Scoring is done. Congrats to Jimmy Groove, slimytrout, and IcariiFA for advancing to the Finals.
Let me first state: I am not appealing my scores. Just adding some clarity.
The version of this card I have in a design file is Rare, but due to having an Overload cost at 3GGGUUU (yes, let that sink in for a moment - wording is also slightly different to accomodate). Without the Overload (and the CCDD casting cost), it felt pushed but not unreasonable at Uncommon for Sorcery speed. It was also meant to be a Simic card for a post-War set that had Guild abilities crossing (hence, why it had Overload). As far as inspiration, it was meant as a riff on Plasm Capture. It used to be based on the creature's CMC, but Ravenous Slime and The Mimeoplasm nudged me in the direction I chose.
As far as a "blowout" card, it only gets that way when demonstrably unfair cards are already on the other side of the board, like most Legendary Eldrazi or Death's Shadow. It's why you can't target your own creatures.
If it were WotC's call, I wouldn't be concerned about paper Magic being shut down. But, it isn't.
It's Hasbro.
The same company that made an SDCC exclusive, $150 Ghostbusters Optimus Prime for no apparent reason other than to see how many people were willing to fork over that much money for colored cardboard and plastic.
The same company that made "Monopoly for Millennials" and replaced the properties with experiences. Why? Because, as the packaging itself states: "Forget real estate. You can't afford it anyway." Enough people thought this was a good idea that it was greenlit and produced.
I have no faith in Hasbro to make intelligent decisions regarding Magic. But we'll know in less than 24 hours what news MaRo will be unveiling to us.
The end of paper Magic tournaments is nigh. All the "pro" events and qualifiers will be through Arena starting in 2020. Profit margins are higher, and there's no need for judges or TOs, or to scrounge enough physical product on hand to supply players and have prize support.
I would also not be surprised if the announcement stated that "Throne of Eldraine" will be the last paper Magic product.
Mr. Rithaniel: If the creature's abilities are being nerfed, why not slap it all the way down to drone stats of 0/1 or 1/1?
Subject16: Why does the Phyrexian BoP need to pay (G/P) in addition to the tap for mana? And why is the double proliferate so costly?
bravelion83: Make a token. Pay an extra penalty if you paid life. Change it to an opponent of your choice instead of target so you can't sidestep the penalty if they're behind hexproof.
netn10: Did you intentionally forget a creature type? You need to improve the language and punctuation in your activated ability, given how disparate the first two sections are.
Jimmy Groove: Considering you can't smack an opponent in the face with the damage (once you figure out if it targets or you choose), the casting cost is steep. Maybe 3(U/P)(B/P)(R/P) to limit abuse?
Breath of Gaea2GG
Legendary Artifact (M)
All lands are 0/2 creatures that are still lands. Domain - Land creatures you control get +1/+1 for each basic land type among lands you control.
That's a new one. I have mana tags for my Round 2 submission around "GGUU", and it's displaying as UUGG. I'd prefer to not get docked points because the site is re-ordering my mana symbols.
Aggressive AssimilationGGUU
Sorcery (U)
Exile target creature you don’t control, then put a number of +1/+1 counters equal to that creature’s toughness on target creature you control. “Do not mourn your demise. Your strength will endure, though in a vessel of my choosing.”
Hemlock: Short term tax, able to hamper Storm or other combo decks, as well as potentially protect you when trying to combo off yourself. Not really feeling the Blue kicker here, as that usually on has cost reduction for Artifacts.
Subject16: An expensive mana rock with a ridiculously steep activation cost to turn it into a creature that can get chump blocked all day.
kwanyeegor: Crag Puca is mocking your activation cost. P/T needs rebalancing with the abilities, and +0/+2 for each creature is excessive.
IcariiFA: Templating needs cleaning up. Dealing damage to each attacking creature has been the purview of White since Scourge, and Red hasn't had the ability since 1997.
Jimmy Groove: Better in a nonred deck, provided you're playing EDH, or running Tron.
Mana sequence for cards with more than three colors fits into an odd category. It depends on the "first" color involved. For Teneb, the Harvester the sequence in BGW, not WBG as WUBRG order would suggest. For Mayael the Anima, the sequence is RGW. The primary design rule was initially about "shortest distance traveled" between colors, but that was discarded for Khans of Tarkir.
M20 uses the KTK sequencing method for Wedge cards (such as on Yarok, the Desecrated), which your contestant used. The older sequence would have been GUB, which Wizards has discontinued using, possibly to further differentiate shards and wedges.
For four color Legends, the missing color could be used to bookend the sequence. As near as I can guess, it seems as though the rule is if White can't be first, loop it to the back.
Master of Flames2RR
Creature - Elemental Wizard (R)
Other red creatures you control get +1/+1.
Whenever Master of Flames attacks, create a number of 2/0 red Elemental creature tokens with trample equal to your devotion to red tapped and attacking. Exile those tokens at end of turn.
2/4
Cultivator of ProphecyC
Creature - Elemental Druid (M) T: Add one mana of any color. (2/W)(2/U)(2/B)(2/R)(2/G): Transform Cultivator of Prophecy.
0/2
// Emissary of Ruin
Creature - Elemental Incarnation (M)
Emissary of Ruin is all colors.
First strike, deathtouch, hexproof, trample
All creatures able to block Emissary of Ruin do so.
6/8
Let me first state: I am not appealing my scores. Just adding some clarity.
The version of this card I have in a design file is Rare, but due to having an Overload cost at 3GGGUUU (yes, let that sink in for a moment - wording is also slightly different to accomodate). Without the Overload (and the CCDD casting cost), it felt pushed but not unreasonable at Uncommon for Sorcery speed. It was also meant to be a Simic card for a post-War set that had Guild abilities crossing (hence, why it had Overload). As far as inspiration, it was meant as a riff on Plasm Capture. It used to be based on the creature's CMC, but Ravenous Slime and The Mimeoplasm nudged me in the direction I chose.
As far as a "blowout" card, it only gets that way when demonstrably unfair cards are already on the other side of the board, like most Legendary Eldrazi or Death's Shadow. It's why you can't target your own creatures.
The word "endure" appears in my flavor text. The word "endure" is not derivative of "end". The etymology of endure goes back to Latin "indurare".
It's Hasbro.
The same company that made an SDCC exclusive, $150 Ghostbusters Optimus Prime for no apparent reason other than to see how many people were willing to fork over that much money for colored cardboard and plastic.
The same company that made "Monopoly for Millennials" and replaced the properties with experiences. Why? Because, as the packaging itself states: "Forget real estate. You can't afford it anyway." Enough people thought this was a good idea that it was greenlit and produced.
I have no faith in Hasbro to make intelligent decisions regarding Magic. But we'll know in less than 24 hours what news MaRo will be unveiling to us.
I would also not be surprised if the announcement stated that "Throne of Eldraine" will be the last paper Magic product.
Mr. Rithaniel: If the creature's abilities are being nerfed, why not slap it all the way down to drone stats of 0/1 or 1/1?
Subject16: Why does the Phyrexian BoP need to pay (G/P) in addition to the tap for mana? And why is the double proliferate so costly?
bravelion83: Make a token. Pay an extra penalty if you paid life. Change it to an opponent of your choice instead of target so you can't sidestep the penalty if they're behind hexproof.
netn10: Did you intentionally forget a creature type? You need to improve the language and punctuation in your activated ability, given how disparate the first two sections are.
Jimmy Groove: Considering you can't smack an opponent in the face with the damage (once you figure out if it targets or you choose), the casting cost is steep. Maybe 3(U/P)(B/P)(R/P) to limit abuse?
Top 3
3. Subject16
2. Jimmy Groove
1. bravelion83
Legendary Artifact (M)
All lands are 0/2 creatures that are still lands.
Domain - Land creatures you control get +1/+1 for each basic land type among lands you control.
IIW: Hybrid Cantrips.
Sorcery (U)
Target player discards a card at random.
Draw a card.
"Pardon me while I pick your brain."
Sorcery (U)
Exile target creature you don’t control, then put a number of +1/+1 counters equal to that creature’s toughness on target creature you control.
“Do not mourn your demise. Your strength will endure, though in a vessel of my choosing.”
Hemlock: Short term tax, able to hamper Storm or other combo decks, as well as potentially protect you when trying to combo off yourself. Not really feeling the Blue kicker here, as that usually on has cost reduction for Artifacts.
Subject16: An expensive mana rock with a ridiculously steep activation cost to turn it into a creature that can get chump blocked all day.
kwanyeegor: Crag Puca is mocking your activation cost. P/T needs rebalancing with the abilities, and +0/+2 for each creature is excessive.
IcariiFA: Templating needs cleaning up. Dealing damage to each attacking creature has been the purview of White since Scourge, and Red hasn't had the ability since 1997.
Jimmy Groove: Better in a nonred deck, provided you're playing EDH, or running Tron.
bravelion83: Nice homage to Sarcomite Myr.
Top 3
3. Jimmy Groove
2. bravelion83
1. Hemlock
M20 uses the KTK sequencing method for Wedge cards (such as on Yarok, the Desecrated), which your contestant used. The older sequence would have been GUB, which Wizards has discontinued using, possibly to further differentiate shards and wedges.
For four color Legends, the missing color could be used to bookend the sequence. As near as I can guess, it seems as though the rule is if White can't be first, loop it to the back.
Creature - Elemental Wizard (R)
Other red creatures you control get +1/+1.
Whenever Master of Flames attacks, create a number of 2/0 red Elemental creature tokens with trample equal to your devotion to red tapped and attacking. Exile those tokens at end of turn.
2/4
IIW: Multicolor Treefolk.
Cultivator of Prophecy C
Creature - Elemental Druid (M)
T: Add one mana of any color.
(2/W)(2/U)(2/B)(2/R)(2/G): Transform Cultivator of Prophecy.
0/2
//
Emissary of Ruin
Creature - Elemental Incarnation (M)
Emissary of Ruin is all colors.
First strike, deathtouch, hexproof, trample
All creatures able to block Emissary of Ruin do so.
6/8