Darkfire_Games has encountered some technical difficulties, so I'm just putting up the poll.
Here is the challenge that Dragoon and NightArcher faced in the final round of February's CCL:
ROUND 6 CHALLENGES: YOU WILL BE MAKING FOUR CARDS THIS ROUND.
Card 1: A Creature that is your civilization's ambassador to the other
Card 2: An Artifact that is a way to preserve part of your homeland
Card 3: An Instant, Enchantment, or Sorcery that is your civilization's way of executing the mass Exodus of people
Card 4: A Legendary Land that represents your civilization's new stronghold on this brave, new world
And here are the submissions:
Nurai Consul :3mana::symb:
Creature - Lizard Spirit [common]
Flying
Nurai Consul can't have counters placed on it.
If Nurai Consul would deal damage to a creature, prevent that damage.
3/3
Strain T-G7
Artifact [uncommon]
Strain T-G7 is unstable. (if this permanent becomes the target of a spell or ability, sacrifice it and put a -1/-1 counter on each creature.)
:2mana:, : Put a -1/-1 counter on target creature. The first strain, a vial of water darkened by the fall of Nanturi.
Nurai Rebirth :1mana::symb::symb:
Enchantment [uncommon]
Whenever a creature you control is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, if it had a -1/-1 counter on it, put a 1/1 black Spirit creature token with flying and "This creature can't have counters placed on it." onto the battlefield. As Nurill, their bodies were tethered to land. As Nurai, their spirits soared into the heavens.
Nolis, The City of Ghosts
Legendary Land [Rare] : add to your mana pool.
:3mana:, , remove a creature card in your graveyard from the game: Put a 1/1 black Spirit creature token with flying and "This creature can't have counters placed on it." onto the battlefield. Nolis, a pristine city untouched by age, sickness or life.
Elvish Sojourner :symg::symg:
Creature - Elf Scout C
Vigilance Only help that is sought after diligently is help that is truly deserved.
2/3
Seeds of the Future
Artifact R
When Seeds of the Future leaves the battlefield, return to the battlefield each land card exiled with Seeds of the Future. , Exile a land you control: Add to your mana pool one mana of any color that land could produce.
:4mana:, , Sacrifice Seeds of the Future: Draw a card for each land card exiled with Seeds of the Future.
Rite of Willows :2mana::symg::symw:
Instant R Sweep -- Return any number of Forests and/or Plains you control to their owner's hand. For each land returned this way, exile target creature or land you control. Return that creature or land to the battlefield under its owner's control at the beginning of the next end step.
Ilidar's Husk
Legendary Land MR
Lands you control get +1/+1 as long as they are creatures. : Add to your mana pool. Grandeur -- Discard another card named Ilidar's Husk: Each other land you control becomes a 2/2 green creature until end of turn. They are still lands.
Dredge 4 Even in his death, Ilidar still looks after his people.
You can also check out the other cards that have led these competitors to this point:
Pandemic3BBB
Sorcery [mythic]
You get an emblem with "All creatures get -1/-1." Violence could never destroy as much as this.
Plagued Nurill1BB
Creature - Lizard [uncommon]
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a -1/-1 counter on ~ and another target creature. Only those on their death bed know the true meaning of the word 'inevitable'.
3/4
Nanturi, the Deadcity
Legendary Land [rare]
~ enters the battlefield tapped. T: Add B to your mana pool. T: For each -1/-1 counter on target creature, put a -1/-1 counter on another target creature. Plague ran rampant through the city for years, until a time when none could call it a city anymore.
Cleansing Idol4
Artifact Creature - Golem [rare]
If a -1/-1 counter would be placed on a permanent you control, put that counter on ~ instead.
When ~ is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, put a -1/-1 counter on each creature for each -1/-1 counter on ~. The sick would pray beneath the idol for a cure, not knowing the cure they received was a curse in disguise.
1/4
Noxious NurillBB
Creature - Lizard Scout [common]
Whenever ~ blocks or becomes blocked by a creature, put a -1/-1 counter on that creature. The infected make the best front-line soldiers.
2/2
Zinligg, Toxinomancer2BB
Legendary Creature - Lizard Wizard [mythic]
Wither
~ gets +2/+2 for each -1/-1 counter on it. 1B, Remove a -1/-1 counter from a creature in play: Put a -1/-1 counter on target creature. "May you feel our suffering"
2/3
Ligrill, the Living Sickness1BBB
Planeswalker - Ligrill [mythic]
[+2] Put a -1/-1 counter on up to two target creatures.
[-1] Target player loses 1 life for each -1/-1 counter on each creature he or she controls.
[-XX] Creatures target player controls get -X/-X until end of turn.
4
Dissolving Toxin5
Artifact [rare]
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a -1/-1 counter on each creature and a plague counter on each noncreature, nonland permanent. Destroy all nonland permanents with plague counters on them equal to their converted mana cost. Seldom do the Nurill witness anything that survives the toxin.
Plague Bombs2
Artifact - Equipment [uncommon]
Plague Bombs is unstable (if this permanent becomes the target of a spell or ability, sacrifice it and put a -1/-1 counter on each creature.)
Equipped has deathtouch and is unstable.
Equip 1
HarvestGW
Sorcery C
Search your library for a basic land card and put that card onto the battlefield tapped. Then if an opponent controls more land than you, search your library for a basic land card and put that card onto the battlefield tapped. Then shuffle your library.
Mulch TenderBG
Creature - Elf Shaman U T: Return target land card from your graveyard to the battlefield tapped.
2/2
Everlife, the Giving Tree
Legendary Land R T: Add G to your mana pool. Put a charge counter on Everlife, the Giving Tree. 1, T, Remove X charge counters from Everlife, the Giving Tree: Add X mana of any combination of colors to your mana pool.
Flood Garden2GU
Enchantment creature - Elemental MR
Trample
Whenever Flood Garden deals combat damage to a player, put a flood counter on target land that player controls. That land is an Island as long as it has a flood counter on it. G: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool.
4/4
Raylek-Clan Awakener1RG
Creature - Elf Warrior Druid U
Haste
Whenever Raylek-Clan Awakener attacks, you may untap target land you control. If you do, that land becomes a 2/2 Elemental creature until end of turn and is attacking. "My soldiers are never alone." - General Ilidar
2/2
General Ilidar
Legendary Land Creature - Forest Treefolk MR (General Ilidar isn't a spell, it's affected by summoning sickness, and it has "T: Add G to your mana pool.")
General Ilidar is green.
Trample
Genreal Ilidar's power and toughness are equal to the number of Forests you control.
General Ilidar can't attack or block unless you control four or more lands. The Elves may tend the land, but it doesn't mean the land can't fend for itself.
*/*
Arden Fal, Biomancer3GU
Planeswalker - Arden MR
[+1]: Choose a permanent. Target permanent you control becomes a copy of the chosen permanent until end of turn.
[-X]: Search your library for a permanent card with converted mana cost X or less, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle your library.
[-7]: Choose any number of permanents. For each one, put a token onto the battlefield that is a copy of that permanent.
{4}
Ilidar's Grace1W
Sorcery U
Exile target nonland permanent with converted mana cost less than or equal to the number of lands you control. His boughs not only shelter from the sun, but from anything that would taint his world.
Stoneblade AvengerGG
Creature - Elf Warrior U
Trample Unstable -- Whenever a creature or land is put into your graveyard from the battlefield, you may put a +1/+1 counter on Stoneblade Avenger. "Don't weep for our fallen warriors; weep for the fallen of nature, whom we serve to protect. And with each tear, may you resolve to seek vengeance." -- General Ilidar
2/2
This poll will be open for one week. Good luck to the finalists!
Anyone and everyone is welcome to vote and comment here.
Just quickly, I don't know about the tension in NightArcher's submission. It is fairly black to have a theme (-1/-1 counters) that hurts everyone, but to have a way out for itself, however I don't know how well it will play in a real set, if there are so many creatures that get around the main creature-killing method. I like Nurai Rebirth and the land, except for the no counters part.
Dragoon is pushing things with his elf compared to Snapping Creeper, I would imagine he is basing it off Garruk's Companion though. The artifact is probably the most interesting card of both sets, whereas his instant feels narrow even in relation to his theme. Ilidar's Husk doesn't look very pretty but plays pretty nice; I think it may have been worth it to seek out another return from graveyard mechanic than dredge, like a (fairly expensive) mana cost; that would create some interesting tension so you wouldn't have an army of 3/3s every turn, and it could have tied the land to being green a little more.
Nightarcher: It looks like you've switched from a -1/-1 counter theme to a "counters can't be placed on ~" theme, which might actually make sense in the last set of an infest/wither heavy block. Full points on keeping with your theme, but seeing the same line again and again on three out of four cards kinda makes me lose interest. Cards are generally solid, though Nurai Rebirth is not as interesting as Blowfly Infestation, even though they have similar interaction. The infestation is the card that would make drafts considerably more interesting. Nurai Consul is the card that is most interesting to me, and I think this type of drawback needs more exploring.
Dragoon: Big risk having one of your submissions a french vanilla. I don't think it pays off really. Not that I mind it being strictly better than Elvish Warrior, but I just can't get excited over it, and it looks to me like you've tried to find a way around the challenge. The rest of the cards save you though, even if I'm not sure how effective Rite of Willows is compared to Ghostway. Seeds of the Future is interesting and fresh and your land, while having too many lines of text to support that flavour text, looks like a great addition to a land based set. the combination of grandeur and dredge is exciting and interesting.
but seeing the same line again and again on three out of four cards kinda makes me lose interest.
Part of the problem is that I wanted to make some sort of mechanical significance to the fact that these spirits were immune to any sort of sickness from the home world now that they had no bodies (the flavor of the rebirth), and the other part is that I wanted the tokens to be the same as they would be in a normal set. You don't see very often see one type of card produce slightly different sets of tokens within a block anymore.
---
I like how close this is. It keeps me on the edge of my seat watching. (This is kinda my own nerdy moment because my submission is going toe-to-toe with someone I've long considered one of the best designers on this forum)
NightArcher: I think your dedication to theme and cohesion is admirable. There is a very obvious thread running through your cards. It's a little one-note though - you put -1/-1 counters and some creatures are immune to them. I do think a set with those abilities wouldn't have them on the other colors, so I get the idea (kinda like fear, doesn't work on other black decks). Your land is particularly up my ally, I like it. You have great balancing skills as well, and make elegant cards. My qualms lie in your lack of innovation and repetition, plus a lack of flavor exploration.
Dragoon: Your innovation and theme inspires me. I really quite like the different directions and flavors you've taken. You're cards a radically hit or miss though. Your creature and instant seem bad to me, the instant is decent but seems just like moving around a bunch of stuff that doesn't do much (does one really want to blink multiple things at the same time?). I really love the Artifact and land though. The artifact is just, very well crafted, I think it's the best card of the round hands down. The first line protects it from being destroyed and hurting you badly, the second gives you the engine, and the third gives you the advantage. It may be a little overcosted, but the idea is what really makes it, great flavor too. The land works well, although the dredge seems a little out of place (works well, just a little much for dredge and grandeur). I like what it does a lot though.
My vote goes to Dragoon, I really liked Seeds of the future and felt he explored more styles and options but everything felt on theme.
I like how close this is. It keeps me on the edge of my seat watching. (This is kinda my own nerdy moment because my submission is going toe-to-toe with someone I've long considered one of the best designers on this forum)
Shucks, you're making me blush...
I have really enjoyed reading your submissions this month, as I have found them to be among the most interesting, so it's really no wonder you got here. And honestly, I don't mind that you called me out a few rounds ago because my submissions have been extremely lacking as of late (as I explained in this month's thread, mostly due to real life kicking in.) No matter what the outcome, I'll be quite pleased. You're an excellent designer and I most certainly would not mind losing to you.
I think it may have been worth it to seek out another return from graveyard mechanic than dredge, like a (fairly expensive) mana cost; that would create some interesting tension so you wouldn't have an army of 3/3s every turn, and it could have tied the land to being green a little more.
Well, the flavor behind it (which I'm sure I didn't convey well at all... one of those times when you wish you had a picture to go with your submission to help explain it) was that Ilidar died in the "mass exodus" and his husk was used as a new city. Which is why he was colorless and didn't animate himself. And I just love the interaction between Grandeur and Dredge, but yeah, balance issues could very possibly exist.
Asking out a girl is like trying to cast a first turn Necropotence. Sometimes the other player will have the Force of Will to say no. You shouldn't let that stop you from trying it.
Good job to NightArcher for putting up a very good fight this month. I really felt you had a strong cohesive theme (and I particularly liked your iteration of the Unstable mechanic.)
Asking out a girl is like trying to cast a first turn Necropotence. Sometimes the other player will have the Force of Will to say no. You shouldn't let that stop you from trying it.
Here is the challenge that Dragoon and NightArcher faced in the final round of February's CCL:
ROUND 6 CHALLENGES: YOU WILL BE MAKING FOUR CARDS THIS ROUND.
Card 1: A Creature that is your civilization's ambassador to the other
Card 2: An Artifact that is a way to preserve part of your homeland
Card 3: An Instant, Enchantment, or Sorcery that is your civilization's way of executing the mass Exodus of people
Card 4: A Legendary Land that represents your civilization's new stronghold on this brave, new world
And here are the submissions:
Creature - Lizard Spirit [common]
Flying
Nurai Consul can't have counters placed on it.
If Nurai Consul would deal damage to a creature, prevent that damage.
3/3
Strain T-G7
Artifact [uncommon]
Strain T-G7 is unstable. (if this permanent becomes the target of a spell or ability, sacrifice it and put a -1/-1 counter on each creature.)
:2mana:,
The first strain, a vial of water darkened by the fall of Nanturi.
Nurai Rebirth :1mana::symb::symb:
Enchantment [uncommon]
Whenever a creature you control is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, if it had a -1/-1 counter on it, put a 1/1 black Spirit creature token with flying and "This creature can't have counters placed on it." onto the battlefield.
As Nurill, their bodies were tethered to land. As Nurai, their spirits soared into the heavens.
Nolis, The City of Ghosts
Legendary Land [Rare]
:3mana:,
Nolis, a pristine city untouched by age, sickness or life.
Creature - Elf Scout C
Vigilance
Only help that is sought after diligently is help that is truly deserved.
2/3
Seeds of the Future
Artifact R
When Seeds of the Future leaves the battlefield, return to the battlefield each land card exiled with Seeds of the Future.
:4mana:,
Rite of Willows :2mana::symg::symw:
Instant R
Sweep -- Return any number of Forests and/or Plains you control to their owner's hand. For each land returned this way, exile target creature or land you control. Return that creature or land to the battlefield under its owner's control at the beginning of the next end step.
Ilidar's Husk
Legendary Land MR
Lands you control get +1/+1 as long as they are creatures.
Grandeur -- Discard another card named Ilidar's Husk: Each other land you control becomes a 2/2 green creature until end of turn. They are still lands.
Dredge 4
Even in his death, Ilidar still looks after his people.
Sorcery [mythic]
You get an emblem with "All creatures get -1/-1."
Violence could never destroy as much as this.
Creature - Lizard [uncommon]
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a -1/-1 counter on ~ and another target creature.
Only those on their death bed know the true meaning of the word 'inevitable'.
3/4
Legendary Land [rare]
~ enters the battlefield tapped.
T: Add B to your mana pool.
T: For each -1/-1 counter on target creature, put a -1/-1 counter on another target creature.
Plague ran rampant through the city for years, until a time when none could call it a city anymore.
Artifact Creature - Golem [rare]
If a -1/-1 counter would be placed on a permanent you control, put that counter on ~ instead.
When ~ is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, put a -1/-1 counter on each creature for each -1/-1 counter on ~.
The sick would pray beneath the idol for a cure, not knowing the cure they received was a curse in disguise.
1/4
Creature - Lizard Scout [common]
Whenever ~ blocks or becomes blocked by a creature, put a -1/-1 counter on that creature.
The infected make the best front-line soldiers.
2/2
Legendary Creature - Lizard Wizard [mythic]
Wither
~ gets +2/+2 for each -1/-1 counter on it.
1B, Remove a -1/-1 counter from a creature in play: Put a -1/-1 counter on target creature.
"May you feel our suffering"
2/3
Planeswalker - Ligrill [mythic]
[+2] Put a -1/-1 counter on up to two target creatures.
[-1] Target player loses 1 life for each -1/-1 counter on each creature he or she controls.
[-XX] Creatures target player controls get -X/-X until end of turn.
4
Artifact [rare]
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a -1/-1 counter on each creature and a plague counter on each noncreature, nonland permanent. Destroy all nonland permanents with plague counters on them equal to their converted mana cost.
Seldom do the Nurill witness anything that survives the toxin.
Artifact - Equipment [uncommon]
Plague Bombs is unstable (if this permanent becomes the target of a spell or ability, sacrifice it and put a -1/-1 counter on each creature.)
Equipped has deathtouch and is unstable.
Equip 1
Sorcery C
Search your library for a basic land card and put that card onto the battlefield tapped. Then if an opponent controls more land than you, search your library for a basic land card and put that card onto the battlefield tapped. Then shuffle your library.
Creature - Elf Shaman U
T: Return target land card from your graveyard to the battlefield tapped.
2/2
Legendary Land R
T: Add G to your mana pool. Put a charge counter on Everlife, the Giving Tree.
1, T, Remove X charge counters from Everlife, the Giving Tree: Add X mana of any combination of colors to your mana pool.
Enchantment creature - Elemental MR
Trample
Whenever Flood Garden deals combat damage to a player, put a flood counter on target land that player controls. That land is an Island as long as it has a flood counter on it.
G: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool.
4/4
Creature - Elf Warrior Druid U
Haste
Whenever Raylek-Clan Awakener attacks, you may untap target land you control. If you do, that land becomes a 2/2 Elemental creature until end of turn and is attacking.
"My soldiers are never alone." - General Ilidar
2/2
Legendary Land Creature - Forest Treefolk MR
(General Ilidar isn't a spell, it's affected by summoning sickness, and it has "T: Add G to your mana pool.")
General Ilidar is green.
Trample
Genreal Ilidar's power and toughness are equal to the number of Forests you control.
General Ilidar can't attack or block unless you control four or more lands.
The Elves may tend the land, but it doesn't mean the land can't fend for itself.
*/*
Planeswalker - Arden MR
[+1]: Choose a permanent. Target permanent you control becomes a copy of the chosen permanent until end of turn.
[-X]: Search your library for a permanent card with converted mana cost X or less, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle your library.
[-7]: Choose any number of permanents. For each one, put a token onto the battlefield that is a copy of that permanent.
{4}
Sorcery U
Exile target nonland permanent with converted mana cost less than or equal to the number of lands you control.
His boughs not only shelter from the sun, but from anything that would taint his world.
Creature - Elf Warrior U
Trample
Unstable -- Whenever a creature or land is put into your graveyard from the battlefield, you may put a +1/+1 counter on Stoneblade Avenger.
"Don't weep for our fallen warriors; weep for the fallen of nature, whom we serve to protect. And with each tear, may you resolve to seek vengeance." -- General Ilidar
2/2
This poll will be open for one week. Good luck to the finalists!
I just looked through the entries, but wasn't part of the feb games
Sets - Arcania
Competitions - CCL: March 2011, April 2011
Just quickly, I don't know about the tension in NightArcher's submission. It is fairly black to have a theme (-1/-1 counters) that hurts everyone, but to have a way out for itself, however I don't know how well it will play in a real set, if there are so many creatures that get around the main creature-killing method. I like Nurai Rebirth and the land, except for the no counters part.
Dragoon is pushing things with his elf compared to Snapping Creeper, I would imagine he is basing it off Garruk's Companion though. The artifact is probably the most interesting card of both sets, whereas his instant feels narrow even in relation to his theme. Ilidar's Husk doesn't look very pretty but plays pretty nice; I think it may have been worth it to seek out another return from graveyard mechanic than dredge, like a (fairly expensive) mana cost; that would create some interesting tension so you wouldn't have an army of 3/3s every turn, and it could have tied the land to being green a little more.
Dragoon: Big risk having one of your submissions a french vanilla. I don't think it pays off really. Not that I mind it being strictly better than Elvish Warrior, but I just can't get excited over it, and it looks to me like you've tried to find a way around the challenge. The rest of the cards save you though, even if I'm not sure how effective Rite of Willows is compared to Ghostway. Seeds of the Future is interesting and fresh and your land, while having too many lines of text to support that flavour text, looks like a great addition to a land based set. the combination of grandeur and dredge is exciting and interesting.
My vote goes to Dragoon.
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I've got tons of art from the web. Want art for a render? PM me! Want to create your own collection? Start here!
Asrama has it right, it was meant to be like the last set in a block rather than all-in-one set, I was trying to stick to the flavor.
Part of the problem is that I wanted to make some sort of mechanical significance to the fact that these spirits were immune to any sort of sickness from the home world now that they had no bodies (the flavor of the rebirth), and the other part is that I wanted the tokens to be the same as they would be in a normal set. You don't see very often see one type of card produce slightly different sets of tokens within a block anymore.
---
I like how close this is. It keeps me on the edge of my seat watching. (This is kinda my own nerdy moment because my submission is going toe-to-toe with someone I've long considered one of the best designers on this forum)
Dragoon: Your innovation and theme inspires me. I really quite like the different directions and flavors you've taken. You're cards a radically hit or miss though. Your creature and instant seem bad to me, the instant is decent but seems just like moving around a bunch of stuff that doesn't do much (does one really want to blink multiple things at the same time?). I really love the Artifact and land though. The artifact is just, very well crafted, I think it's the best card of the round hands down. The first line protects it from being destroyed and hurting you badly, the second gives you the engine, and the third gives you the advantage. It may be a little overcosted, but the idea is what really makes it, great flavor too. The land works well, although the dredge seems a little out of place (works well, just a little much for dredge and grandeur). I like what it does a lot though.
My vote goes to Dragoon, I really liked Seeds of the future and felt he explored more styles and options but everything felt on theme.
Sets - Arcania
Competitions - CCL: March 2011, April 2011
Shucks, you're making me blush...
I have really enjoyed reading your submissions this month, as I have found them to be among the most interesting, so it's really no wonder you got here. And honestly, I don't mind that you called me out a few rounds ago because my submissions have been extremely lacking as of late (as I explained in this month's thread, mostly due to real life kicking in.) No matter what the outcome, I'll be quite pleased. You're an excellent designer and I most certainly would not mind losing to you.
Well, the flavor behind it (which I'm sure I didn't convey well at all... one of those times when you wish you had a picture to go with your submission to help explain it) was that Ilidar died in the "mass exodus" and his husk was used as a new city. Which is why he was colorless and didn't animate himself. And I just love the interaction between Grandeur and Dredge, but yeah, balance issues could very possibly exist.
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Good job to NightArcher for putting up a very good fight this month. I really felt you had a strong cohesive theme (and I particularly liked your iteration of the Unstable mechanic.)
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Check out my Commons Cube.