Spike showing, there's nothing wrong with this card's design. I think this is heavily inspired by Etrata, the Silencer, but I might be wrong. Fine design, just not for me as a player.
Bed of DreamsGU
Enchantment - Aura (U)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature has hexproof.
At the beginning of your end step, if you have seven or more cards in hand, create a 0/2 green Plant creature token with defender. "There is a future in which I never woke, forever sleeping in my garden."
- Rhulor, Gatherer of Lore
Now, this is the kind of card that I want to see in custom card design. Good, realistic, functional, relatively simple cards. (Also see my most recent post in the discussion thread.) I don't think you will get a lot of votes for this card, but you surely get mine.
Overall: two very well designed card, maybe a bit lacking in originality but that's not a problem to me.
Dromoka the Avenger4GW
Legendary Creature - Elder Dragon (M)
Flash
Dromoka the Avenger costs 1 less for each creature put into your graveyard from the battlefield this turn.
Flying
Whenever a creature you control dies, put a +1/+1 counter on Dromoka the Avenger.
5/5
Is there a reason why the cost reduction ability doesn't just say "for each creature that died this turn"? Anyway, this is also a very realistic card, and I like that. The only remark I might have is that this is a lot of abilites. For example, I'm not sure flash is necessary, even though I recognize that if you remove it you change completely the card's functionality. In the end, this is a card I like, I just wish there were less words on it.
Adamantine Hide1GW
Enchantment - Aura (R)
Enchant creature
When Adamantine Hide enters the battlefield, put a +1/+1 counter on enchanted creature.
Enchanted creature has trample.
Whenever enchanted creature deals combat damage to a player, double the number of +1/+1 counters on it.
When enchanted creature dies, gain 1 life for each +1/+1 counter on it.
Another card with too many abilities in my opinion. I like the design and I see the +1/+1 counter synergy, but I am convinced you could get two simpler cards by separating the abilities.
Overall: both nice cards, but too wordy for my taste.
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.)
Larion, Royal Librarian1UU
Legendary Creature — Human Wizard (M)
If you would draw one or more cards except the first one you draw in each of your draw steps, draw that many cards plus one instead.
Larion, Royal Librarian can’t be blocked as long as you have seven or more cards in hand.
Whenever Larion, Royal Librarian deals combat damage to a player, you may draw a card. His vast knowledge and deep curiosity are what convinced the king to entrust the Royal Library to him.
1/4
Larion, Knowledge Seeker4UU
Legendary Creature — Human Wizard (R)
Larion, Knowledge Seeker’s power and toughness are each equal to 2 plus the number of cards in your hand.
At the beginning of your end step, investigate. (Create a colorless Clue artifact token with "2, Sacrifice this artifact: Draw a card.") His search for knowledge is boundless, and each new book he writes contains a piece of it.
*/*
Thorough Research2U
Enchantment — Aura (U)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature has “3, T: Draw a card.” To help him in his quest, Larion hired an assistant and taught him the proper way to conduct research.Larion 2.0 doesn't seem very inspired. I would have liked to see him interact with clues (similar to Tamiyo's Journal, or maybe just giving them "1, Sacrifice this artifact: Draw a card.")
Thorough Research seems like a worse version of Oracle's Insight
The Grim Captain2UBR
Legendary Creature - Human Pirate Wizard (M)
At the beginning of your end step, choose target creature card in a graveyard. If that card's power is less than or equal to the amount of damage dealt to its owner this turn by Pirates you control, return it to the battlefield under your control. 1B: Until end of turn, target creature you control gains menace and becomes a Pirate in addition to its other types.
3/3
Scarra, the Grim Captain3BB
Legendary Creature - Human Pirate Wizard (R)
Whenever a creature you control deals combat damage to a player, exile target creature card from that player’s graveyard. If you do, create a 2/2 black Zombie Pirate creature token. 1UR, Put a card exiled with Scarra into its owner’s graveyard: Until end of turn, target Zombie you control becomes a copy of that card.
3/2
The Grim Captain's Flag2
Artifact - Equipment (R)
Whenever equipped creature attacks, defending player puts the top X cards of their library into their graveyard, where X is the number of attacking creatures. Creatures that player controls get -1/-0 until end of turn for each creature card put into the graveyard this way.
Equip 4Scarra can create a scary big zombie crew, and the synergy with her activated ability is kind of hidden as the 'cost' of putting an exiled card back is actually a boon allowing you to get another zombie. In fact I think the synergy might be too strong and too repeatable, I would like this much more if it dropped the exiled card on the bottom of their library.
The Grim Captain's Flag is a flavor home-run as a dread pirate mechanic, not sure what else to say.
Rhulor's Sowing3GU
Sorcery (R)
Create a 1/3 green Treefolk creature token. Scry X, where X is the number of creatures you control, then reveal the top two cards of your library. Put all land cards revealed this way onto the battlefield tapped and all nonland cards into your hand. For each plane, a seed. From each seed, insight.
Wandering Scion4G
Creature - Treefolk (UC)
At the beginning of your end step, put a +1/+1 counter on Wandering Scion if one or more other creatures entered the battlefield under your control this turn. “May the stories you hear become your leaves and bark, your roots and knots, until the day we meet again.”
— Rhulor, Gatherer of Lore 2/5
Rhulor, Gatherer of Lore4GU
Legendary Planeswalker - Rhulor (MR)
/+1\: Create a 1/3 green Treefolk creature token.
/+1\: Scry 1, then reveal the top card of your library. Put X +1/+1 counters on target creature you control, where X is the revealed card’s converted mana cost.
\-7/: You get an emblem with “At any time, you may look at the top three cards of your library and put them back in any order and/or play them.”
|3|
Rhulor the Murmurer1GU
Legendary Creature - Treefolk (R)
Defender, reach
At the beginning of your end step, exile the top card of your library face-down with a dream counter on it. Then if there are three or more cards your own in exile with dream counters on them, choose one of them at random and put it into your hand. 0/6
Bed of DreamsGU
Enchantment - Aura (UC)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature has hexproof.
At the beginning of your end step, if you have seven or more cards in hand, create a 0/2 green Plant creature token with defender. "There is a future in which I never woke, forever sleeping in my garden." - Rhulor, Gatherer of LoreI'm torn on Rhulor, on one hand the dream cards are a really cool, but with them being chosen at random this is effectively, just draw a card each turn if you've controlled Rhulor for three turns or more. I think them being face-up, or at least allowing you to look at the face-down cards could have helped this (an activated ability to be able to pay and take another dreamed card would have also been cool.)
I'm missing the flavor on bed of dreams, but mechanically it's fine I guess.
Dromoka the Avenger4GW
Legendary Creature - Elder Dragon (m)
Flash
Dromoka the Avenger costs less for each creature put into your graveyard from the battlefield this turn.
Flying,
Whenever a creature you control dies, put a +1/+1 counter on Dromoka the Avenger.
5/5
Adamantine Hide1GW
Enchantment - Aura (r)
Enchant creature
When Adamantine Hide enters the battlefield, put a +1/+1 counter on enchanted creature.
Enchanted creature has trample.
Whenever enchanted creature deals combat damage to a player, double the number of +1/+1 counters on it.
When enchanted creature dies, gain 1 life for each +1/+1 counter on it.This Dromoka feel less inspired than your last (to be expected as her 4th iteration) I would have liked to see her be more about protecting. Name is a little odd as we already have a legendary dragon with "the Avenger" as their title.
Adamantine Hide works well, and I like the overall effect,it just reads a bit clunky with the three different triggers.
The modal ability is pretty cool, although I think it’s pretty obvious that the first option is usually the most powerful one since it turns any attacker that’s big enough into removal. I think that you based it on Provoke cards and Master Warcraft and I haven’t checked Maro’s most recent mechanical color pie article for this evaluation, but going by my personal observations in recent card design, it seems like like the “forcing certain creatures to block” ability has moved out of white and is now mostly in red/green (with a bit of it in blue maybe). This makes your URW card feel like it’s lacking a decidedly white aspect (especially since all other colors have an ability that's clearly tied to them).
The equipment – gives you the ability to turn your tapped creatures into Masako the Humorless, as long as the attacker(s) are blocked by the equipped creature. It’s a neat concept, but the wording is banding-level convoluted.
Larions abilities work together very nicely, and the card as a whole is fairly costed. Just like with your previous card though, I personally think they flow into each other a little too seamlessly. Even a small condition for the Investigate trigger would’ve made this card more interesting from a gameplay perspective.
The aura is flavorfully sound and not exciting in any way. I understand that’s what you’re going for and since I’m also a fan of making designs as simplistic as possible as long as they’re still able to transport the underlying idea, I can appreciate it.
I think I like this version of the Grim Captain better than your first one. The abilities match their associated colors perfectly and it’s a refreshing new interpretation of “reanimation”.
I also like the flag – as the sign of a feared pirate captain’s fleet, it has great flavor. That it has to be equipped makes it safer gameplay-wise, but it could’ve also worked as a regular, subtype-less artifact or – slightly reflavored – as the Grim Captain’s ship. I think the latter would’ve been a straight design homerun, honestly.
I like how one effect works before/as Atarka etbs and the other works after she hits play. In contrast to the previous version, both abilities feel like they have about the same “weight”. Flash is fitting – if not required for such a design – and the flavor checks out.
The aura probably has too much text (and too many line breaks/paragraphs) on it to fit into a regular card frame. Card disadvantage is a huge problem Auras face when it comes to actual gameplay, so I can understand that you wanted some effect that somewhat “counters” removal. In this particular case, the design would’ve worked well enough without the last ability though. If you wanted to push the power level, you could’ve still decreased the mana cost.
“Another Side of Me”
Hammer of Nazahn, taken from Twitter, by Victor Adame Minguez and Wizards of the Coast
Theme
This month we're going to build (or rebuild) a character in a kind of roundabout way. Won't spoil any more than that.
Now, let's see other facets of the character, and the ways in which they make changes to themselves.
Challenge
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.
Contestants:
Gerrard's Mom
soramaro
Hemlock
bravelion83
Cardz5000
Schedule
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
Salia’s Rebuttal 2U
Instant {C}
This spell costs 2 less to cast if it’s your turn.
Counter target spell unless its controller pays 3.
I think not.
Round 2:
Feedback Actuator 0
Artifact Creature - Servo {C}
Whenever Feedback Actuator attacks and isn’t blocked, sacrifice it. If you do, draw a card.
Salia: “Well, it’s made from scraps, I was rushed, and it can’t turn left.”
Elwin: “So it won’t work?”
Salia: “Oh, I never said that.”
0/2
Round 3:
Salia, Cunning Strategist 1U
Legendary Creature - Human Artificer {M}
Flash
1(R/W)(R/W): Create a 1/1 colorless Servo artifact creature token. If it’s your turn, it enters the battlefield tapped and attacking. Otherwise you may have it block an attacking creature. Activate this ability only during combat before the combat damage step.
1/2
Creature - Human Advisor {R}
Hexproof
Whenever a creature you control attacks you may pay 1. If you do, choose one —
• You choose which creatures block that creature this combat.
• Untap that creature.
• Switch that creatures power and toughness until end of turn.
0/2
Commander’s Regalia 2
Artifact - Equipment {R}
Tapped creatures you control may block creatures blocked by equipped creature as though they weren’t tapped.
You choose the order in which creatures blocked by equipped creature assign combat damage to creatures blocking them.
Equip 2
Legendary Creature — Human Wizard (M)
If you would draw one or more cards except the first one you draw in each of your draw steps, draw that many cards plus one instead.
Larion, Royal Librarian can’t be blocked as long as you have seven or more cards in hand.
Whenever Larion, Royal Librarian deals combat damage to a player, you may draw a card.
His vast knowledge and deep curiosity are what convinced the king to entrust the Royal Library to him.
1/4
Larion, Knowledge Seeker 4UU
Legendary Creature — Human Wizard (R)
Larion, Knowledge Seeker’s power and toughness are each equal to 2 plus the number of cards in your hand.
At the beginning of your end step, investigate. (Create a colorless Clue artifact token with "2, Sacrifice this artifact: Draw a card.")
His search for knowledge is boundless, and each new book he writes contains a piece of it.
*/*
Thorough Research 2U
Enchantment — Aura (U)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature has “3, T: Draw a card.”
To help him in his quest, Larion hired an assistant and taught him the proper way to conduct research.
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.)
Legendary Creature - Human Pirate Wizard (M)
At the beginning of your end step, choose target creature card in a graveyard. If that card's power is less than or equal to the amount of damage dealt to its owner this turn by Pirates you control, return it to the battlefield under your control.
1B: Until end of turn, target creature you control gains menace and becomes a Pirate in addition to its other types.
3/3
Scarra, the Grim Captain 3BB
Legendary Creature - Human Pirate Wizard (R)
Whenever a creature you control deals combat damage to a player, exile target creature card from that player’s graveyard. If you do, create a 2/2 black Zombie Pirate creature token.
1UR, Put a card exiled with Scarra into its owner’s graveyard: Until end of turn, target Zombie you control becomes a copy of that card.
3/2
The Grim Captain's Flag 2
Artifact - Equipment (R)
Whenever equipped creature attacks, defending player puts the top X cards of their library into their graveyard, where X is the number of attacking creatures. Creatures that player controls get -1/-0 until end of turn for each creature card put into the graveyard this way.
Equip 4
Sorcery (R)
Create a 1/3 green Treefolk creature token. Scry X, where X is the number of creatures you control, then reveal the top two cards of your library. Put all land cards revealed this way onto the battlefield tapped and all nonland cards into your hand.
For each plane, a seed. From each seed, insight.
Wandering Scion 4G
Creature - Treefolk (UC)
At the beginning of your end step, put a +1/+1 counter on Wandering Scion if one or more other creatures entered the battlefield under your control this turn.
“May the stories you hear become your leaves and bark, your roots and knots, until the day we meet again.”
— Rhulor, Gatherer of Lore
2/5
Rhulor, Gatherer of Lore 4GU
Legendary Planeswalker - Rhulor (MR)
/+1\: Create a 1/3 green Treefolk creature token.
/+1\: Scry 1, then reveal the top card of your library. Put X +1/+1 counters on target creature you control, where X is the revealed card’s converted mana cost.
\-7/: You get an emblem with “At any time, you may look at the top three cards of your library and put them back in any order and/or play them.”
|3|
Legendary Creature - Treefolk (R)
Defender, reach
At the beginning of your end step, exile the top card of your library face-down with a dream counter on it. Then if there are three or more cards your own in exile with dream counters on them, choose one of them at random and put it into your hand.
0/6
Bed of Dreams GU
Enchantment - Aura (UC)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature has hexproof.
At the beginning of your end step, if you have seven or more cards in hand, create a 0/2 green Plant creature token with defender.
"There is a future in which I never woke, forever sleeping in my garden." - Rhulor, Gatherer of Lore
Legendary Creature - Elder Dragon (m)
Flash
Dromoka the Avenger costs less for each creature put into your graveyard from the battlefield this turn.
Flying,
Whenever a creature you control dies, put a +1/+1 counter on Dromoka the Avenger.
5/5
Adamantine Hide1GW
Enchantment - Aura (r)
Enchant creature
When Adamantine Hide enters the battlefield, put a +1/+1 counter on enchanted creature.
Enchanted creature has trample.
Whenever enchanted creature deals combat damage to a player, double the number of +1/+1 counters on it.
When enchanted creature dies, gain 1 life for each +1/+1 counter on it.
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
I like the triggered modal ability. Nice weaving of three two-color effects. Hexproof is kind of random but ok. You forgot Legendary.
Finally a General's Regalia riff...? The blocking effect is sort of weird and I don't even know how it works since you are supposed to assign blockers all at once. I'm not sure that advantageous multi-blocks are the thing most people want to start doing with their commanders and the synergy with both of your cards is kind of weak.
bravelion:
Don't they write that 2+* or did they stop doing that? I don't like this version as much as last round - having variable large stats is a bit weird for a single human. Investigating is a cool idea but I think there must have been a better implementation, like adding scry to the Clues or something.
The aura is just too obvious, and it's not very good - for one more mana up front we can get Oracle's Insight.
On a philosophical note, I feel like your cards sometimes tend to strive too hard to be realistic and safe. I can see boring draft cards by opening up a pack - for the CCL, I want to see something new and fun. I think your technical design skills are fine for designing full sets, but at least in my case I'm more likely to favor cards that showed me a cool new idea but had some problems over cards that are perfectly printable as is but are very close to things we have seen already. I would also err in the "oops Tarmogoyf" direction for power adjustment rather than aim for like 11th pick draft cards. Again, all just my take.
soramaro:
I like this concept of planting ideas and having them sprout later. Feels like a realistic tie into your walker, could even work as having given up the spark and taken root somewhere.
The aura has synergy I suppose but the plant generation doesn't feel quite right to me since it isn't tied to the creature. Something like if you have fewer cards in hand than creature's toughness, draw cards would have been a neat possibility.
Hemlock:
And a fourth Dromoka. Probably should be "Whenever another creature..." although it technically works, just doesn't do anything to herself (ironically the only creature that has "Whenever a creature you control dies" on it is Reyhan, Last of the Abzan). It's a cool new direction for her, although I'm not crazy about the tension between the cost reduction and getting counters.
If the text all fits, I really like the Aura. Nice progression of abilities and they all work well in tandem. Only thing I'm not sure on is the flavor - does her hide get more adamantine over time or something?
2. soramaro
3. Cardz5000
soramaro: I feel the time cost of the ability is far too much for formats other than limited specially when compared with something like Jungle Barrier, so I think there's room for a juicier body or card selection at legendary rare, that said, I really like the design and how it's tied to the previous version.
The token producing ability of Bed of Dreams seems too unspecific for an aura, This makes me think that the fact that your aura can't enchant your previous version was something that slipped from you when actually producing the text.
Gerrard's Mom: A veey interesting first ability that can potentially clog your board is fair at thie cost and as a damage trigger. I feel the second ability is a bit hard to take advantage unless there's good shard support. The double black in the cost goes a bit against it and looks odd. It might not seem like a big deal but a cost of 4B would make it look more inviting, as double costs are something to heed when going 3-colors.
The equipment comboes very well with both your versions of the Grim Captain but the payoff as a stand-alone card is barely worthy at such cost.
bravelion: I think it could be better as a 2/2 with a static ability mostly for the sake of not adding an extra layer to care during P/T check and even as a means to protect it from loss of abilities. which has come to be quite in vogue in later sets. That said, the most obvious point of comparison here is soramaro, first to dream in which there's a built up way of pumping the stats. The difference here is that you can actually gain a bit of card advantage of it and while Soramaro flies, the fact that the librarian has some base stats allows it the chance of helping you mount a comeback.
The aura is quite underwhelming, while it does help both versions to get better there are tons of ways to do this better. Even the late Dominaria tome for that draws for is certainly better in the great majority of the scenarios.
cardz5000: Very nice set ot effects representing what the colors are about. I think the body here is not the optimal choice. a 1/2 body would have gone a long way in giving it the ability to attack itself.
The equipment is quite odd and the effect is so natroe that it seems barely something to look up to having.
Top
Gerrard's mom
Bravelion
soramaro
Salia, Prodigy of War URW
Creature - Human Advisor (R)
Hexproof
Whenever a creature you control attacks, you may pay 1. If you do, choose one —
• You choose which creatures block that creature this combat.
• Untap that creature.
• Switch that creatures power and toughness until end of turn.
0/2
I love how the three modes are each representative of one of the three color pairs that make up the Jeskai wedge: the first mode is red-white, the second white-blue, and the third blue-red. My inner Melvin approves. I'm just not sure this card needs hexproof, but I like everything else.
Commander’s Regalia 2
Artifact - Equipment (R)
Tapped creatures you control may block creatures blocked by equipped creature as though they weren’t tapped.
You choose the order in which creatures blocked by equipped creature assign combat damage to creatures blocking them.
Equip 2
So you can gang block an attacking creature with all your tapped creatures as long as the equipped creature is also part of the gang? I hope I understood this correctly, I had to reread the first sentence multiple times to get it, and I've been playing uninterruptly for 13 years. I can only imagine how confusing this must be to a less experienced player. And that's on top of a pseudo-banding second ability, provided I understand how banding works, I think I do but you can never be sure. I'm sorry but this card is too confusing for my taste.
Overall: one card I like, one card I don't. Let's see how the others fare.
Scarra, the Grim Captain 3BB
Legendary Creature - Human Pirate Wizard (R)
Whenever a creature you control deals combat damage to a player, exile target creature card from that player’s graveyard. If you do, create a 2/2 black Zombie Pirate creature token.
1UR, Put a card exiled with Scarra into its owner’s graveyard: Until end of turn, target Zombie you control becomes a copy of that card.
3/2
At last we discover the Grim Captain's name! I like this card quite a lot. A nice synergistic pairing of a pseudo-Embalm ability with a Processor-like one. Not sure if red is needed for the activated ability, but that's just a minor thing.
The Grim Captain's Flag 2
Artifact - Equipment (R)
Whenever equipped creature attacks, defending player puts the top X cards of their library into their graveyard, where X is the number of attacking creatures. Creatures that player controls get -1/-0 until end of turn for each creature card put into the graveyard this way.
Equip 4
This is not bad, but I would honestly like it a lot more as a monoblue Aura. All abilities lean heavily towards blue.
Overall: I like both cards, but a few details don't fully convince me.
Rhulor the Murmurer 1GU
Legendary Creature - Treefolk (R)
Defender, reach
At the beginning of your end step, exile the top card of your library face down with a dream counter on it. Then if there are three or more cards your own in exile with dream counters on them, choose one of them at random and put it into your hand.
0/6
I just hate random abilities, but that is just my inner Spike showing, there's nothing wrong with this card's design. I think this is heavily inspired by Etrata, the Silencer, but I might be wrong. Fine design, just not for me as a player.
Bed of Dreams GU
Enchantment - Aura (U)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature has hexproof.
At the beginning of your end step, if you have seven or more cards in hand, create a 0/2 green Plant creature token with defender.
"There is a future in which I never woke, forever sleeping in my garden."
- Rhulor, Gatherer of Lore
Now, this is the kind of card that I want to see in custom card design. Good, realistic, functional, relatively simple cards. (Also see my most recent post in the discussion thread.) I don't think you will get a lot of votes for this card, but you surely get mine.
Overall: two very well designed card, maybe a bit lacking in originality but that's not a problem to me.
Dromoka the Avenger4GW
Legendary Creature - Elder Dragon (M)
Flash
Dromoka the Avenger costs 1 less for each creature put into your graveyard from the battlefield this turn.
Flying
Whenever a creature you control dies, put a +1/+1 counter on Dromoka the Avenger.
5/5
Is there a reason why the cost reduction ability doesn't just say "for each creature that died this turn"? Anyway, this is also a very realistic card, and I like that. The only remark I might have is that this is a lot of abilites. For example, I'm not sure flash is necessary, even though I recognize that if you remove it you change completely the card's functionality. In the end, this is a card I like, I just wish there were less words on it.
Adamantine Hide1GW
Enchantment - Aura (R)
Enchant creature
When Adamantine Hide enters the battlefield, put a +1/+1 counter on enchanted creature.
Enchanted creature has trample.
Whenever enchanted creature deals combat damage to a player, double the number of +1/+1 counters on it.
When enchanted creature dies, gain 1 life for each +1/+1 counter on it.
Another card with too many abilities in my opinion. I like the design and I see the +1/+1 counter synergy, but I am convinced you could get two simpler cards by separating the abilities.
Overall: both nice cards, but too wordy for my taste.
Top 3
1st place: soramaro
2nd place: Gerrard's Mom
3rd place: Hemlock
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.)
Legendary Creature — Human Wizard (M)
If you would draw one or more cards except the first one you draw in each of your draw steps, draw that many cards plus one instead.
Larion, Royal Librarian can’t be blocked as long as you have seven or more cards in hand.
Whenever Larion, Royal Librarian deals combat damage to a player, you may draw a card.
His vast knowledge and deep curiosity are what convinced the king to entrust the Royal Library to him.
1/4
Larion, Knowledge Seeker 4UU
Legendary Creature — Human Wizard (R)
Larion, Knowledge Seeker’s power and toughness are each equal to 2 plus the number of cards in your hand.
At the beginning of your end step, investigate. (Create a colorless Clue artifact token with "2, Sacrifice this artifact: Draw a card.")
His search for knowledge is boundless, and each new book he writes contains a piece of it.
*/*
Thorough Research 2U
Enchantment — Aura (U)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature has “3, T: Draw a card.”
To help him in his quest, Larion hired an assistant and taught him the proper way to conduct research.
Larion 2.0 doesn't seem very inspired. I would have liked to see him interact with clues (similar to Tamiyo's Journal, or maybe just giving them "1, Sacrifice this artifact: Draw a card.")
Thorough Research seems like a worse version of Oracle's Insight
Legendary Creature - Human Pirate Wizard (M)
At the beginning of your end step, choose target creature card in a graveyard. If that card's power is less than or equal to the amount of damage dealt to its owner this turn by Pirates you control, return it to the battlefield under your control.
1B: Until end of turn, target creature you control gains menace and becomes a Pirate in addition to its other types.
3/3
Scarra, the Grim Captain 3BB
Legendary Creature - Human Pirate Wizard (R)
Whenever a creature you control deals combat damage to a player, exile target creature card from that player’s graveyard. If you do, create a 2/2 black Zombie Pirate creature token.
1UR, Put a card exiled with Scarra into its owner’s graveyard: Until end of turn, target Zombie you control becomes a copy of that card.
3/2
The Grim Captain's Flag 2
Artifact - Equipment (R)
Whenever equipped creature attacks, defending player puts the top X cards of their library into their graveyard, where X is the number of attacking creatures. Creatures that player controls get -1/-0 until end of turn for each creature card put into the graveyard this way.
Equip 4
Scarra can create a scary big zombie crew, and the synergy with her activated ability is kind of hidden as the 'cost' of putting an exiled card back is actually a boon allowing you to get another zombie. In fact I think the synergy might be too strong and too repeatable, I would like this much more if it dropped the exiled card on the bottom of their library.
The Grim Captain's Flag is a flavor home-run as a dread pirate mechanic, not sure what else to say.
Sorcery (R)
Create a 1/3 green Treefolk creature token. Scry X, where X is the number of creatures you control, then reveal the top two cards of your library. Put all land cards revealed this way onto the battlefield tapped and all nonland cards into your hand.
For each plane, a seed. From each seed, insight.
Wandering Scion 4G
Creature - Treefolk (UC)
At the beginning of your end step, put a +1/+1 counter on Wandering Scion if one or more other creatures entered the battlefield under your control this turn.
“May the stories you hear become your leaves and bark, your roots and knots, until the day we meet again.”
— Rhulor, Gatherer of Lore
2/5
Rhulor, Gatherer of Lore 4GU
Legendary Planeswalker - Rhulor (MR)
/+1\: Create a 1/3 green Treefolk creature token.
/+1\: Scry 1, then reveal the top card of your library. Put X +1/+1 counters on target creature you control, where X is the revealed card’s converted mana cost.
\-7/: You get an emblem with “At any time, you may look at the top three cards of your library and put them back in any order and/or play them.”
|3|
Legendary Creature - Treefolk (R)
Defender, reach
At the beginning of your end step, exile the top card of your library face-down with a dream counter on it. Then if there are three or more cards your own in exile with dream counters on them, choose one of them at random and put it into your hand.
0/6
Bed of Dreams GU
Enchantment - Aura (UC)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature has hexproof.
At the beginning of your end step, if you have seven or more cards in hand, create a 0/2 green Plant creature token with defender.
"There is a future in which I never woke, forever sleeping in my garden." - Rhulor, Gatherer of Lore
I'm torn on Rhulor, on one hand the dream cards are a really cool, but with them being chosen at random this is effectively, just draw a card each turn if you've controlled Rhulor for three turns or more. I think them being face-up, or at least allowing you to look at the face-down cards could have helped this (an activated ability to be able to pay and take another dreamed card would have also been cool.)
I'm missing the flavor on bed of dreams, but mechanically it's fine I guess.
Legendary Creature - Elder Dragon (m)
Flash
Dromoka the Avenger costs less for each creature put into your graveyard from the battlefield this turn.
Flying,
Whenever a creature you control dies, put a +1/+1 counter on Dromoka the Avenger.
5/5
Adamantine Hide1GW
Enchantment - Aura (r)
Enchant creature
When Adamantine Hide enters the battlefield, put a +1/+1 counter on enchanted creature.
Enchanted creature has trample.
Whenever enchanted creature deals combat damage to a player, double the number of +1/+1 counters on it.
When enchanted creature dies, gain 1 life for each +1/+1 counter on it.
This Dromoka feel less inspired than your last (to be expected as her 4th iteration) I would have liked to see her be more about protecting. Name is a little odd as we already have a legendary dragon with "the Avenger" as their title.
Adamantine Hide works well, and I like the overall effect,it just reads a bit clunky with the three different triggers.
2) Soramaro
3) Hemlock
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
The modal ability is pretty cool, although I think it’s pretty obvious that the first option is usually the most powerful one since it turns any attacker that’s big enough into removal. I think that you based it on Provoke cards and Master Warcraft and I haven’t checked Maro’s most recent mechanical color pie article for this evaluation, but going by my personal observations in recent card design, it seems like like the “forcing certain creatures to block” ability has moved out of white and is now mostly in red/green (with a bit of it in blue maybe). This makes your URW card feel like it’s lacking a decidedly white aspect (especially since all other colors have an ability that's clearly tied to them).
The equipment – gives you the ability to turn your tapped creatures into Masako the Humorless, as long as the attacker(s) are blocked by the equipped creature. It’s a neat concept, but the wording is banding-level convoluted.
Larions abilities work together very nicely, and the card as a whole is fairly costed. Just like with your previous card though, I personally think they flow into each other a little too seamlessly. Even a small condition for the Investigate trigger would’ve made this card more interesting from a gameplay perspective.
The aura is flavorfully sound and not exciting in any way. I understand that’s what you’re going for and since I’m also a fan of making designs as simplistic as possible as long as they’re still able to transport the underlying idea, I can appreciate it.
I think I like this version of the Grim Captain better than your first one. The abilities match their associated colors perfectly and it’s a refreshing new interpretation of “reanimation”.
I also like the flag – as the sign of a feared pirate captain’s fleet, it has great flavor. That it has to be equipped makes it safer gameplay-wise, but it could’ve also worked as a regular, subtype-less artifact or – slightly reflavored – as the Grim Captain’s ship. I think the latter would’ve been a straight design homerun, honestly.
I like how one effect works before/as Atarka etbs and the other works after she hits play. In contrast to the previous version, both abilities feel like they have about the same “weight”. Flash is fitting – if not required for such a design – and the flavor checks out.
The aura probably has too much text (and too many line breaks/paragraphs) on it to fit into a regular card frame. Card disadvantage is a huge problem Auras face when it comes to actual gameplay, so I can understand that you wanted some effect that somewhat “counters” removal. In this particular case, the design would’ve worked well enough without the last ability though. If you wanted to push the power level, you could’ve still decreased the mana cost.
2. Bravelion83
3. Hemlock
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝