Replace(U/B)(U/B)
Sorcery [R]
Target opponent reveals their hand. You choose a noncreature, nonland card from it. That player puts that card on the bottom of their library, then draws a card.
Draw a card.
//// Reprogram5UB
Sorcery [R]
Search target opponent's library for an artifact, creature, or planeswalker card and put that card onto the battlefield under your control. Then that player shuffles their library.
Replace(U/B)(U/B)
Sorcery [R]
Target opponent reveals their hand. You choose a noncreature, nonland card from it. That player puts that card on the bottom of their library, then draws a card.
Draw a card.
//// Reprogram5UB
Sorcery [R]
Search target opponent's library for an artifact, creature, or planeswalker card and put that card onto the battlefield under your control. Then that player shuffles their library.
I'm sorry I didn't post a deadline earlier, I seem to remember Bravelion not setting one for the final round in the past so I assumed that was the best way to do it. Those deadlines work for me.
Burning Sun HeraldRG
Creature — Human Shaman [U]
Whenever another creature enters the battlefield under your control, Burning Sun Herald deals 1 damage to that creature. t: Add RG to your mana pool. Spend this mana only to cast creature spells. "Only those who can withstand the Burning Sun's withering rays deserve admittance to the Sun's Empire."
1/1
Not every story ends on a good note, and not every hero gets a good ending. Today, we're going to remedy that, and give a character a shot at redemption.
Main challenge: Choose a modern-legal set and a legendary creature card or planeswalker card from that set that is important to that block's story. Design an alternate version of that card that either represents a different version of their past or a possible version of their future.
Subchallenge 1: Your card has a different converted mana cost than the original. If your new card is a creature, it has a different power and toughness. If your new card is a planeswalker, it has a different starting loyalty.
Subchallenge 2: Your card has a different color identity from the original, and the change in color identity is flavorfully reflected in a change in philosophy of the new card.
Main Challenge
Your card doesn't have to stay the same card type; you could turn a planeswalker into a legendary creature, and vice versa.
Subchallenge 2
Your new card can have overlap in its color identity, but it cannot be exactly the same.
A reminder to everyone: In the MCC, putting rarity on cards is mandatory! If you don't put a rarity on your card, expect huge deductions in both Viability AND Quality.
Also, you should format your text cards accordingly to the forum rules (see the "this formatting looks best" spoiler in the linked OP). Again, expect deductions in Quality otherwise.
Design - (X/3) Appeal: Do the different player psychographics (Timmy/Johhny/Spike) have a use for the card? (X/3) Elegance: Is the card easily understandable at a glance? Do all the flavor and mechanics combined as a whole make sense?
Development - (X/3) Viability: How well does the card fit into the color wheel? Does it break or bend the rules of the game? Is it the appropriate rarity? (X/3) Balance: Does the card have a power level appropriate for contemporary constructed/limited environments without breaking them? Does it play well in casual and multiplayer formats? Does it create or fit into a deck/archetype? Does it create an oppressive environment?
Creativity - (X/3) Uniqueness: Has a card like this ever been printed before? Does it use new mechanics, ideas, or design space? Does it combine old ideas in a new way? Overall, does it feel “fresh”? (X/3) Flavor: Does the name seem realistic for a card? Does the flavor text sound professional? Do all the flavor elements synch together to please Vorthos players?
Polish - (X/3) Quality: Points deducted for incorrect spelling, grammar, and templating. (X/2) *Main Challenge: Was the main challenge satisfied? Was it approached in a unique or interesting way? Does the card fit the intent of the challenge? (X/2) Subchallenges: One point awarded per satisfied subchallenge condition.
Total: X/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
DEADLINES
Design deadline: Friday, August 4th 2017 23:59 EDT
Design
(2/3) Appeal: This card slows the game down, which isn't really appealing to Timmy. Johnny and Spike both enjoy it.
(2/3) Elegance: It's inelegant that Della doesn't also trigger herself when you forecast her; I can see that being an easy point of confusion for newer players. Additionally, the fact that you have reminder text for forecast but not for detain was a bad choice.
Development
(3/3) Viability: This card can draw a lot of cards given how it can be cast with only white mana, but I think it's acceptable.
(3/3) Balance: This is a strong limited rare and potentially a good build-around in constructed, where you can draw several cards off it if it lives. It's a nice synergy that detain buys you the time you need to make the most of all the cards you're drawing.
Creativity
(3/3) Uniqueness: It's new enough for me.
(2.5/3) Flavor: The name is an excellent fit, but the flavor text really falls flat. If you ignore the flavor text, you have a really solid card; it's a scornful teacher that forces you to sit down and learn (detain and draw a card). That's really good. Given that, however, the flavor text makes no sense whatsoever aside from being a generic Azorius "We're the law!". You would have gotten a perfect score in this area if you had left the flavor text blank and instead added reminder text for detain.
Polish
(1/3) Quality: The R in Reveal needs to be capitalized (always capitalize the first letter of each activation cost of an activated ability). There needs to be a comma after "nonland permanent" in the last ability. There needs to be a period in your flavor text. Lastly, you forgot to put the power and toughness in the text version of your card.
(4/4) Challenges:
Total: 20/25
Design
(2.5/3) Appeal: Everyone likes something about this card, though Spike is more excited to put this in his limited deck rather than his constructed deck.
(3/3) Elegance: Bonus points for the way that this card really captures White's philosophy; you hurt me, I'll hurt you back. In this case, it's delayed and uses clues, but the idea is unmistakeable.
Development
(3/3) Viability:
(2.5/3) Balance: This needs to be double white for limited purposes. Other than that it fits the bill for your typical game-ending bomb in limited.
Creativity
(2/3) Uniqueness: The "investigate on death" trigger is nothing new. However, the second ability is.
(2/3) Flavor: The name is rather medium, but the flavor text falls flat. I don't think either are truly awful but there is a lot of wasted potential; you have an extremely flavorful card from a very flavorful setting. I would have gone with "Regardless of their innocence, her verdict is always the same." or something similar to really convey how twisted the world has become.
Polish
(3/3) Quality:
(4/4) Challenges:
Total: 22/25
Design
(2/3) Appeal: Timmy hates giving up his lands, but Spike loves this card. Johnny can always build around these types of cards.
(2.5/3) Elegance: The second ability is pretty confusing from a rules perspective but I don't think it's hard to get the gist of what it does. However, the shuffle effect is completely unnecessary.
Development
(3/3) Viability: This is very much a green effect. I really like how you took an unusual mechanic and found a way to really make it feel like a green card.
(2/3) Balance: Well, this card certainly fits into the context of Fate Reforged—it's an incredibly powerful rare. The only thing that's stopping me from giving you a much lower score because of how staggeringly powerful this card is is the fact that the Animist needs to live in order to get your lands back. As it currently stands, this card is three 2/2's for two mana, at the cost of two mana; sometimes temporarily, sometimes permanently. This card is an incredibly powerful curve topper, and it's very strong in decks that feature anthems or other ways to abuse having several creatures out. Compare to Rhonas's Last Stand; I think your card is a lot more powerful. In limited this card is okay; super strong, but if you play it on turn 2 you get brick walled by a 2/3. In constructed, this card might be very good in an exciting way. I even think this card could stretch all the way back to legacy, which is high praise for a card that I'm not flat-out calling broken. I would probably make it so the lands return to the battlefield tapped.
Creativity
(1.5/3) Uniqueness: Turning your lands into creatures is nothing new to green, but this is a unique way to go about it.
(3/3) Flavor: The name isn't a perfect fit but it works. No flavor text is probably a good choice.
Polish
(2.5/3) Quality: The second ability is super hard to word correctly, and I give you kudos for having a good version of it. I'm pretty sure that the correct wording is "Whenever a face-down creature you control dies, if that permanent was a land card, return it to the battlefield under your control."
(4/4) Challenges:
Total: 20.5/25
Design
(3/3) Appeal: Spike loves this, and Timmy likes this kind of effect too. It's too straightforward for Johnny.
(1/3) Elegance: Unfortunately, Renown does not stack; as ManyCookies mentioned, the second trigger fails because the creature is already renowned. Lastly, this card gets messy in a creature deck that has other ways of giving creatures +1/+1 counters (which green/white decks frequently are).
Development
(3/3) Viability:
(3/3) Balance: This card is very powerful, but it's conditional. I'm not a fan of how the condition that this card relies on tends to split this card into winmore/bricked based on whether or not you're ahead, but it's not too egregious.
Creativity
(1.5/3) Uniqueness: It's a new twist on an anthem, but still plays out very similarly to other ones.
(2/3) Flavor: I feel like you could have chosen a much stronger name/flavor text combo. "Symbol of Prestige" sounds a lot more like an equipment than an anthem (it sounds extremely similar to Sigil of Distinction for example), and the flavor text is extremely generic. Having said that, the card as a whole is still functional.
Polish
(3/3) Quality: I won't ding you twice for the "renowned doesn't trigger twice" thing here.
(4/4) Challenges:
Many mechanics make it into constructed, but several do not as well. As a designer, you'd like for every mechanic in a set to have an impact on constructed, but that's not always feasible. Today, we're going to revisit our favorite mechanics and see if we can safely push the power level of a card featuring it to be a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield.
Main challenge: Choose a modern-legal set and a mechanic from that set. Announce your chosen set and mechanic, then design a card with that mechanic that is powerful enough to likely see tournament play.
Subchallenge 1: Your card has a direct and obvious synergy with other cards that also have your chosen mechanic.
Subchallenge 2: Your card is not a common, nor is it a mythic rare.
Subchallenge 1
Your card has to have synergy with the mechanic itself, not a specific card that has your mechanic.
A reminder to everyone: In the MCC, putting rarity on cards is mandatory! If you don't put a rarity on your card, expect huge deductions in both Viability AND Quality.
Also, you should format your text cards accordingly to the forum rules (see the "this formatting looks best" spoiler in the linked OP). Again, expect deductions in Quality otherwise.
Design - (X/3) Appeal: Do the different player psychographics (Timmy/Johhny/Spike) have a use for the card? (X/3) Elegance: Is the card easily understandable at a glance? Do all the flavor and mechanics combined as a whole make sense?
Development - (X/3) Viability: How well does the card fit into the color wheel? Does it break or bend the rules of the game? Is it the appropriate rarity? (X/3) Balance: Does the card have a power level appropriate for contemporary constructed/limited environments without breaking them? Does it play well in casual and multiplayer formats? Does it create or fit into a deck/archetype? Does it create an oppressive environment?
Creativity - (X/3) Uniqueness: Has a card like this ever been printed before? Does it use new mechanics, ideas, or design space? Does it combine old ideas in a new way? Overall, does it feel “fresh”? (X/3) Flavor: Does the name seem realistic for a card? Does the flavor text sound professional? Do all the flavor elements synch together to please Vorthos players?
Polish - (X/3) Quality: Points deducted for incorrect spelling, grammar, and templating. (X/2) *Main Challenge: Was the main challenge satisfied? Was it approached in a unique or interesting way? Does the card fit the intent of the challenge? (X/2) Subchallenges: One point awarded per satisfied subchallenge condition.
Total: X/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
DEADLINES
Design deadline: Friday, July 25th 2017 23:59 EDT
Judging deadline: Monday, July 28th 2017 23:59 EDT
admirableadmiral
mirrodin71 vs Raptorchan
Conntroll vs Flatline
ManyCookies
Conntroll vs Flatline
Sub_Silentio vs RickyRickster
Rocco
Sub_Silentio vs RickyRickster
IcariiFA vs LnGrrrR
doomfish
IcariiFA vs LnGrrrR
mirrodin71 vs Raptorchan
Replace (U/B)(U/B)
Sorcery [R]
Target opponent reveals their hand. You choose a noncreature, nonland card from it. That player puts that card on the bottom of their library, then draws a card.
Draw a card.
////
Reprogram 5UB
Sorcery [R]
Search target opponent's library for an artifact, creature, or planeswalker card and put that card onto the battlefield under your control. Then that player shuffles their library.
Replace (U/B)(U/B)
Sorcery [R]
Target opponent reveals their hand. You choose a noncreature, nonland card from it. That player puts that card on the bottom of their library, then draws a card.
Draw a card.
////
Reprogram 5UB
Sorcery [R]
Search target opponent's library for an artifact, creature, or planeswalker card and put that card onto the battlefield under your control. Then that player shuffles their library.
Creature — Human Shaman [U]
Whenever another creature enters the battlefield under your control, Burning Sun Herald deals 1 damage to that creature.
t: Add RG to your mana pool. Spend this mana only to cast creature spells.
"Only those who can withstand the Burning Sun's withering rays deserve admittance to the Sun's Empire."
1/1
August MCC Round 4
Not every story ends on a good note, and not every hero gets a good ending. Today, we're going to remedy that, and give a character a shot at redemption.
Main challenge: Choose a modern-legal set and a legendary creature card or planeswalker card from that set that is important to that block's story. Design an alternate version of that card that either represents a different version of their past or a possible version of their future.
Subchallenge 1: Your card has a different converted mana cost than the original. If your new card is a creature, it has a different power and toughness. If your new card is a planeswalker, it has a different starting loyalty.
Subchallenge 2: Your card has a different color identity from the original, and the change in color identity is flavorfully reflected in a change in philosophy of the new card.
Your card doesn't have to stay the same card type; you could turn a planeswalker into a legendary creature, and vice versa.
Subchallenge 2
Your new card can have overlap in its color identity, but it cannot be exactly the same.
(X/3) Appeal: Do the different player psychographics (Timmy/Johhny/Spike) have a use for the card?
(X/3) Elegance: Is the card easily understandable at a glance? Do all the flavor and mechanics combined as a whole make sense?
Development -
(X/3) Viability: How well does the card fit into the color wheel? Does it break or bend the rules of the game? Is it the appropriate rarity?
(X/3) Balance: Does the card have a power level appropriate for contemporary constructed/limited environments without breaking them? Does it play well in casual and multiplayer formats? Does it create or fit into a deck/archetype? Does it create an oppressive environment?
Creativity -
(X/3) Uniqueness: Has a card like this ever been printed before? Does it use new mechanics, ideas, or design space? Does it combine old ideas in a new way? Overall, does it feel “fresh”?
(X/3) Flavor: Does the name seem realistic for a card? Does the flavor text sound professional? Do all the flavor elements synch together to please Vorthos players?
Polish -
(X/3) Quality: Points deducted for incorrect spelling, grammar, and templating.
(X/2) *Main Challenge: Was the main challenge satisfied? Was it approached in a unique or interesting way? Does the card fit the intent of the challenge?
(X/2) Subchallenges: One point awarded per satisfied subchallenge condition.
Total: X/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
DEADLINES
Design deadline: Friday, August 4th 2017 23:59 EDT
Judges
admirableadmiral
ManyCookies
Rocco
doomfish
Players
Conntroll
RickyRickster
Raptorchan
IcariiFA
(2/3) Appeal: This card slows the game down, which isn't really appealing to Timmy. Johnny and Spike both enjoy it.
(2/3) Elegance: It's inelegant that Della doesn't also trigger herself when you forecast her; I can see that being an easy point of confusion for newer players. Additionally, the fact that you have reminder text for forecast but not for detain was a bad choice.
Development
(3/3) Viability: This card can draw a lot of cards given how it can be cast with only white mana, but I think it's acceptable.
(3/3) Balance: This is a strong limited rare and potentially a good build-around in constructed, where you can draw several cards off it if it lives. It's a nice synergy that detain buys you the time you need to make the most of all the cards you're drawing.
Creativity
(3/3) Uniqueness: It's new enough for me.
(2.5/3) Flavor: The name is an excellent fit, but the flavor text really falls flat. If you ignore the flavor text, you have a really solid card; it's a scornful teacher that forces you to sit down and learn (detain and draw a card). That's really good. Given that, however, the flavor text makes no sense whatsoever aside from being a generic Azorius "We're the law!". You would have gotten a perfect score in this area if you had left the flavor text blank and instead added reminder text for detain.
Polish
(1/3) Quality: The R in Reveal needs to be capitalized (always capitalize the first letter of each activation cost of an activated ability). There needs to be a comma after "nonland permanent" in the last ability. There needs to be a period in your flavor text. Lastly, you forgot to put the power and toughness in the text version of your card.
(4/4) Challenges:
Total: 20/25
(2.5/3) Appeal: Everyone likes something about this card, though Spike is more excited to put this in his limited deck rather than his constructed deck.
(3/3) Elegance: Bonus points for the way that this card really captures White's philosophy; you hurt me, I'll hurt you back. In this case, it's delayed and uses clues, but the idea is unmistakeable.
Development
(3/3) Viability:
(2.5/3) Balance: This needs to be double white for limited purposes. Other than that it fits the bill for your typical game-ending bomb in limited.
Creativity
(2/3) Uniqueness: The "investigate on death" trigger is nothing new. However, the second ability is.
(2/3) Flavor: The name is rather medium, but the flavor text falls flat. I don't think either are truly awful but there is a lot of wasted potential; you have an extremely flavorful card from a very flavorful setting. I would have gone with "Regardless of their innocence, her verdict is always the same." or something similar to really convey how twisted the world has become.
Polish
(3/3) Quality:
(4/4) Challenges:
Total: 22/25
(2/3) Appeal: Timmy hates giving up his lands, but Spike loves this card. Johnny can always build around these types of cards.
(2.5/3) Elegance: The second ability is pretty confusing from a rules perspective but I don't think it's hard to get the gist of what it does. However, the shuffle effect is completely unnecessary.
Development
(3/3) Viability: This is very much a green effect. I really like how you took an unusual mechanic and found a way to really make it feel like a green card.
(2/3) Balance: Well, this card certainly fits into the context of Fate Reforged—it's an incredibly powerful rare. The only thing that's stopping me from giving you a much lower score because of how staggeringly powerful this card is is the fact that the Animist needs to live in order to get your lands back. As it currently stands, this card is three 2/2's for two mana, at the cost of two mana; sometimes temporarily, sometimes permanently. This card is an incredibly powerful curve topper, and it's very strong in decks that feature anthems or other ways to abuse having several creatures out. Compare to Rhonas's Last Stand; I think your card is a lot more powerful. In limited this card is okay; super strong, but if you play it on turn 2 you get brick walled by a 2/3. In constructed, this card might be very good in an exciting way. I even think this card could stretch all the way back to legacy, which is high praise for a card that I'm not flat-out calling broken. I would probably make it so the lands return to the battlefield tapped.
Creativity
(1.5/3) Uniqueness: Turning your lands into creatures is nothing new to green, but this is a unique way to go about it.
(3/3) Flavor: The name isn't a perfect fit but it works. No flavor text is probably a good choice.
Polish
(2.5/3) Quality: The second ability is super hard to word correctly, and I give you kudos for having a good version of it. I'm pretty sure that the correct wording is "Whenever a face-down creature you control dies, if that permanent was a land card, return it to the battlefield under your control."
(4/4) Challenges:
Total: 20.5/25
(3/3) Appeal: Spike loves this, and Timmy likes this kind of effect too. It's too straightforward for Johnny.
(1/3) Elegance: Unfortunately, Renown does not stack; as ManyCookies mentioned, the second trigger fails because the creature is already renowned. Lastly, this card gets messy in a creature deck that has other ways of giving creatures +1/+1 counters (which green/white decks frequently are).
Development
(3/3) Viability:
(3/3) Balance: This card is very powerful, but it's conditional. I'm not a fan of how the condition that this card relies on tends to split this card into winmore/bricked based on whether or not you're ahead, but it's not too egregious.
Creativity
(1.5/3) Uniqueness: It's a new twist on an anthem, but still plays out very similarly to other ones.
(2/3) Flavor: I feel like you could have chosen a much stronger name/flavor text combo. "Symbol of Prestige" sounds a lot more like an equipment than an anthem (it sounds extremely similar to Sigil of Distinction for example), and the flavor text is extremely generic. Having said that, the card as a whole is still functional.
Polish
(3/3) Quality: I won't ding you twice for the "renowned doesn't trigger twice" thing here.
(4/4) Challenges:
Total: 20.5/25
Also apparently I forgot to hit "save" last night when I was posting the brackets. They should be up now. Apologies for the delay!
Your card has to have your chosen mechanic.
EDIT — You can now choose any mechanic for the main challenge. Hopefully this should fix all the problems.
August MCC Round 3
Many mechanics make it into constructed, but several do not as well. As a designer, you'd like for every mechanic in a set to have an impact on constructed, but that's not always feasible. Today, we're going to revisit our favorite mechanics and see if we can safely push the power level of a card featuring it to be a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield.
Main challenge: Choose a modern-legal set and a mechanic from that set. Announce your chosen set and mechanic, then design a card with that mechanic that is powerful enough to likely see tournament play.
Subchallenge 1: Your card has a direct and obvious synergy with other cards that also have your chosen mechanic.
Subchallenge 2: Your card is not a common, nor is it a mythic rare.
Your card has to have synergy with the mechanic itself, not a specific card that has your mechanic.
(X/3) Appeal: Do the different player psychographics (Timmy/Johhny/Spike) have a use for the card?
(X/3) Elegance: Is the card easily understandable at a glance? Do all the flavor and mechanics combined as a whole make sense?
Development -
(X/3) Viability: How well does the card fit into the color wheel? Does it break or bend the rules of the game? Is it the appropriate rarity?
(X/3) Balance: Does the card have a power level appropriate for contemporary constructed/limited environments without breaking them? Does it play well in casual and multiplayer formats? Does it create or fit into a deck/archetype? Does it create an oppressive environment?
Creativity -
(X/3) Uniqueness: Has a card like this ever been printed before? Does it use new mechanics, ideas, or design space? Does it combine old ideas in a new way? Overall, does it feel “fresh”?
(X/3) Flavor: Does the name seem realistic for a card? Does the flavor text sound professional? Do all the flavor elements synch together to please Vorthos players?
Polish -
(X/3) Quality: Points deducted for incorrect spelling, grammar, and templating.
(X/2) *Main Challenge: Was the main challenge satisfied? Was it approached in a unique or interesting way? Does the card fit the intent of the challenge?
(X/2) Subchallenges: One point awarded per satisfied subchallenge condition.
Total: X/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
DEADLINES
Design deadline: Friday, July 25th 2017 23:59 EDT
Judging deadline: Monday, July 28th 2017 23:59 EDT
admirableadmiral
mirrodin71 vs Raptorchan
Conntroll vs Flatline
ManyCookies
Conntroll vs Flatline
Sub_Silentio vs RickyRickster
Rocco
Sub_Silentio vs RickyRickster
IcariiFA vs LnGrrrR
doomfish
IcariiFA vs LnGrrrR
mirrodin71 vs Raptorchan