Just a heads up, I won't be able to do my judgings until Tuesday evening. If that's too late, I'll, uhm... split myself into two different people, I guess.
I'd just like to say to Millions of Peaches that I think you are right that my card was kind of forced into the round requirements and I probably should have thought of something different. I did think of it specially for the round, but I have to agree it had too many abilities, and could have achieved the same result with fewer.
To muchsarcasm, I really liked the original version of your card, the one that made guys. I can't help but think that if you had stuck to that you would have won. But I suppose we shall never know.
I can't say without actually plugging in the numbers, but I think I liked his card more when it made li'l warrior buddies, too.
I'm happy you agree, and good luck in the final round.
Awestrike Firelord 1RRW
Creature - Elemental Warrior
Haste
When Awestrike Firelord comes into play, remove all other creatures from the game.
When Awestrike Firelord leaves play, return the removed cards to play under their owners' control.
At end of turn, sacrifice Awestrike Firelord.
6/1
Bonus (5/5)
Balance (7/10):
This could fit into some version of Red(white) deck wins. With enough good cards like Keldon Marauders it provides just the right amount of kick to your opponent's keister, and for a reasonable cost. Or you can just pull the old Nightmare trick and get a Final Judgment for 1RRW. That's always fun/horrendously annoying.
Flavour/Creativity/Quality (6/10):
I'll tell you what I don't like about this card - it has four abilities. Despite looking like a fun card, four abilities, three of them triggered, really clunk around in the text box. Not only that, but I could have made this same card with only three abilities.
What this tells me is, you took a neat idea and then either you squished it into the round requirements or you thought that was the best way to have it look, so you left it because you were enamored with the idea. Either way, you should have come up with a new card, because it looks like a square peg in a round hole to me.
Flavourwise, yeah, okay. I'm awestruck by this crazy dude. Not the strongest mechanical tie, because, why does awe remove me from the game? But good enough!
There's some good creative juices going around in this card. But like I said, this just wasn't the best possible permutation of that idea.
Ancestral Hall
Land
When Ancestral Hall comes into play, you may pay 1 life. If you do, return it to owner's hand.
T: Add R to your mana pool.
When Ancestral Hall leaves play, add R to your mana pool.
“Is this place real or a vision from warriors long since passed?” – Lovisa Coldeyes
Bonus (5/5)
Balance (5/10):
Well, with a Lifegift in play, I can.. um, let me think here.
I think this could have more Johnny potential if it had "return a land you control to its owner's hand" instead of what it does have.
As it stands, it's two mana on turn one. It's not a very playable two mana on turn one, but where it is played... well, who needs turn two?
I at least like it for having some Johnny potential.
Flavour/Creativity/Quality (6/10):
Your flavour is alright. Nothing stellar, but I don't think you thought it was a homerun, either.
There is creative potential here, like I said. It could have been a better and more interesting card with just a few tweaks. There are currently no other lands with "leaves play [to anywhere]" triggers, which is unfortunate.
A point off from Quality for forgetting the "its" in "its owner's hand".
Match 16 was painful to read. A 13 moves on victorious against a single digit score. In contrast, Niadar got a 19.5/25 from Kraj and failed to beat a no show. There's a moral here, but it escapes me because I'm still in shock that someone was able to get 4/5 bonus points and an equal number from all other measures COMBINED!
Too harsh? What can I say - those 9s and 10s only mean something to me if the 1s and 2s mean something too.
Greater Knowledge 1u
Instant (Common)
Draw a card.
If you have the same number of cards in your hand as target opponent, draw a card.
Being a better wizard sometimes means having more tricks up your sleeve.
Illus :: Dan Dos Santos
Bonus (5/5)
Balance (6/10):
As Cheap Annoying Efficient Instant Speed Draw Spell #23, this isn't so bad. It would likely be made into a sorcery, and would probably be tweaked a bit to be more fun in multiplayer - I'm thinking, "Then, draw a card for each other player with the same number of cards in hand as you."
I think the best thing this card has going for it is that it's at least somewhat interactive - that is, if you had made it a sorcery. Your opponent would have a chance to dump an instant in response to make you cycle for 1U.
Flavour/Creativity/Quality (6/10):
The flavour isn't very overwhelming - doesn't this card rely on you both having the same number of tricks up your sleeve? The name is less than interesting.
There are issues with the templating - having this target is rather unecessary. It would likely end up reading "Draw a card. Then, if you have the same number of cards in hand as any opponent, draw another card."
Arcane Ultimatum 2U
Instant
Counter target spell unless its controller discards a card with converted mana cost equal to or greater than the number of cards in your hand.
Bonus (5/5)
Balance (7/10):
I like this card, but it feels like a better version of this card could have been made outside of this round's criteria -as it is, making them discard based on your cards in hand makes for less fun and interesting play than, say, discarding based on the converted mana cost of the targeted spell.
This might deserve being costed at 1UU. Even though it isn't a hard counter, it's never card disadvantage, either.
Flavour/Creativity/Quality (7/10):
Good flavour text, an okay name that ties with everything else.
This is interesting for a soft counter because, like I said, it's never card disadvantage. Still, it feels like you took a good card and hammered it into the round's criteria, which is unfortunate.
Unthinkable Powers b
Enchantment (R)
Hellbent — Whenever you draw a card, if you have no cards in hand, remove the top two cards of your library from the game face down instead.
Pay 1 life : You may look at cards removed from the game with Unthinkable Powers and put one of those in your hand.
He seemed harmless. I told SEEMED...
Bonus (4/5)
Balance (5/10):
This is pretty undercosted no matter how you swing it. One mana and some life for some pretty good card selection? Eh.
Not nearly as abusable as black enchantments of the past with "pay 1 life" as an activation cost, though. In fact, I'm not sure this card is really playable most of the time, but where it's broken, it's broken.
Flavour/Creativity/Quality (4/10):
I don't care for the name. I guess the flavour text ties in a little bit.
Pet Peeve Alert: Your card doesn't work because you tried to stuff a replacement effect into a triggered ability. You can't replace an action that's already occured - which it has to have done to have triggered the ability in the first place.
Balance (1/10):
For four mana, in blue, at instant speed, I can get around 0-28 1/1 saprolings. Even just playing normally, I can get 7 of them with no effort. I can't even think of a reason to bring up your score here.
Flavour/Creativity/Quality (3/10):
I don't get how I'm turning cards in hand into different cards in hand and saproling tokens at the same time. Wouldn't I lose a couple of cards?
Ripstorm is an okay ability, but it's got the problem of being inherently broken. Cards featuring it will need to have their mana costs heavily inflated to make them more balanced.
This card has no business being hybrid. Blue doesn't get saps, and green doesn't timetwist.
I am curious what you would have to say about my card in the casual/multiplayer context. I mean, we are just killing time 'till round two.
I think tribalcycling is a great mechanic for casual players and I'd like to see more of it. Thing is, I'd like to see more of it on cards that aren't just ports of the AEthermage...
You play waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much Constructed, my friend. In any multiplayer format or any casual format that has ever existed, four-mana critters are NOT the game-winners. If this contest only takes into account Constructed duels (which I would say is a bad idea, but hey) then you're right, but otherwise this statement is kind of off-base.
I only play casual multiplayer free-for-all, actually. But he made a comment defending his card as a better constructed piece than the AEthermage, and I responded in kind. If he wants to defend his card as one more deserving than the AEthermage for casual/multiplayer formats, I would have said something else.
@Millions of Peaches - Some parting thought on my card. Yes it is pretty much a port of Vedalken Aethermage but I did change more than 4 words. I feel that 4 cost body that destroys Demons would be a lot more useful than the aethermage because of changelings like Chameleon Colossus, where the Aethermage just returns it to hand. Well as said before though that wasn't the best idea I had for the round, so I suppose I can't complain.
Perhaps it would be slightly more useful in the current standard, but I've played with Vedalken AEthermage and it's an incredible card on its own merits - the bounce is very useful, especially in a blue deck that runs lots of wizards.
Remember, if you're paying four mana for a creature, it should really be for one that wins you the game. So I still think your card is less playable than the AEthermage.
Fiendblight Malach 2ww
Creature - Angel Soldier {C}
Flying
When Fiendblight Malach comes into play, destroy target Demon.
Soldiercycling 3 (3, Discard this card: Search your library for a Soldier card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library.)
2/2
Bonus (5/5) Balance (6/10):
The best ability on the card is Soldiercycling, but I'm not sure if soldiers have ever been a great tribal deck. Still, I can imagine having fun soldiercycling away or randomly killing off some demon.
Flavor/Creativity/Quality (6/10):
The name and overall flavour of the card is okay.
Creatively, this is just Vedalken AEthermage with four words changed. I'm not too impressed. Angelcycling would also have been cooler. :b
Ancestral Tome 5
Tribal Artifact-Wizard (R)
xx3, T: draw X cards.
If a spell or ability an opponent controls causes you to discard Ancestral Scrolls, you may pay u. If you do, draw three cards.
Bonus (5/5) Balance (4/10):
This card is either terrible or excessively good. It might be worth it to run in big mana decks simply for a repeatable X card drawing effect, but even big mana decks can't play this and use it for much in the same turn. On the other hand, it is the best discard hoser you could get, except most playable hand disruption is pointed, meaning they can avoid hitting it out of your hand. Randomly, though, this is just going to stomp certain decks and win games.
I'd say since it doesn't sit very well on either end of the spectrum, I'm going to have to call shenanigans.
Flavour/Creativity/Quality (4/10):
The name is uninspired, it's randomly a wizard, and the flavour text doesn't seem to relate to the thing being a giant book. :/
I like where you were going with the second ability, but something more subtle and interesting would have been appreciated.
The second ability should start with "when", you didn't capitalize the word "Draw", and you left the flavour text off your text card.
Tormenting Flock 1ub
Creature - Bird Horror
Flying
Madness 1b (If you discard this card, you may play it for its madness cost instead of putting it into your graveyard.)
u, Pay 1 life: Return Tormenting Flock to its owner's hand, then discard a card
3/1
Bonus (5/5) Balance (7/10):
The card is well-rounded in terms of balance. As an aggressive creature with low toughness, it might not fare well without the last ability - so, uh, good on you for putting it there. :b
Good in limited, interesting enough for casual - in terms of playability, the card is somewhat above average.
Flavor/Creativity/Quality (8/10):
I like the flavour - it's an evil little flock that takes off when you need them to, at the cost of them tormenting you into discarding a card. And then they might come back for more.
Creatively it's an interesting little Cavern Harpy. Enough twists for me to like it.
The U in the activation cost of the last ability does not seem necessary, however.
Scroll Shredding 1UU
Instant
Target player draws four cards then discards four cards. If that player has no cards in hand, that player puts the top seven cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard instead.
Those short on knowledge will be inundated with a flood they will remember forever.
Bonus (5/5) Balance (5/10):
This card has a few things up on Tolarian Winds, but not much. It seems okay for a mill deck, but I think mill actually has better cards and it still isn't hot stuff.
Flavour/Creativity/Quality (3/10):
The flavour text makes no sense and doesn't tie in with the name at all. :/
It's a little creative take on a mill card. The two different effects both aim for the same goal, but honestly, this card would need to be mixed up a bit because as is it's a little hard to parse.
Wisdom Elemental 3uu
Creature - Elemental Bird
Flash
When Wisdom Elemental comes into play you may discard any number of cards and put that many +1/+1 counters on it.
Flying
When Wisdom Elemental leaves play, draw cards equal to the number of +1/+1 counters on it
0/1
Bonus (5/5) Balance (5/10):
I don't see a deck that would want to run this. Big draw blue decks generally drop a finisher and use the rest of their cards to protect it until it beats for the win. This card doesn't do that - while you may not care if it dies or not because you get your cards back, you'd generally rather kill your opponent.
Flavor/Creativity/Quality (2/10):
The flavour of this card is uninspiring. Also, bird elemental is a rather ridiculous typeline.
Creatively, it's not too stellar either - I'd appreciate a much subtler twist than just "I put my cards here and get them back later". Glint-Eye Nephilim is a more interesting version of this kind of effect.
There are errors in your templating; it should be flash, flying, and "When Wisdom Elemental comes into play, you may discard any number of cards. If you do, put that many +1/+1 counters on Wisdom Elemental.
Karn's Blessing 2uu
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant noncreature artifact
Enchanted noncreature artifact becomes a Construct artifact creature with power and toughness each equal to its converted mana cost.
Channel — 2, Discard Karn’s Blessing: Target noncreature artifact becomes a Construct artifact creature with power and toughness each equal to its converted mana cost until end of turn.
Bonus (5/5) Balance (8/10):
Both the costing of the spell and the channel are good. This card is well balanced and playable as is for its effect.
Flavour/Creativity/Quality (7/10):
Good flavour - I think there might have been room for a one-liner piece of flavour text, if you could have thought of something excessively witty.
Good creative approach to the criteria, and a channeling aura is something new enough to me.
There is one issue with the wording - "Enchanted noncreature artifact is a Construct artifact creature with power and toughness equal to its converted mana cost."
Spring Sowings 1g
Instant
As an additional cost to play Spring Sowings, discard any number of nonland cards from your hand.
Shuffle your library, then reveal the top five cards. You may choose a land card from among the cards revealed this way and put it into your hand. Then put all other cards revealed this way on the bottom of their owner’s library in any order. Repeat this process for each card discarded to Spring Sowings.
Bonus (5/5) Balance (4/10):
This card has a few unfun balance issues going against it: it sucks to get countered, it sucks to play a card that does nothing a certain amount of the time, and it's annoying to shuffle your deck that many times. It's also rare that some random land card in the top five of your deck is going to be better than a spell in your hand.
All in all, this card needs to be tinkered with to be considered fun or playable. I'd just like to say I think you're on the right track, though!
Flavour/Creativity/Quality (7/10):
The flavour is a little drab with a fairly uninspired name.
It's a somewhat creative take on the criteria and green land search - like I said, you're on the right track.
There are some issues with the wording. "You may choose a land card from among them and put it into you hand, then put all other cards revealed this way on the bottom of your library in any order."
Moving On
Kenaron
Jack Half-a-Prayer
infernotsu
InsaneZeroG
Re: Balance argument: the problem I have with the balance grading is that it's worth ten points when I really feel it should be worth a lot less. Sometimes a card will be balanced, as in, appropriately costed, but it just won't be playable in tournaments or what have you because it's not useful. So I'm at a loss for how to judge these kinds of cards. Do I just give everything 8-10 if they managed to find an appropriate cost? :/
I'm happy you agree, and good luck in the final round.
Creature - Elemental Warrior
Haste
When Awestrike Firelord comes into play, remove all other creatures from the game.
When Awestrike Firelord leaves play, return the removed cards to play under their owners' control.
At end of turn, sacrifice Awestrike Firelord.
6/1
Bonus (5/5)
Balance (7/10):
This could fit into some version of Red(white) deck wins. With enough good cards like Keldon Marauders it provides just the right amount of kick to your opponent's keister, and for a reasonable cost. Or you can just pull the old Nightmare trick and get a Final Judgment for 1RRW. That's always fun/horrendously annoying.
Flavour/Creativity/Quality (6/10):
I'll tell you what I don't like about this card - it has four abilities. Despite looking like a fun card, four abilities, three of them triggered, really clunk around in the text box. Not only that, but I could have made this same card with only three abilities.
What this tells me is, you took a neat idea and then either you squished it into the round requirements or you thought that was the best way to have it look, so you left it because you were enamored with the idea. Either way, you should have come up with a new card, because it looks like a square peg in a round hole to me.
Flavourwise, yeah, okay. I'm awestruck by this crazy dude. Not the strongest mechanical tie, because, why does awe remove me from the game? But good enough!
There's some good creative juices going around in this card. But like I said, this just wasn't the best possible permutation of that idea.
Land
When Ancestral Hall comes into play, you may pay 1 life. If you do, return it to owner's hand.
T: Add R to your mana pool.
When Ancestral Hall leaves play, add R to your mana pool.
“Is this place real or a vision from warriors long since passed?” – Lovisa Coldeyes
Bonus (5/5)
Balance (5/10):
Well, with a Lifegift in play, I can.. um, let me think here.
I think this could have more Johnny potential if it had "return a land you control to its owner's hand" instead of what it does have.
As it stands, it's two mana on turn one. It's not a very playable two mana on turn one, but where it is played... well, who needs turn two?
I at least like it for having some Johnny potential.
Flavour/Creativity/Quality (6/10):
Your flavour is alright. Nothing stellar, but I don't think you thought it was a homerun, either.
There is creative potential here, like I said. It could have been a better and more interesting card with just a few tweaks. There are currently no other lands with "leaves play [to anywhere]" triggers, which is unfortunate.
A point off from Quality for forgetting the "its" in "its owner's hand".
Moving On:
Jack Half-a-Prayer
What can I say, not a great round.
Bonus (5/5)
Balance (6/10):
As Cheap Annoying Efficient Instant Speed Draw Spell #23, this isn't so bad. It would likely be made into a sorcery, and would probably be tweaked a bit to be more fun in multiplayer - I'm thinking, "Then, draw a card for each other player with the same number of cards in hand as you."
I think the best thing this card has going for it is that it's at least somewhat interactive - that is, if you had made it a sorcery. Your opponent would have a chance to dump an instant in response to make you cycle for 1U.
Flavour/Creativity/Quality (6/10):
The flavour isn't very overwhelming - doesn't this card rely on you both having the same number of tricks up your sleeve? The name is less than interesting.
There are issues with the templating - having this target is rather unecessary. It would likely end up reading "Draw a card. Then, if you have the same number of cards in hand as any opponent, draw another card."
Bonus (5/5)
Balance (7/10):
I like this card, but it feels like a better version of this card could have been made outside of this round's criteria -as it is, making them discard based on your cards in hand makes for less fun and interesting play than, say, discarding based on the converted mana cost of the targeted spell.
This might deserve being costed at 1UU. Even though it isn't a hard counter, it's never card disadvantage, either.
Flavour/Creativity/Quality (7/10):
Good flavour text, an okay name that ties with everything else.
This is interesting for a soft counter because, like I said, it's never card disadvantage. Still, it feels like you took a good card and hammered it into the round's criteria, which is unfortunate.
Bonus (4/5)
Balance (5/10):
This is pretty undercosted no matter how you swing it. One mana and some life for some pretty good card selection? Eh.
Not nearly as abusable as black enchantments of the past with "pay 1 life" as an activation cost, though. In fact, I'm not sure this card is really playable most of the time, but where it's broken, it's broken.
Flavour/Creativity/Quality (4/10):
I don't care for the name. I guess the flavour text ties in a little bit.
Pet Peeve Alert: Your card doesn't work because you tried to stuff a replacement effect into a triggered ability. You can't replace an action that's already occured - which it has to have done to have triggered the ability in the first place.
Bonus (4/5)
Balance (1/10):
For four mana, in blue, at instant speed, I can get around 0-28 1/1 saprolings. Even just playing normally, I can get 7 of them with no effort. I can't even think of a reason to bring up your score here.
Flavour/Creativity/Quality (3/10):
I don't get how I'm turning cards in hand into different cards in hand and saproling tokens at the same time. Wouldn't I lose a couple of cards?
Ripstorm is an okay ability, but it's got the problem of being inherently broken. Cards featuring it will need to have their mana costs heavily inflated to make them more balanced.
This card has no business being hybrid. Blue doesn't get saps, and green doesn't timetwist.
Moving On:
1T4
Alacar Leoricar
Remember, if you're paying four mana for a creature, it should really be for one that wins you the game. So I still think your card is less playable than the AEthermage.
EDIT: Forgot I posted a judgeholder.. sorry.
Bonus (5/5)
Balance (6/10):
The best ability on the card is Soldiercycling, but I'm not sure if soldiers have ever been a great tribal deck. Still, I can imagine having fun soldiercycling away or randomly killing off some demon.
Flavor/Creativity/Quality (6/10):
The name and overall flavour of the card is okay.
Creatively, this is just Vedalken AEthermage with four words changed. I'm not too impressed. Angelcycling would also have been cooler. :b
Bonus (5/5)
Balance (4/10):
This card is either terrible or excessively good. It might be worth it to run in big mana decks simply for a repeatable X card drawing effect, but even big mana decks can't play this and use it for much in the same turn. On the other hand, it is the best discard hoser you could get, except most playable hand disruption is pointed, meaning they can avoid hitting it out of your hand. Randomly, though, this is just going to stomp certain decks and win games.
I'd say since it doesn't sit very well on either end of the spectrum, I'm going to have to call shenanigans.
Flavour/Creativity/Quality (4/10):
The name is uninspired, it's randomly a wizard, and the flavour text doesn't seem to relate to the thing being a giant book. :/
I like where you were going with the second ability, but something more subtle and interesting would have been appreciated.
The second ability should start with "when", you didn't capitalize the word "Draw", and you left the flavour text off your text card.
Bonus (5/5)
Balance (7/10):
The card is well-rounded in terms of balance. As an aggressive creature with low toughness, it might not fare well without the last ability - so, uh, good on you for putting it there. :b
Good in limited, interesting enough for casual - in terms of playability, the card is somewhat above average.
Flavor/Creativity/Quality (8/10):
I like the flavour - it's an evil little flock that takes off when you need them to, at the cost of them tormenting you into discarding a card. And then they might come back for more.
Creatively it's an interesting little Cavern Harpy. Enough twists for me to like it.
The U in the activation cost of the last ability does not seem necessary, however.
Bonus (5/5)
Balance (5/10):
This card has a few things up on Tolarian Winds, but not much. It seems okay for a mill deck, but I think mill actually has better cards and it still isn't hot stuff.
Flavour/Creativity/Quality (3/10):
The flavour text makes no sense and doesn't tie in with the name at all. :/
It's a little creative take on a mill card. The two different effects both aim for the same goal, but honestly, this card would need to be mixed up a bit because as is it's a little hard to parse.
Bonus (5/5)
Balance (5/10):
I don't see a deck that would want to run this. Big draw blue decks generally drop a finisher and use the rest of their cards to protect it until it beats for the win. This card doesn't do that - while you may not care if it dies or not because you get your cards back, you'd generally rather kill your opponent.
Flavor/Creativity/Quality (2/10):
The flavour of this card is uninspiring. Also, bird elemental is a rather ridiculous typeline.
Creatively, it's not too stellar either - I'd appreciate a much subtler twist than just "I put my cards here and get them back later". Glint-Eye Nephilim is a more interesting version of this kind of effect.
There are errors in your templating; it should be flash, flying, and "When Wisdom Elemental comes into play, you may discard any number of cards. If you do, put that many +1/+1 counters on Wisdom Elemental.
Bonus (5/5)
Balance (8/10):
Both the costing of the spell and the channel are good. This card is well balanced and playable as is for its effect.
Flavour/Creativity/Quality (7/10):
Good flavour - I think there might have been room for a one-liner piece of flavour text, if you could have thought of something excessively witty.
Good creative approach to the criteria, and a channeling aura is something new enough to me.
There is one issue with the wording - "Enchanted noncreature artifact is a Construct artifact creature with power and toughness equal to its converted mana cost."
Bonus (5/5)
Balance (4/10):
This card has a few unfun balance issues going against it: it sucks to get countered, it sucks to play a card that does nothing a certain amount of the time, and it's annoying to shuffle your deck that many times. It's also rare that some random land card in the top five of your deck is going to be better than a spell in your hand.
All in all, this card needs to be tinkered with to be considered fun or playable. I'd just like to say I think you're on the right track, though!
Flavour/Creativity/Quality (7/10):
The flavour is a little drab with a fairly uninspired name.
It's a somewhat creative take on the criteria and green land search - like I said, you're on the right track.
There are some issues with the wording. "You may choose a land card from among them and put it into you hand, then put all other cards revealed this way on the bottom of your library in any order."
Moving On
Kenaron
Jack Half-a-Prayer
infernotsu
InsaneZeroG
ETA for judgings: tonight or tomorrow afternoonish.