Into the Sandstorm2W
Sorcery (U)
Exile target creature. If that creature had toughness 4 or greater, return it to the battlefield under its owner's control at the beginning of its owner's next end step.
Hobgoblin Warlord3RR
Creature - Goblin Warrior (R)
When Hobgoblin Warlord enters the battlefield, create two 1/1 red Goblin creature tokens.
Hobgoblin Warlord gets +1/+1 for each other Goblin you control.
1/1
Hobgoblin Warlord3RR
Creature - Goblin Warrior (R)
When Hobgoblin Warlord enters the battlefield, create two 1/1 red Goblin creature tokens.
Hobgoblin Warlord gets +1/+1 for each other Goblin you control.
1/1
Planning MeetingU
Sorcery (U) Parley--Each player reveals the top card of his or her library. Scry X, where X is the number of nonland cards revealed this way. Then each player draws a card.
Undercity Infiltrator2UB
Creature - Shapeshifter (R)
When Undercity Infiltrator enters the battlefield, target opponent puts the top seven cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard. You may have Undercity Infiltrator become a copy of a creature card put into a graveyard this way.
2/2
Undercity Paladin2WW
Creature - Troll Knight (R)
Vigilance
Whenever Undercity Paladin deals combat damage to a player, put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control. 2W: Regenerate target creature. "May the resilience I am blessed with be yours, my brother."
3/3
A very clear and clean evolution of Undercity Troll, with good flavor backing. I like how the evolved abilities follow a clear theme of sharing. Quite an elegant design. Not sure if vigilance is necessary here, but it doesn’t hurt.
Bloodfire Student3R
Creature - Human Monk (U)
Prowess, menace
2/4[/quote]
Clean and simple card, with two abilities that play interestingly together. I can see this being an evolution of Jeskai Student, but the lack of flavor text really hurts it. Brevity of rules text means you have room to tell a story through flavor text, an opportunity that you haven’t taken advantage of here. Still, mechanically a nice card.
Sacred Huntbeast4WW
Creature - Beast (R)
Whenever a player casts a spell that targets Sacred Huntbeast, you may change the target of that spell to another creature.
Whenever a player casts a spell that targets a single creature, you may change the target of that spell to Sacred Huntbeast.
4/4
Redirecting spells is a blue/red ability, not white. Apart from the color issue, I like it. A limited form of protection for all creatures, while not strictly better than hexproof, is a powerful effect and feels like a natural evolution. With a little flavor tweak, this could easily be a blue/red card, and it would be quite great.
Vestigial Conglomerate5GG
Creature - Eldrazi Drone (U)
Devoid (This card has no color.)
Trample Landfall - Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, create two 1/1 colorless Eldrazi Scion creature tokens with “Sacrifice this: Add C to your mana pool.”
6/8
I’m not sure Vestige of Emrakul actually counts as French vanilla, since devoid is not an evergreen ability. But devoid is hardly an ability anyway, so it can be overlooked. This does play into the Eldrazi’s battlecruiser tendencies, but a seven-mana card, with an ability that requires you to play more lands and generates more mana, is a hard sell. And the scale of the ability is more suited for rare than uncommon.
Oakgnarl Guardian6WW
Creature - Treefolk Warrior (M)
Vigilance, hexproof
Oakgnarl Guardian can block up to two additional creatures.
6/8 "I have watched over these lands since I was a sprout. There is nothing I will not do to protect them, and there is nothing you can do to get by me."
When the starting card is 5/7, there’s not much room for more evolution. This is fine, but there’s not much to identify it with the original. A white treefolk is decidedly strange, and I feel the flavor isn’t strong enough to justify it. And hexproof is out of color for white. Also does not feel mythic rare.
Porcelain Pain-Sharpers
Artifact Creature - Devil Soldier (Rare)
First strike, trample
At the beginning of each end step, you lose life equal to the life you lost this turn. (Damage causes loss of life.) Those who can't bear the pain inflicted by the furnace dwellers, aren't worthy of their blessings.
6/2
Ouch, this is so painful-looking, it hurts just to look at it. Which I suppose is the feeling you’re going for. A card like this is hard to evaluate, because it’s so swingy. Probably too swingy; getting this out turn 1 means that the game will be over in short order one way or another. Something this game-deciding probably shouldn’t be available so early.
I'm fine either way, but I think we should decide on an official policy for future CCLs. This question has cropped up many times in the past, and I think having an official policy would help a great deal in alleviating confusion. Contestants not voting seems to make the most sense, though as I understand it the tradition has been for the contestants to vote for themselves.
I'm taking part in my first custom set project. Right now we're still in the starting phase, with some set mechanics proposed but nothing set in stone. We'd like to playtest our mechanics to see which ones have potential to make it into the set. None of us have done set design before, so we don't really know how early playtesting should go. Can the folks with set design experience give us some pointers?
Should we start with constructing decks for playtest, or should we fill out a draft of the commons and start with a limited playtest?
Should we test a single mechanic with each deck, or should we go for a more scattershot approach with multiple proposed mechanics per deck?
What should a playtest deck look like?
What should we pay attention to in an initial playtest?
Hymn of FlourishingG
Enchantment (R)
Kicker X
When Hymn of Flourishing enters the battlefield, if it was kicked, you may distribute X +1/+1 counters among any number of creatures you control.
At the beginning of your upkeep, if there are twenty or more +1/+1 counters among all creatures you control, you win the game.
Alpha Gnarlid3G
Creature - Beast (U)
Kicker G
When Alpha Gnarlid enters the battlefield, if its kicker cost was paid, it fights another target creature. The encroachment of the Eldrazi left the surviving wildlife territorial and aggressive.
3/4
Flame-Gang Warlord2R
Creature - Goblin Warrior (R)
Kicker 2R
Haste, menace
Other Goblins you control have haste and menace.
When Flame-Gang Warlord enters the battlefield, if its mana cost was paid, create three 1/1 red Goblin creature tokens.
2/2
Flickering Insight1RR
Sorcery (U)
Kicker--Discard a card.
Exile the top three cards of your library. Until end of turn, you may play cards exiled this way.
If Flickering Insight was kicked, add RRR to your mana pool.
Niblis of Silence3U
Creature - Spirit (R)
Flying
At the beginning of your end step, if no spells were cast this turn, you may return Niblis of Silence from your graveyard to the battlefield. "It's nights like these, when there's no sound to be heard, that you should be really afraid." --Saint Trogen, the Slayer
3/2
This has got to be one of the most difficult challenges I've participated in. Here's a first attempt....
Broodspawn Wurm
Creature — Wurm (R)
Multikicker — Tap an untapped creature you control (You may tap any number of untapped creatures you control in addition to any other costs as you cast this spell.)
Trample
When Broodspawn Wurm enters the battlefield, put a 1/1 green and white Wurm creature token onto the battlefield for each time it was kicked.
4/4
Conclave Preservationist
Creature — Dryad (U)
Kicker (You may pay an additional as you cast this spell.)
Flash, defender
When Conclave Preservationist enters the battlefield, if it was kicked, creature tokens you control get +1/+1 and gain indestructible until end of turn.
0/3
The convoke-kicker on Broodspawn Wurm is awesome. Tapping creatures to make tokens, which can then be used to fuel future Broodspawn Wurms, is great for Selesnya. 1/1 Wurms are rather odd; even if there is a flavor justification, it feels off aesthetically. Conclave Preservationist is okay, but the body is very underwhelming, and really not worth playing unkicked. The synergy is there.
Irie, Muzzio’s Apprentice3U
Legendary Creature — Human Wizard (R)
Kicker—Sacrifice an artifact
When Irie, Muzzio’s Apprentice enters the battlefield, if it was kicked, draw two cards.
Irie, Muzzio’s Apprentice has hexproof as long as you control an artifact. “I’ll have to analyze my master’s creations to learn their secrets and fully understand his genius.”
3/3
Second card:
Muzzio’s Creations2
Artifact Creature — Construct (U)
Defender
Kicker 1
When Muzzio’s Creations enters the battlefield, if it was kicked, put a 0/1 colorless Construct artifact creature token onto the battlefield.
When Muzzio’s Creations dies, put a 0/1 colorless Construct artifact creature token onto the battlefield. Constructs on Fiora do everything but fight. Mostly, they record information unbeknownst to citizens.
Irie is pretty great. Converting artifact production into card draw feels very good, and the hexproof isn’t exciting, but it is flavorful and aesthetically pleasing. Doesn’t really feel worthy of legendary status though.
Muzzio’s Creations is a pretty serviceable card to fuel decks that care about sacrificing artifacts and creatures. It’s not flashy, but not every card has to be. Goes quite well with Irie.
Quote from void_nothing »
[quote from="void_nothing »" url="http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/creativity/custom-card-creation/custom-card-contests-and-games/739011-july-ccl-top-4-critiques?comment=5"]Barrier Scuta3BB
Creature - Zombie Wall (R)
Kicker - Sacrifice a creature and pay X life.
Defender
If Barrier Scuta was kicked, it enters the battlefield with X +1/+1 counters on it.
3/8
Crulvathrind, Firmfrolicker2GU
Legendary Creature - Elemental (R)
Kicker UR
When Crulvathrind, Firmfrolicker enters the battlefield, if it was kicked, creatures with defender you control can attack as though they didn't have defender until end of turn and can't be blocked until end of turn. GU, T: Put an X/X green Elemental creature token onto the battlefield, where X is the total toughness of Crulvathrind and creatures with defender you control. "Celebrate a brilliant defense, yes, but celebrate productively."
5/2
Barrier Scuta is weird. Its kicker cost has two separate components, but only one of them contributes to the card. That feels aesthetically wrong. And the option to sacrifice creatures and pay life to pump an already-huge creature that can’t attack is quite bizarre. It’s almost never going to matter unless you’re going for some weird combo.
Cruvalthrind just has too much going on. It has three different colors of mana, but I can’t tell what each color is contributing. The first ability wants high-power defenders, which there aren’t a lot of, while the second ability cares about toughness. The first ability is the kind that typically ends the game if pulled off, which would make the second superfluous. And it shares no colors with Barrier Scuta, making it extremely difficult to play both in the same deck.
Phantom Hand Jack1UR
Legendary Creature - Goblin Rogue (M)
When Phantom Hand Jack enters the battlefield, exile your hand face-down, then draw four cards.
At the beginning of your upkeep, exile your hand face-down, then put all other cards exiled with Phantom Hand Jack into your hand.
3/2
Conflagrationist3R
Creature - Goblin Shaman (R)
Kicker--Sacrifice a creature
When Conflagrationist enters the battlefield, it deals 2 damage to target creature. Then, if it was kicked, it deals damage equal to the sacrificed creature's power to target player.
2/2
Blaze Nimbus2R
Creature - Elemental Wall (U)
Kicker RR
Defender, flying
When Blaze Nimbus enters the battlefield, if it was kicked, it gains haste until end of turn and can attack this turn as though it didn't have defender.
5/1
Style of the Three WindsW
Enchantment - Aura (Rare)
Enchant creature you control
Kicker XUR
If a spell would target enchanted creature, you may copy it. You choose new targets for the copy.
When Style of the Three Winds enters the battlefield, you may cast target instant or sorcary card with converted mana cost X or less from your graveyard without paying its conveted mana cost.
1/1
There’s really nothing white about the base ability. I’m guessing that if it’s not kicked, X = 0? That might technically work, but it’s really confusing. An enchantment with an ETB kicker effect doesn’t feel right, as the kicker is changing the functionality of the card rather than simply enhancing it. Also, enchantments don’t have P/T.
Reverberating LightW
Instant (R)
Kicker UR
Prevent all damage that would be dealt by target instant or sorcery spell this turn. If Reverberating Light was kicked, copy that spell. You may choose new targets for the copy.
This is a very cool design, but might be too narrow to work in practice. The intended functionality, reflecting opposing burn spells, is really situational. You can copy other things with it, but if that’s the main effect, it really shouldn’t be a kicker.
Creature-Demon 2/2
Kicker R
If Small Succubus was kicked gets haste and flying until end of turn.
If Small Succubus deals combat damage to a player you may sacrifice it, if you do defending player discards cards from her or her hand equal to the power of Small Succubus.[/quote]
Templating needs some cleaning up. The first ability should be an enter the battlefield trigger, and the second ability should use “when” instead of “if.” But I like the design. It’s a strong but fair creature that functions as a miniature Blightning if kicked. Pretty clever.
Nacatl Feaster2RG
Creature - Cat Warrior (R)
Flash
Kicker W
When Nacatl Feaster enters the battlefield, if it was kicked, prevent all damage that would be dealt to creatures you control this turn.
Whenever a creature you control deals damage to a creature, put a +1/+1 counter on Nacatl Feaster.
2/2
I quite like this. It plays in a different design space than most flash creatures, as it doesn’t do ambushes well, but it can flash in during a major combat to grow itself, and if you have white, can be used as a nice combat trick in said combat. Perfect for its colors, and looks like it’ll create some very interesting gameplay.
Nacatl Iconoclast1RW
Creature — Cat Warrior (U)
Kicker G
First strike
When Nacatl Iconoclast enters the battlefield, it deals damage to target opponent equal to the number of artifacts that player controls. Then destroy target artifact that player controls if Nacatl Iconoclast was kicked.
2/2
Seems like it would play better if destroying the artifact were the main functionality, and the damage the kicker. That would make it similar to Orim’s Thunder, but being different isn’t sufficient reason to diverge from a cleaner design. Doesn’t feel white at all.
Academy Warmage2R
Creature - Human Wizard (R)
All damage dealt by Academy Warmage is combat damage. T: Academy Warmage deals 1 damage to target creature or player
2/2
No kicker ability, so does not meet the criteria for the challenge. The first ability is really weird and creates rules complications without really adding much to the gameplay.
Sorcery (U)
Exile target creature. If that creature had toughness 4 or greater, return it to the battlefield under its owner's control at the beginning of its owner's next end step.
Next:
Widowisp
Hatchling Wurm
Bone Whistle
Hobgoblin Warlord 3RR
Creature - Goblin Warrior (R)
When Hobgoblin Warlord enters the battlefield, create two 1/1 red Goblin creature tokens.
Hobgoblin Warlord gets +1/+1 for each other Goblin you control.
1/1
Hobgoblin Warlord 3RR
Creature - Goblin Warrior (R)
When Hobgoblin Warlord enters the battlefield, create two 1/1 red Goblin creature tokens.
Hobgoblin Warlord gets +1/+1 for each other Goblin you control.
1/1
Sorcery (U)
Parley--Each player reveals the top card of his or her library. Scry X, where X is the number of nonland cards revealed this way. Then each player draws a card.
Undercity Infiltrator 2UB
Creature - Shapeshifter (R)
When Undercity Infiltrator enters the battlefield, target opponent puts the top seven cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard. You may have Undercity Infiltrator become a copy of a creature card put into a graveyard this way.
2/2
A very clear and clean evolution of Undercity Troll, with good flavor backing. I like how the evolved abilities follow a clear theme of sharing. Quite an elegant design. Not sure if vigilance is necessary here, but it doesn’t hurt.
Creature - Human Monk (U)
Prowess, menace
2/4[/quote]
Clean and simple card, with two abilities that play interestingly together. I can see this being an evolution of Jeskai Student, but the lack of flavor text really hurts it. Brevity of rules text means you have room to tell a story through flavor text, an opportunity that you haven’t taken advantage of here. Still, mechanically a nice card.
Redirecting spells is a blue/red ability, not white. Apart from the color issue, I like it. A limited form of protection for all creatures, while not strictly better than hexproof, is a powerful effect and feels like a natural evolution. With a little flavor tweak, this could easily be a blue/red card, and it would be quite great.
I’m not sure Vestige of Emrakul actually counts as French vanilla, since devoid is not an evergreen ability. But devoid is hardly an ability anyway, so it can be overlooked. This does play into the Eldrazi’s battlecruiser tendencies, but a seven-mana card, with an ability that requires you to play more lands and generates more mana, is a hard sell. And the scale of the ability is more suited for rare than uncommon.
When the starting card is 5/7, there’s not much room for more evolution. This is fine, but there’s not much to identify it with the original. A white treefolk is decidedly strange, and I feel the flavor isn’t strong enough to justify it. And hexproof is out of color for white. Also does not feel mythic rare.
Ouch, this is so painful-looking, it hurts just to look at it. Which I suppose is the feeling you’re going for. A card like this is hard to evaluate, because it’s so swingy. Probably too swingy; getting this out turn 1 means that the game will be over in short order one way or another. Something this game-deciding probably shouldn’t be available so early.
1. Jimmy Groove
2. raptorchan
3. Arkouchie
I can't see the votes either. Are you getting them?
Should we start with constructing decks for playtest, or should we fill out a draft of the commons and start with a limited playtest?
Should we test a single mechanic with each deck, or should we go for a more scattershot approach with multiple proposed mechanics per deck?
What should a playtest deck look like?
What should we pay attention to in an initial playtest?
Any help would be appreciated.
Enchantment (R)
Kicker X
When Hymn of Flourishing enters the battlefield, if it was kicked, you may distribute X +1/+1 counters among any number of creatures you control.
At the beginning of your upkeep, if there are twenty or more +1/+1 counters among all creatures you control, you win the game.
Alpha Gnarlid 3G
Creature - Beast (U)
Kicker G
When Alpha Gnarlid enters the battlefield, if its kicker cost was paid, it fights another target creature.
The encroachment of the Eldrazi left the surviving wildlife territorial and aggressive.
3/4
Flame-Gang Warlord 2R
Creature - Goblin Warrior (R)
Kicker 2R
Haste, menace
Other Goblins you control have haste and menace.
When Flame-Gang Warlord enters the battlefield, if its mana cost was paid, create three 1/1 red Goblin creature tokens.
2/2
Flickering Insight 1RR
Sorcery (U)
Kicker--Discard a card.
Exile the top three cards of your library. Until end of turn, you may play cards exiled this way.
If Flickering Insight was kicked, add RRR to your mana pool.
Niblis of Silence 3U
Creature - Spirit (R)
Flying
At the beginning of your end step, if no spells were cast this turn, you may return Niblis of Silence from your graveyard to the battlefield.
"It's nights like these, when there's no sound to be heard, that you should be really afraid." --Saint Trogen, the Slayer
3/2
The convoke-kicker on Broodspawn Wurm is awesome. Tapping creatures to make tokens, which can then be used to fuel future Broodspawn Wurms, is great for Selesnya. 1/1 Wurms are rather odd; even if there is a flavor justification, it feels off aesthetically. Conclave Preservationist is okay, but the body is very underwhelming, and really not worth playing unkicked. The synergy is there.
Irie is pretty great. Converting artifact production into card draw feels very good, and the hexproof isn’t exciting, but it is flavorful and aesthetically pleasing. Doesn’t really feel worthy of legendary status though.
Muzzio’s Creations is a pretty serviceable card to fuel decks that care about sacrificing artifacts and creatures. It’s not flashy, but not every card has to be. Goes quite well with Irie.
Barrier Scuta is weird. Its kicker cost has two separate components, but only one of them contributes to the card. That feels aesthetically wrong. And the option to sacrifice creatures and pay life to pump an already-huge creature that can’t attack is quite bizarre. It’s almost never going to matter unless you’re going for some weird combo.
Cruvalthrind just has too much going on. It has three different colors of mana, but I can’t tell what each color is contributing. The first ability wants high-power defenders, which there aren’t a lot of, while the second ability cares about toughness. The first ability is the kind that typically ends the game if pulled off, which would make the second superfluous. And it shares no colors with Barrier Scuta, making it extremely difficult to play both in the same deck.
1. Bravelion83
2. Flatline
3. Void_nothing
Legendary Creature - Goblin Rogue (M)
When Phantom Hand Jack enters the battlefield, exile your hand face-down, then draw four cards.
At the beginning of your upkeep, exile your hand face-down, then put all other cards exiled with Phantom Hand Jack into your hand.
3/2
Creature - Goblin Shaman (R)
Kicker--Sacrifice a creature
When Conflagrationist enters the battlefield, it deals 2 damage to target creature. Then, if it was kicked, it deals damage equal to the sacrificed creature's power to target player.
2/2
Blaze Nimbus 2R
Creature - Elemental Wall (U)
Kicker RR
Defender, flying
When Blaze Nimbus enters the battlefield, if it was kicked, it gains haste until end of turn and can attack this turn as though it didn't have defender.
5/1
There’s really nothing white about the base ability. I’m guessing that if it’s not kicked, X = 0? That might technically work, but it’s really confusing. An enchantment with an ETB kicker effect doesn’t feel right, as the kicker is changing the functionality of the card rather than simply enhancing it. Also, enchantments don’t have P/T.
This is a very cool design, but might be too narrow to work in practice. The intended functionality, reflecting opposing burn spells, is really situational. You can copy other things with it, but if that’s the main effect, it really shouldn’t be a kicker.
Kicker R
If Small Succubus was kicked gets haste and flying until end of turn.
If Small Succubus deals combat damage to a player you may sacrifice it, if you do defending player discards cards from her or her hand equal to the power of Small Succubus.[/quote]
Templating needs some cleaning up. The first ability should be an enter the battlefield trigger, and the second ability should use “when” instead of “if.” But I like the design. It’s a strong but fair creature that functions as a miniature Blightning if kicked. Pretty clever.
I quite like this. It plays in a different design space than most flash creatures, as it doesn’t do ambushes well, but it can flash in during a major combat to grow itself, and if you have white, can be used as a nice combat trick in said combat. Perfect for its colors, and looks like it’ll create some very interesting gameplay.
Seems like it would play better if destroying the artifact were the main functionality, and the damage the kicker. That would make it similar to Orim’s Thunder, but being different isn’t sufficient reason to diverge from a cleaner design. Doesn’t feel white at all.
No kicker ability, so does not meet the criteria for the challenge. The first ability is really weird and creates rules complications without really adding much to the gameplay.
1. void_nothing
2. mirrodin71
3. Zervintz