Salutations! Welcome to the September Edition of the Card Creation League, 2009. Here are the rules for reference, to anyone who needs them~
The Short Version
-I'll give you a task, and each leaguer has 3.5 days to submit a card. (We have a deadline, so try to adhere to this.)
- Then, the round closes, and each of you will have 1.5 days to post a Top 3 and reviews (And I shall do my best to have the next round up every 5 days.)
- We'll have at least 2 teams. Each team will review the opposing team's cards. After 3 rounds, we will cut to the top 8 players as determined by points.
- Each 1st place earns you 3 points, 2nd place earns 2 points and 3rd place earns 1 point
- Additionally, each player who posts a review for at least half the cards gains 1 point. Anyone who submits a Top 3 within deadline also receives a point.
- At the end of the third round, we go to a Top 8, where each session becomes a 1 vs. 1 (or not, it can sometimes be a 1 vs. 1 vs. 1 battle royal) elimination, until we have our champion.
- We have a "probation" procedure, which means that if you don't post a card or a Top 3, you are on probation. For Top 3 violations, if you didn't have time to post your T3 in time, PM it to me before the following round closes and I'll remove the probation.
- Some rounds I will vary the teams and scoring policies. I'll do my best to inform everyone what those changes entail.
- Here is a long, but very old version of the rules (thanks to Jau for finding this). Read at your own peril.
The CCL is among the more fun games on the MtGSalvation forums due to its inherent aspect of interactivity among the Leaguers (that’s you). We actively critique each other’s card designs at the end of each round, putting a more personal interest into our cards and generally making us all better designers. Typically, we build worlds more complete than many games, as each round builds on the designs and ideas of previous rounds in the month. The CCL allows for Leaguers to plumb the depths of creativity, as the point schedule aspect allows for three full rounds without fear of elimination.
* Schedule
o The CCL will run six rounds, each lasting five days.
+ Rounds 1, 2 & 3 will be free-for-alls with each leaguer fighting for the most points during critiques. At the beginning of each of these rounds. The host will divide the league members evenly into two teams and each team will be assigned their design challenge. At the challenge deadline, the round will elapse into the critique section (see Critiques below). Once the critique section ends, the host will tally points and post the next round. Team rosters are likely to change between rounds; the new rosters will be included in the initial posting for the next round.
o Each round will last five days: 3.5 to finalize designs, 1.5 for critiques.
o The schedule will usually operate according to US Easter time zone (GMT -5) We will stick to this schedule as closely as possible, adjusting as necessary.
* Challenge Rounds
o At the start of each round, the host will post the challenge for the round. This may be, at the host’s discretion, a single challenge for all leaguers, a list for each leaguer to choose from, challenges assigned to each leaguer, or other challenge variation.
o Each Leaguer will post his/her entry by the deadline, 3.5 days after the round is posted.
* Critique Rounds
o At the end of each challenge round, the host, or an individual the host designates, will officially close the round and open the forum for critiques. After this point, modifying the post containing your entry for the round will incur penalties (see Penalties section).
o Each Leaguer will thoroughly critique at least 50% of the entries given by the leaguers on the other team.
o In addition to the critiques, each Leaguer generates his/her list of the Top 3 entries for the round. The Top 3 listings are the chief source of points within the CCL and are therefore required to complete. Even if critiques are not completed, Top 3’s must be listed to avoid penalties (see Penalties for penalty schedule). Regardless of the cards actually critiqued by a given Leaguer, Top 3’s can be drawn from any valid entry of the round. Submitting Top 3’s grants one point.
o A valid critique does not need to be lengthy. A few constructive sentences will do as long as they are meaningful. Neither “Hated it,” “Too expensive,” nor “Bahhrokken!!!” are valid critiques.
Example:
The following card is submitted by Fitzgerald:
A few decent critics:
from Tiberius: Templating issue with “nonpermanent card,” it's confusing and should just read “instant or sorcery card.” And the cost seems steep: I’m giving up a mana, a card, and immediate access to the card I looked for. Creative, but not bad.
from Wilhelmina: I hate the name. Also the shuffle part should be right after removing the tutored card instead of on a separate line. Seems powerful as an instant, play it on the opponents turn and you get basically a free draw, but you get to pick it.
from Beauregard: A bit complicated for uncommon. It doesn’t go to microtext on a render (sans flavor text) but it still isn’t all that intuitive.
* Valid Entry Constitution
o A valid entry in a given round cleanly delivers all required components of the challenge. The CCL is based around card design, so each challenge will direct Leaguers to design one or more cards, but other components may be given according to the judge’s discretion. Historically, these non-card components have included such things as keyword mechanic designs, story pieces, and various ideas for the judge to incorporate into later rounds. Include only what is described by the challenge requirements, as superfluous items may sway judgings unfairly and will incur penalties.
o It is customary to include card renders in entries. This is not required. Some Leaguers may not have access to render design software and therefore will not be penalized for posting an entry without a render. However, it must be understood that a proper render is easier to judge/critique as it is more pleasing to the eye, more memorable and allows for Leaguers to judge the card by its wordiness, a very important aspect of a card’s design. Common rendering software used include Magic Set Editor (free program, the standard that most amateur designers use), PhotoShop (not free), and GIMP (free PhotoShop knockoff).
* Scoring
o The bulk of available points will be derived from Top 3 listings, as is League custom. Within each Top 3 listing, the choice for 1st place will be awarded 3 points, the choice for 2nd place will receive 2 points, and the choice for 3rd place will receive 1 point. It is common for Leaguers to post an Honorable Mention or two along with their T3 listings. Honorable Mentions are not awarded points. Posting T3s is required and awards one point for completion of the requirements. There are penalties for failure to post T3s (see Penalties section).
o Critiques are an optional aspect of the CCL, therefore no penalties are given for failure to complete critiques. Any Leaguer completing critiques for at least 50% of the other team's entries will receive 1 bonus point. An additional point will be awarded if a Leaguer critiques all valid entries in the round.
o As noted in the section on Valid Entry Constitution, entries are encouraged to contain proper card renders. Some Leaguers may not have access to render design software and will not be penalized for posting an entry without a render.
* Penalties
o Failure to post Top 3s as required during the Critique section of any round will put a Leaguer on probation. While on probation, failure to post an Top 3 in any later round will disqualify that Leaguer for the remainder of the month.
o Once a Round elapses into its critique section, any Leaguer modifying their entry after any leaguer has posted a critique, will be disqualified for the round.
o Failure to post an entry within the Challenge round will put a Leaguer on probation. While on probation, failure to post an entry in any later round will disqualify that Leaguer for the remainder of the month.
* Resources
o This is a templating guideline compiled by Kraj. It is quite concise and very useful.
o Making Magic by Mark Rosewater, current head of Magic Design at Wizards of the Coast. Making Magic is a weekly article detailing the trials, tribulations and achievements of Magic R&D in riveting prose.
o Magiccards.info is the database mtgsalvation draws upon when you use the [card] tag. The advanced search functionality is useful for searching all cards officially printed by WotC.
o Gatherer is the database maintained officially by WotC. It has slightly different functionality than magiccards.info, but the differences are too numerable to list here. (Someone should write an article about that)
o Your other Leaguers are fantastic resources. We, more than the players of other games on this forum, are a community, as can be seen by the dialogue of any CCL thread.
+ Question, consult with, challenge and encourage each other at every opportunity.
o Credits
Round 1 Posted - September 1
Round 1 Critiques - September 4
Round 2 Posted - September 7
Round 2 Critiques - September 10
Round 3 Posted - September 13
Round 3 Critiques - September 15
Round 4 Posted - September 18
Round 4 Critiques - September 20
Round 5 Posted - September 23
Round 5 Critiques - September 26
Round 6 Posted - September 28
Round 6 Critiques - September 2
Lord Vanshal finally falls when the final strike hits him. He coughs up blood, and it's obvious his fate is sealed.
"You have done well..." He whispered, falling to the ground.
As he begins to die, you see the foundations you stand upon begin to shake. Bit by bit, the Arenz Valkyrie, and the very plane it was in, was crumbling away. The artifical plane had been connected to Lord Vanshal, and his death was the trigger that cut that connection.
"We have to get out!" On of you, the only two survivors, shouts.
"But how?! The world is falling on us!"
"The...Fields... Elysian..." Lord Vanshal whispered, his words on his death bed. Both your heads snap to face him.
"What?"
"Portal...out of here... Elysian...Fields." With that, Lord Vanshal died, leaving the world in a quaking mess.
You both are silent for a moment, and then you decide to follow his advice.
Both of you race out, through the crumbling castle, to the fields of Elysian, and the safety that it promised.
Lord Vanshal has fallen, but with he tumbles the entire plane. Your only hope is a promised portal in the Elysian Fields, but to reach it, you but traverse all you have gone in these past few hours. Through the halls of Arenz, through both the fields of the Elementals and Beasts.
Can you make it? Only time will tell.
And people! We arrive at the final round of the September CCL, the final deathmatch between...!
Final Match: Twilight Kiwi vs Gerrard's Mom
So, what are your challenges? Well, for this final round, the challenge will both be free and restrictive, and you may need to click and find the old rounds and visit the past to construct the future.
Your task is to make 6 cards once more. These must represent your evolved avatar's escape from the throne room of Arenz Valkyrie to the Elysian Fields, through the crumbling world that you are stuck in. These cards may be whatever you wish, instants, sorceries, different forms of your avatar, whatever. Remember, you have to go through the Arenz Valkyrie, the Ring of Elementals and the Ring of Beasts, on your way back to the Elysian Fields, so keep those in mind when your making your cards.
Let's get these done by the 3rd of October, if you will, and I'll be posting up the poll shortly after.
Don't worry, GM, I would never HEY LOOK A DISTRACTION!
Kogra the Skillhoarder :2mana::symg::symu::symb:
Legendary Creature - Shapeshifter (M)
All other creatures in play lose double strike, deathtouch, first strike, flying, haste, intimidation, landwalk, protection, reach, shroud, trample, and vigilance. Kogra the Skillhoarder gains all abilities lost this way. Envy and ego made manifest.
3/3
As mortar and stone crumbled in on the dead shapeshifter, Kogra settled into a vaguely humanoid form and glanced at the only other being that had survived the battle. For a moment they seemed to size each other up, but Kogra shook his head. This was no time to see who was stronger. It went against every simulated bone in the shapeshifter's usually selfish and independent body, but...
A mouth emerged from the featureless face. "Perhaps we should work together, to ensure that we both get out of here alive..?"
Kogra did not wait for the other's response; there was no time for debate. If the other agreed, they would cooperate as they went or not at all. To survive now, he would have to act faster than ever before, to take unfamiliar shapes that previously he had felt were too unlike himself to be worth using. His skin shuddering almost as violently as the floor, he solidified as a being he knew would not be hindered by the castle's hazards and took off as quickly as his now-human legs would allow.
VaultrunnerWG
Creature - Human Scout (C)
Protection from artifacts and lands "Natural or artificial - no obstacle can keep me from what I seek."
2/2
Surprisingly, it wasn't long before they ran into the castle's remaining guards. Whether compelled by duty, magic, or sheer stubbornness, it seemed a few of them were unwilling to abandon their posts even with the castle walls crumbling swiftly around them. If Kogra were to try and fight his way past all of them, even with all the wondrous new abilities he'd picked up or developed in this world, he'd be crushed in rubble. Thinking quickly, he sampled the form of the first guard that accosted him - a humanoid soldier - and focused as a ripple of magic shuddered through the collapsing walls. As he assumed the soldier's form, so too was everyone else nearby forced into it!
Shifting SymbiosisWUG
Enchantment (R)
Whenever a creature enters the battlefield, all creatures on the battlefield become copies of that creature. The magocracy of Bakala devised a unique solution to prevent prejudice and racism.
In the ensuing confusion, Kogra easily slipped past the guards and managed to make it out of the massive castle just before it caved in on itself. Still, much ground was left to cover, and that ground was growing more dangerous and unpredictable by the second. He knew the other shapeshifter had a strong connection to the land, and so drew on its power for himself to become a creature much more in tune with it than he had ever been on his own. Reveling in his new bond with the land, he forged a path past the terrain surrounding the castle with relative ease.
Geomancer1G
Creature - Elf Shaman (R)
Whenever a land enters the battlefield, Geomancer gains all of that land's abilities until another land enters the battlefield. "They take 'becoming one with the land' quite literally." - Tok Ghaska, wandering scholar
1/1
Soon, they were once again confronted by the teeming mass of elementals. Last time he had faced these beings, Kogra had taken on a defensive form to slowly work his way past them. Now repressed anger at Vanshal's madness in bringing them here welled up inside him, combining with the indignation he felt that these mere elementals would dare stand in his way again; the emotion twisted his form, and he unleashed it at the beings that sought to stop his escape.
Arrogance1WBR
Creature - Incarnation (R)
Arrogance gets +1/+0 for each other creature on the battlefield.
Other creatures can't attack or block.
When Arrogance is put into a graveyard from anywhere, shuffle it into its owner’s library.
0/1
Cowed by the powerful waves of self-importance almost literally blasting out of Kogra's brilliant, physically perfect form, the elementals parted and let him pass without further incident. However, when he reached the border of the area that held the first obstacle they had faced, mere hours ago that now felt like weeks - all that stood now between them and the portal - Kogra's form fell apart as he felt his resolve ebbing. The horde of massive beasts had been agitated into a blind, chaotic fury by the devastation being wrought around them; mere force of will would not be enough to stop their rampage. They tore into the vegetation, the already-sundering land, and each other, going berserk at everything in sight.
They were big. Kogra was small. He could change that balance in his favor with enough effort.
Manacore SovereignWWUUBBRRGG
Creature - Elemental (M)
Trample Chroma - Each creature's power and toughness are each equal to the number of colored mana symbols in its mana cost. It brings forth the primal core of all that stand before it.
*/*
Taking long, thunderous strides past the beasts that seemed so insignificant in comparison now, Kogra finally spotted the portal. He could see now that he and the other shapeshifter were not the only beings seeking escape; a large number of native people and creatures were converging on the Elysian Fields from every direction. If they didn't make it there first, it would be far too crowded for them to get through before the entire plane was destroyed. Paying little heed now to whether or not his companion kept up with him, Kogra shifted rapidly between the fastest, most agile forms he knew, combining several when that didn't work, leeching off those who were still outpacing him until they fell behind his ever-hastening form...
But it wasn't going to be enough. He wasn't going to make it.
He was going to die.
In that instant of utter hopelessness, a sudden revelation dawned upon Kogra. Unlike most shapeshifters, it was as easy for him to alter the forms of others as it was his own.
So how hard could it be, then, to alter the very world around him?
Reaching out desperately, he caught hold of the fabric of reality he could now tentatively sense around him, dragging and folding edges together, reshaping the path of destiny to his will...
And suddenly he stood breathlessly before the portal, well before anyone else had reached it.
Tesseract3UUU
Instant (M)
Choose a player. That player takes a turn. (The player whose turn it is finishes their turn where they left off after the chosen player takes a turn.)
Without further hesitation or contemplation, Kogra dove for the beckoning gate. The other shifter's fate was in its own hands now, and the whims of the universe.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Suffer the little creatures, for they may yet rise up and beat you senseless."
Manaweaver :1mana::symg::symg:
Creature - Shapeshifter (M)
Whenever a player activates a mana ability of a land, copy that ability. The threads of mana are never truly cut, if you know how to follow them.
1/1
The Manaweaver paused only a moment as Lord Vanshal melted to the floor. Somewhere, it heard the call of another creature, the only other remaining here, but in its vision everything was now a delicate weave of mana strands, a sight too overwhelming to respond. Riding the last swells of mana from the titanic clash that had just taken place, it pressed forward toward the hall. Tracking close by the pattern that corresponded to the other survivor, it came into a chamber of dull, lifeless mana. The wall buckled and tore, bulging forth into the shape of a stony warrior. The Manaweaver could not bother to stop and play with this new adversary, so it sent a brief shock through the remaining mana in its clutch.
Mana IgnitionR
Instant (C)
Mana Ignition deals 1 damage to target creature or player. If you have 4 or more mana in your mana pool, Mana Ignition deals 4 damage to that creature or player instead.
Spilling through the hole opened in the wreckage that was Arenz Valkyrie, the Manaweaver paused to regroup. Somewhere it sensed the other still racing forth, but as the strands of mana came loose around it, the curious creature found it had little energy left to dispense. Flickering through forms, it found one that would let it make the most of what remained, at the cost of its own life energy.
Deadgrove VeinletterBG
Creature - Vampire Druid (R)
You may spend life as though it were colorless mana to pay the mana cost of creature spells. No suffering is eased without price.
2/1
With a pained cry, the Manaweaver pulled forth the wrought iron of fallen spires and the granite shards of ancient walls into a massive new skeleton, a single-minded engine of destruction. In this ravaged and depleted landscape, it could advance without penalty.
Monument Crusher5
Artifact Creature - Juggernaut (R)
Trample
Monument Crusher doesn't untap during its controller's untap step. X: Choose an opponent, then untap Monument Crusher. X is the number of untapped lands that player controls.
5/5
Shrugging off the strange energies of the crazed elementals that remained near Arenz Valkyrie, the Manaweaver in its chosen form clove a furrowed path in the very earth itself. Yet the exertion soon drained its mana reserves. As a thunderous herd of beasts closed in, it sighted the pulsing portal in the distance, and with the last of its mana formed a taut field of mana currents around itself, allowing it to reactivate on its own inherent energy.
Resonator Membrane3(G/U)
Enchantment - Aura (U)
Enchant permanent
Whenever enchanted permanent becomes tapped, add X to your mana pool, where X is that permanent's converted mana cost.
A few short moments later, and the Manaweaver stood unopposed in the Elysian Fields, its goal at hand. It had lost sight of the other survivor, whether unraveled or woven into a new form, it knew not. Here, though, the ghosts of a hundred other shapeshifters that had fallen in this cruel competition crowded the meadow, each raising a cry from a different mind and a different world.
Fields of Memory
Plane - Arenz
All creatures have "T: Draw a card."
Whenever you roll , target player puts the top X cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard, where X is the number of cards in your hand.
Here, the Manaweaver stopped and waited. As the rest of the plane crumbled around it, it listened to a hundred secrets, heard a hundred hopes. As the weave of this plane crumbled to its final threads, the arcane field surrounding the hulking mass of masonry hummed, and a chain reaction began. Drawing the accumulated knowledge of these wisps of consciousness into itself, it willfully sublimated the rest of the plane, leaving only the afterimage of what had been.
Fixed Ideal3WW
Enchantment (R)
When Fixed Ideal comes into play, exile target nonland permanent or target nonland card in an opponent's graveyard. That player can only play spells that share a color and a card type with the exiled card.
Where once a plane of mutability had been, a single crisp image remained, a neverchanging slice of eternity frozen in the reaches of the Blind Eternities. The Manaweaver moved on.
Salutations! Welcome to the September Edition of the Card Creation League, 2009. Here are the rules for reference, to anyone who needs them~
-I'll give you a task, and each leaguer has 3.5 days to submit a card. (We have a deadline, so try to adhere to this.)
- Then, the round closes, and each of you will have 1.5 days to post a Top 3 and reviews (And I shall do my best to have the next round up every 5 days.)
- We'll have at least 2 teams. Each team will review the opposing team's cards. After 3 rounds, we will cut to the top 8 players as determined by points.
- Each 1st place earns you 3 points, 2nd place earns 2 points and 3rd place earns 1 point
- Additionally, each player who posts a review for at least half the cards gains 1 point. Anyone who submits a Top 3 within deadline also receives a point.
- At the end of the third round, we go to a Top 8, where each session becomes a 1 vs. 1 (or not, it can sometimes be a 1 vs. 1 vs. 1 battle royal) elimination, until we have our champion.
- We have a "probation" procedure, which means that if you don't post a card or a Top 3, you are on probation. For Top 3 violations, if you didn't have time to post your T3 in time, PM it to me before the following round closes and I'll remove the probation.
- Some rounds I will vary the teams and scoring policies. I'll do my best to inform everyone what those changes entail.
- Here is a long, but very old version of the rules (thanks to Jau for finding this). Read at your own peril.
Custom Card League Rules Compendium
* Overview
* Schedule
* Challenge Rounds
* Critique Rounds
* Valid Entry Constitution
* Scoring
* Penalties
* Resources
* Credits
------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Overview
The CCL is among the more fun games on the MtGSalvation forums due to its inherent aspect of interactivity among the Leaguers (that’s you). We actively critique each other’s card designs at the end of each round, putting a more personal interest into our cards and generally making us all better designers. Typically, we build worlds more complete than many games, as each round builds on the designs and ideas of previous rounds in the month. The CCL allows for Leaguers to plumb the depths of creativity, as the point schedule aspect allows for three full rounds without fear of elimination.
* Schedule
o The CCL will run six rounds, each lasting five days.
+ Rounds 1, 2 & 3 will be free-for-alls with each leaguer fighting for the most points during critiques. At the beginning of each of these rounds. The host will divide the league members evenly into two teams and each team will be assigned their design challenge. At the challenge deadline, the round will elapse into the critique section (see Critiques below). Once the critique section ends, the host will tally points and post the next round. Team rosters are likely to change between rounds; the new rosters will be included in the initial posting for the next round.
o Each round will last five days: 3.5 to finalize designs, 1.5 for critiques.
o The schedule will usually operate according to US Easter time zone (GMT -5) We will stick to this schedule as closely as possible, adjusting as necessary.
* Challenge Rounds
o At the start of each round, the host will post the challenge for the round. This may be, at the host’s discretion, a single challenge for all leaguers, a list for each leaguer to choose from, challenges assigned to each leaguer, or other challenge variation.
o Each Leaguer will post his/her entry by the deadline, 3.5 days after the round is posted.
* Critique Rounds
o At the end of each challenge round, the host, or an individual the host designates, will officially close the round and open the forum for critiques. After this point, modifying the post containing your entry for the round will incur penalties (see Penalties section).
o Each Leaguer will thoroughly critique at least 50% of the entries given by the leaguers on the other team.
o In addition to the critiques, each Leaguer generates his/her list of the Top 3 entries for the round. The Top 3 listings are the chief source of points within the CCL and are therefore required to complete. Even if critiques are not completed, Top 3’s must be listed to avoid penalties (see Penalties for penalty schedule). Regardless of the cards actually critiqued by a given Leaguer, Top 3’s can be drawn from any valid entry of the round. Submitting Top 3’s grants one point.
o A valid critique does not need to be lengthy. A few constructive sentences will do as long as they are meaningful. Neither “Hated it,” “Too expensive,” nor “Bahhrokken!!!” are valid critiques.
Example:
The following card is submitted by Fitzgerald:
A few decent critics:
from Tiberius: Templating issue with “nonpermanent card,” it's confusing and should just read “instant or sorcery card.” And the cost seems steep: I’m giving up a mana, a card, and immediate access to the card I looked for. Creative, but not bad.
from Wilhelmina: I hate the name. Also the shuffle part should be right after removing the tutored card instead of on a separate line. Seems powerful as an instant, play it on the opponents turn and you get basically a free draw, but you get to pick it.
from Beauregard: A bit complicated for uncommon. It doesn’t go to microtext on a render (sans flavor text) but it still isn’t all that intuitive.
* Valid Entry Constitution
o A valid entry in a given round cleanly delivers all required components of the challenge. The CCL is based around card design, so each challenge will direct Leaguers to design one or more cards, but other components may be given according to the judge’s discretion. Historically, these non-card components have included such things as keyword mechanic designs, story pieces, and various ideas for the judge to incorporate into later rounds. Include only what is described by the challenge requirements, as superfluous items may sway judgings unfairly and will incur penalties.
o It is customary to include card renders in entries. This is not required. Some Leaguers may not have access to render design software and therefore will not be penalized for posting an entry without a render. However, it must be understood that a proper render is easier to judge/critique as it is more pleasing to the eye, more memorable and allows for Leaguers to judge the card by its wordiness, a very important aspect of a card’s design. Common rendering software used include Magic Set Editor (free program, the standard that most amateur designers use), PhotoShop (not free), and GIMP (free PhotoShop knockoff).
* Scoring
o The bulk of available points will be derived from Top 3 listings, as is League custom. Within each Top 3 listing, the choice for 1st place will be awarded 3 points, the choice for 2nd place will receive 2 points, and the choice for 3rd place will receive 1 point. It is common for Leaguers to post an Honorable Mention or two along with their T3 listings. Honorable Mentions are not awarded points. Posting T3s is required and awards one point for completion of the requirements. There are penalties for failure to post T3s (see Penalties section).
o Critiques are an optional aspect of the CCL, therefore no penalties are given for failure to complete critiques. Any Leaguer completing critiques for at least 50% of the other team's entries will receive 1 bonus point. An additional point will be awarded if a Leaguer critiques all valid entries in the round.
o As noted in the section on Valid Entry Constitution, entries are encouraged to contain proper card renders. Some Leaguers may not have access to render design software and will not be penalized for posting an entry without a render.
* Penalties
o Failure to post Top 3s as required during the Critique section of any round will put a Leaguer on probation. While on probation, failure to post an Top 3 in any later round will disqualify that Leaguer for the remainder of the month.
o Once a Round elapses into its critique section, any Leaguer modifying their entry after any leaguer has posted a critique, will be disqualified for the round.
o Failure to post an entry within the Challenge round will put a Leaguer on probation. While on probation, failure to post an entry in any later round will disqualify that Leaguer for the remainder of the month.
* Resources
o This is a templating guideline compiled by Kraj. It is quite concise and very useful.
o Making Magic by Mark Rosewater, current head of Magic Design at Wizards of the Coast. Making Magic is a weekly article detailing the trials, tribulations and achievements of Magic R&D in riveting prose.
o Magiccards.info is the database mtgsalvation draws upon when you use the [card] tag. The advanced search functionality is useful for searching all cards officially printed by WotC.
o Gatherer is the database maintained officially by WotC. It has slightly different functionality than magiccards.info, but the differences are too numerable to list here. (Someone should write an article about that)
o Your other Leaguers are fantastic resources. We, more than the players of other games on this forum, are a community, as can be seen by the dialogue of any CCL thread.
+ Question, consult with, challenge and encourage each other at every opportunity.
o Credits
Round 1 Critiques - September 4
Round 2 Posted - September 7
Round 2 Critiques - September 10
Round 3 Posted - September 13
Round 3 Critiques - September 15
Round 4 Posted - September 18
Round 4 Critiques - September 20
Round 5 Posted - September 23
Round 5 Critiques - September 26
Round 6 Posted - September 28
Round 6 Critiques - September 2
Lord Vanshal finally falls when the final strike hits him. He coughs up blood, and it's obvious his fate is sealed.
"You have done well..." He whispered, falling to the ground.
As he begins to die, you see the foundations you stand upon begin to shake. Bit by bit, the Arenz Valkyrie, and the very plane it was in, was crumbling away. The artifical plane had been connected to Lord Vanshal, and his death was the trigger that cut that connection.
"We have to get out!" On of you, the only two survivors, shouts.
"But how?! The world is falling on us!"
"The...Fields... Elysian..." Lord Vanshal whispered, his words on his death bed. Both your heads snap to face him.
"What?"
"Portal...out of here... Elysian...Fields." With that, Lord Vanshal died, leaving the world in a quaking mess.
You both are silent for a moment, and then you decide to follow his advice.
Both of you race out, through the crumbling castle, to the fields of Elysian, and the safety that it promised.
Lord Vanshal has fallen, but with he tumbles the entire plane. Your only hope is a promised portal in the Elysian Fields, but to reach it, you but traverse all you have gone in these past few hours. Through the halls of Arenz, through both the fields of the Elementals and Beasts.
Can you make it? Only time will tell.
And people! We arrive at the final round of the September CCL, the final deathmatch between...!
Final Match: Twilight Kiwi vs Gerrard's Mom
So, what are your challenges? Well, for this final round, the challenge will both be free and restrictive, and you may need to click and find the old rounds and visit the past to construct the future.
Your task is to make 6 cards once more. These must represent your evolved avatar's escape from the throne room of Arenz Valkyrie to the Elysian Fields, through the crumbling world that you are stuck in. These cards may be whatever you wish, instants, sorceries, different forms of your avatar, whatever. Remember, you have to go through the Arenz Valkyrie, the Ring of Elementals and the Ring of Beasts, on your way back to the Elysian Fields, so keep those in mind when your making your cards.
Let's get these done by the 3rd of October, if you will, and I'll be posting up the poll shortly after.
My Pauper Cube ♤ The Pauper Cube Thread Common Knowledge — 1 2
Legendary Creature - Shapeshifter (M)
All other creatures in play lose double strike, deathtouch, first strike, flying, haste, intimidation, landwalk, protection, reach, shroud, trample, and vigilance. Kogra the Skillhoarder gains all abilities lost this way.
Envy and ego made manifest.
3/3
As mortar and stone crumbled in on the dead shapeshifter, Kogra settled into a vaguely humanoid form and glanced at the only other being that had survived the battle. For a moment they seemed to size each other up, but Kogra shook his head. This was no time to see who was stronger. It went against every simulated bone in the shapeshifter's usually selfish and independent body, but...
A mouth emerged from the featureless face. "Perhaps we should work together, to ensure that we both get out of here alive..?"
Kogra did not wait for the other's response; there was no time for debate. If the other agreed, they would cooperate as they went or not at all. To survive now, he would have to act faster than ever before, to take unfamiliar shapes that previously he had felt were too unlike himself to be worth using. His skin shuddering almost as violently as the floor, he solidified as a being he knew would not be hindered by the castle's hazards and took off as quickly as his now-human legs would allow.
Creature - Human Scout (C)
Protection from artifacts and lands
"Natural or artificial - no obstacle can keep me from what I seek."
2/2
Surprisingly, it wasn't long before they ran into the castle's remaining guards. Whether compelled by duty, magic, or sheer stubbornness, it seemed a few of them were unwilling to abandon their posts even with the castle walls crumbling swiftly around them. If Kogra were to try and fight his way past all of them, even with all the wondrous new abilities he'd picked up or developed in this world, he'd be crushed in rubble. Thinking quickly, he sampled the form of the first guard that accosted him - a humanoid soldier - and focused as a ripple of magic shuddered through the collapsing walls. As he assumed the soldier's form, so too was everyone else nearby forced into it!
Enchantment (R)
Whenever a creature enters the battlefield, all creatures on the battlefield become copies of that creature.
The magocracy of Bakala devised a unique solution to prevent prejudice and racism.
In the ensuing confusion, Kogra easily slipped past the guards and managed to make it out of the massive castle just before it caved in on itself. Still, much ground was left to cover, and that ground was growing more dangerous and unpredictable by the second. He knew the other shapeshifter had a strong connection to the land, and so drew on its power for himself to become a creature much more in tune with it than he had ever been on his own. Reveling in his new bond with the land, he forged a path past the terrain surrounding the castle with relative ease.
Creature - Elf Shaman (R)
Whenever a land enters the battlefield, Geomancer gains all of that land's abilities until another land enters the battlefield.
"They take 'becoming one with the land' quite literally." - Tok Ghaska, wandering scholar
1/1
Soon, they were once again confronted by the teeming mass of elementals. Last time he had faced these beings, Kogra had taken on a defensive form to slowly work his way past them. Now repressed anger at Vanshal's madness in bringing them here welled up inside him, combining with the indignation he felt that these mere elementals would dare stand in his way again; the emotion twisted his form, and he unleashed it at the beings that sought to stop his escape.
Creature - Incarnation (R)
Arrogance gets +1/+0 for each other creature on the battlefield.
Other creatures can't attack or block.
When Arrogance is put into a graveyard from anywhere, shuffle it into its owner’s library.
0/1
Cowed by the powerful waves of self-importance almost literally blasting out of Kogra's brilliant, physically perfect form, the elementals parted and let him pass without further incident. However, when he reached the border of the area that held the first obstacle they had faced, mere hours ago that now felt like weeks - all that stood now between them and the portal - Kogra's form fell apart as he felt his resolve ebbing. The horde of massive beasts had been agitated into a blind, chaotic fury by the devastation being wrought around them; mere force of will would not be enough to stop their rampage. They tore into the vegetation, the already-sundering land, and each other, going berserk at everything in sight.
They were big. Kogra was small. He could change that balance in his favor with enough effort.
Creature - Elemental (M)
Trample
Chroma - Each creature's power and toughness are each equal to the number of colored mana symbols in its mana cost.
It brings forth the primal core of all that stand before it.
*/*
Taking long, thunderous strides past the beasts that seemed so insignificant in comparison now, Kogra finally spotted the portal. He could see now that he and the other shapeshifter were not the only beings seeking escape; a large number of native people and creatures were converging on the Elysian Fields from every direction. If they didn't make it there first, it would be far too crowded for them to get through before the entire plane was destroyed. Paying little heed now to whether or not his companion kept up with him, Kogra shifted rapidly between the fastest, most agile forms he knew, combining several when that didn't work, leeching off those who were still outpacing him until they fell behind his ever-hastening form...
But it wasn't going to be enough. He wasn't going to make it.
He was going to die.
In that instant of utter hopelessness, a sudden revelation dawned upon Kogra. Unlike most shapeshifters, it was as easy for him to alter the forms of others as it was his own.
So how hard could it be, then, to alter the very world around him?
Reaching out desperately, he caught hold of the fabric of reality he could now tentatively sense around him, dragging and folding edges together, reshaping the path of destiny to his will...
And suddenly he stood breathlessly before the portal, well before anyone else had reached it.
Instant (M)
Choose a player. That player takes a turn. (The player whose turn it is finishes their turn where they left off after the chosen player takes a turn.)
Without further hesitation or contemplation, Kogra dove for the beckoning gate. The other shifter's fate was in its own hands now, and the whims of the universe.
My First (And Probably Only) MCC Perfect Score: December 09 (Round One)
My Pauper Cube ♤ The Pauper Cube Thread Common Knowledge — 1 2
My First (And Probably Only) MCC Perfect Score: December 09 (Round One)
Creature - Shapeshifter (M)
Whenever a player activates a mana ability of a land, copy that ability.
The threads of mana are never truly cut, if you know how to follow them.
1/1
Mana Ignition R
Instant (C)
Mana Ignition deals 1 damage to target creature or player. If you have 4 or more mana in your mana pool, Mana Ignition deals 4 damage to that creature or player instead.
Spilling through the hole opened in the wreckage that was Arenz Valkyrie, the Manaweaver paused to regroup. Somewhere it sensed the other still racing forth, but as the strands of mana came loose around it, the curious creature found it had little energy left to dispense. Flickering through forms, it found one that would let it make the most of what remained, at the cost of its own life energy.
Deadgrove Veinletter BG
Creature - Vampire Druid (R)
You may spend life as though it were colorless mana to pay the mana cost of creature spells.
No suffering is eased without price.
2/1
With a pained cry, the Manaweaver pulled forth the wrought iron of fallen spires and the granite shards of ancient walls into a massive new skeleton, a single-minded engine of destruction. In this ravaged and depleted landscape, it could advance without penalty.
Monument Crusher 5
Artifact Creature - Juggernaut (R)
Trample
Monument Crusher doesn't untap during its controller's untap step.
X: Choose an opponent, then untap Monument Crusher. X is the number of untapped lands that player controls.
5/5
Shrugging off the strange energies of the crazed elementals that remained near Arenz Valkyrie, the Manaweaver in its chosen form clove a furrowed path in the very earth itself. Yet the exertion soon drained its mana reserves. As a thunderous herd of beasts closed in, it sighted the pulsing portal in the distance, and with the last of its mana formed a taut field of mana currents around itself, allowing it to reactivate on its own inherent energy.
Resonator Membrane 3(G/U)
Enchantment - Aura (U)
Enchant permanent
Whenever enchanted permanent becomes tapped, add X to your mana pool, where X is that permanent's converted mana cost.
A few short moments later, and the Manaweaver stood unopposed in the Elysian Fields, its goal at hand. It had lost sight of the other survivor, whether unraveled or woven into a new form, it knew not. Here, though, the ghosts of a hundred other shapeshifters that had fallen in this cruel competition crowded the meadow, each raising a cry from a different mind and a different world.
Fields of Memory
Plane - Arenz
All creatures have "T: Draw a card."
Whenever you roll , target player puts the top X cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard, where X is the number of cards in your hand.
Here, the Manaweaver stopped and waited. As the rest of the plane crumbled around it, it listened to a hundred secrets, heard a hundred hopes. As the weave of this plane crumbled to its final threads, the arcane field surrounding the hulking mass of masonry hummed, and a chain reaction began. Drawing the accumulated knowledge of these wisps of consciousness into itself, it willfully sublimated the rest of the plane, leaving only the afterimage of what had been.
Fixed Ideal 3WW
Enchantment (R)
When Fixed Ideal comes into play, exile target nonland permanent or target nonland card in an opponent's graveyard. That player can only play spells that share a color and a card type with the exiled card.
Where once a plane of mutability had been, a single crisp image remained, a neverchanging slice of eternity frozen in the reaches of the Blind Eternities. The Manaweaver moved on.