You've managed to convince a couple of your fellow travelers that you're best suited for leading the expedition here, partly by virtue of that, after another year of searching, you're the only one in the group who's managed to even pick up the rudiments of the language that was originally spoken here.
This is a mixed blessing, though. You're doing what you can to help keep them from doing stupid things, but more and more often you keep seeing a scrawl that, as best you've been able to determine, translates out to "Disiea", a direction, and a distance. It's like you're being led to a certain place.Yet another year passes, following the directions, and you can finally see something at the horizon that looks like a city. It might be this "Disiea". It might not. At this point, you don't really care - it's a destination, and that's all that matters to your group. The sun sets, and you set up camp for the night, watching the stars in the sky slowly fading out as if they, too, were being eaten by the Breakers.
Now that's a depressing thought, though the idea that the stars are just burning out isn't really any better.
After another day of walking, you reach the city - surrounded by a dome, and just as deserted as every other city, if not quite as ruined. And at the limits of your vision, you see a couple of similar groups just reaching the dome. Glaring at the dome, you make a gesture, and an opening ripples into existence in front of you.Your group makes its way to the center of the city, where a great golden building stands - and a shimmering portal sits at the center of it.
Unfortunately, seven other groups have managed to get here at the same time.
Even more unfortunately, a voice rings out in your head, claiming that the other groups are unworthy to be here and must be destroyed... and from the look on everyone's face, they've heard the same thing.
The fighting is ugly, but the leaders of each group make it to the portal, where they see a landscape - and not one done in various shades of gray...
Challenge: Design a land that produces colorless mana, and, upon reaching a certain threshold, allows it to produce colored mana. This land is supposed to be one member of a cycle; you do not have to produce the rest of the cycle.
In addition, design a legendary creature based on the entries of the closest runner-up on your team, which somehow interacts with the land. The main creature type for this creature is Vaiath (so its typeline will probably be "Legendary Creature—Vaiath Wizard", although other second types are fine).
Clarifications: There are no cost restrictions on the creature. "Interacts with the land" means that the creature either helps the land "turn on" into colored mode, or responds to the state of that land, or... well, I hope you get the idea.
Entries are closed. Begin critiquing everyone else now; your critiques and Top 3 are due by 3pm Pacific, April 24.
Original image by Avi Abrams; postprocessing by myself.
These are the final scores for everyone who remained at the end (that is, I've removed everyone who dropped). Names in bold green are advancing. Names in bold orange are the runner-up you'll need to design the creature card for.
The Card Creation League is a monthly contest in which players compete over seven rounds. Each month has an overall theme and/or story, determined by that month's host.
Each round, the host will assign a card creation task to the players. This task may vary between teams or players.
The first three rounds are open to everyone who joined in the sign-up thread, which will be posted near the end of the previous month. After these rounds, the Top 8 players will move on to three single elimination rounds to determine a winner.
Rounds usually last three to four days for submissions and about two days for critiques, but the host has final say in making the schedule.
For the first three rounds, players are divided into teams. Four teams is standard, but there may be more or less depending on the number of players. Each team will review another team's cards during the critique period of that round.
Each player must submit a Top 3 ranking for the team he or she critiques at the end of each round. Each 1st place is worth 3 points, 2nd place 2 points, and 3rd place 1 point.
Additionally, each player can receive 2 bonus points per round. One point is awarded for posting a Top 3, and one point for providing critiques for that team's cards.
Suggested areas to critique include creativity, balance, printability, and relation to the overall theme or that player's previous cards.
Players who do not post a card or a Top 3 will be put on "probation." Top 3 violations for a round can be removed by posting or PMing the host with your Top 3 before the end of the next round. Any player that would receive a second violation is disqualified from further competition that month.
At the end of the first three rounds, the Top 8 players will be selected by points (usually the top 2 from each team). In the case of ties, there may be more than 8 players advancing. The host will determine matchups for single elimination. At the end of each elimination round, remaining players not in that matchup will choose a winner to advance. The host will break any ties.
The final round is determined by public poll.
Prior to Top 8, players have a chance of getting a total of 100 points toward their score each Scoring Round. Scores for each Round are determined by the following equation:
Total points of Player A in round N = 100 * X/Y, where:
X = Total number of Scoring Points (Judge Points + Additional Points from Top 3 & Critiques)
Y = Total number of Possible Points (3 * Number of Judges + Additional Points)
3 points are given for a First Place Top 3 finish, 2 points for a Second Place, and 1 point for a Third Place. 1 additional point is awarded if a Top 3 is submitted. 1 additional point is awarded if Critiques are given for all entries to be judged.
This way the grading is more streamlined in the fact that all rounds prior to Top 8 are graded equally, and there is no handicap for any team that has fewer judges.
Each player accumulates points from each Scoring Round until the end of Round 3.
Glass Rose5
Creature - Breaker (R)
Players play with their hands revealed.
Spells cost 1 more to cast for each colorless card in its controller's hand. (It does not count itself.)
2/3
Touch of Hemlock (2/B)(2/B)
Instant (U)
Destroy target creature if it shares no colors with other creatures. The last one dies. Nature persists.
Identity 8(2/U)(2/U)
Creature - Incarnation (MR)
Each creature is a copy of Identity except for their colors.
Identity gets -2/-2 for each of its colors. All it seeks is to share its newfound selfhood. 10/10
Ghasthaunt 3(2/B)(2/B)
Sorcery (R) Anachrome — Until end of turn, each creature gets -1/-1 for each colorless mana in its mana cost. Beware what dwells in the negative space.
Chrome Wreath 3(2/W)(2/W)
Enchantment (U) Anachrome — Each creature you control has protection from converted mana cost X or less, where X is the amount of colorless mana in that creature's mana cost.
Walking Mine3
Creature - Breaker (U)
Sacrifice Walking Mine: Destroy target creature or planeswalker that is exactly the same colors as Walking Mine. They are built to trace down small trails of a certain kind of mana. Then... BOOM!
Ethereal Verdict(2/W)(2/W)
Instant (U)
Destroy target attacking creature with power 3 or less. For each W spent to cast Ethereal Verdict, you may gain 3 life. Another breaker approached Strink. As it passed the 'line' it broke apart.
Intentness4(2/U)(2/U)(2/B)(2/B)
Creature - Incarnation
Flying, hexproof (2/U)(2/U) Scry 4. Draw a card. (2/B),T: Choose creature, land to planeswalker. Target player sacrifices a permanent of the chosen type.
6/6
Pernicious Sphere1(2/B)(2/G)
Artifact (R) Anachrome — XX, Sacrifice Pernicious Sphere: Destroy each nonland permanent with X or less generic mana in its mana cost.
Chromaschool MentorUUU
Creature - Human Wizard (U) Anachrome — Each spell costs X more to cast, where X is the amount of generic mana in its mana cost. "You are either on my side or on another one's side. Decide!"
2/1
Brimstone Bog
Land (U) T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
As long as you control two or more Swamps, Brimstone Bog is a Mountain and an Island in addition to its other types. Long ago its inhabitants realised that lungs were liabilities.
Schuft, Lord Phota 4WBG
Legendary Creature - Vaiath Wizard (MR)
Vigilance Domain — When Schuft, Lord Phota enters the battlefield, destroy all nonland permanents with converted mana cost X or less, where X is the number of basic land types among lands you control.
5/5 "The world must be reborn in light."
Earthen Generator
Land (R) T: Add 1 to your mana pool. ,T, Add R to your mana pool for each sorcery in your graveyard. Built over the ruins of a mage's school, the generator pulls energy from the spells of a long-lost age.
KoolKoal, the Nullifier2WB
Legendary Creature - Vaiath Wizard (R) 1WB,T, Discard a card: Destroy target creature that dealt damage to you this turn. "I don't have time to be bothered with the likes of you."
2/2
Question: When you say that the legend has to interact with the land, can it just be the land interacts with/benefits the legend?
Like, here the land interacts positively with the legend:
Dormant Leyfield
Land (U)
: Add to your mana pool.
As long as you have three or more basic land types among lands you control, Dormant Leyfield is every basic land type in addition to its other types. Where prismatic energy still lives, the air brims with potential.
Schuft, Lord Phota :4mana::symw::symb::symg:
Legendary Creature - Vaiath Wizard (MR)
Vigilance Domain — When Schuft, Lord Phota enters the battlefield, destroy all nonland permanents with converted mana cost X or less, where X is the number of basic land types among lands you control.
5/5 "The world must be reborn in light."
Yes, that works, though it's kind of an easy way out. The initial idea was that the creature should help "turn on" the land in some way, but other forms of interaction with that land (and other lands) is fine.
Also, I just realized I'd left out part of the challenge on the land, mostly because it used to be obvious. (The original plan was to just produce a cycle of lands.) Your land is supposed to be one member of a cycle, rather than just a standalone land.
Shrine of Crimson Leaves
Land (U)
Shrine of Crimson Leaves enters the battlefield tapped with three seal counters on it. t: Add 1 to your mana pool. t, remove a seal counter from Shrine of Crimson Leaves: Add R or G to your mana pool.
Kamau, the Ghostfire Sage2:sym2w::sym2w:
Legendary Creature - Vaiath Shaman (M)
Kamau, the Ghostfire Sage is colorless.
Whenever a player casts a colorless spell, put a +1/+1 counter on Kamau, the Ghostfire Sage. 3: Choose a colorless permanent with one or more counters on it, then choose one: Put another one of those counters on it, or remove one of those counters from it.
3/3
EDIT: Doh. Yeah, I forgot to add legendary. It may be too late for my changing it to make a difference, but I'm doing it anyway for my own state of mind. Also, it's possible I misunderstood the criteria for the land creation... but if I did, that's my mistake and I'll accept the consequences of it.
Does my new entry satisfy the challenge? I'd say it is a threshold of one permanent, just making sure it works.
Yes, that'd be fine. Presumably each other member of the cycle would produce four colors of mana as long as you controlled a permanent of the fifth color.
Schismslither4
Creature - Breaker (U)
Flash
Affinity for damage dealt to you this turn
2/2
Fair Reckoning(2/W)(2/W)
Instant (C)
Destroy target permanent that shares a card type with a card put into your graveyard from the battlefield this turn. "For six counts of robbery and two of murder, you are hereby sentenced to surrender 7,492 weights of silver, 16 years of labor, and your life."
Benevolence(2/G)(2/G)(2/W)(2/W)(2/U)(2/U)
Creature - Incarnation (R)
Benevolence enters the battlefield with X +1/+1 counters on it, where X is the total amount of mana paid to cast it. 2, Remove a +1/+1 counter from Benevolence: Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature. If G was spent to activate this ability, that creature gains trample until end of turn. If W was spent to activate this ability, that creature gains lifelink until end of turn. If U was spent to activate this ability, that creature gains hexproof until end of turn.
0/0
Empty the Vessel(2/U)(2/U)
Instant (C) Anachrome—Target creature becomes X/X until end of turn, where X is the amount of colorless mana in its mana cost.
Invisible Bonds(2/W)(2/W)
Enchantment - Aura (C)
Enchant creature Anachrome—Enchanted creature can't attack or block unless its controller pays X, where X is the total amount of colorless mana in the mana costs of permanents you control.
Mouthpiece of Nil
Creature - Breaker (R)
Whenever a player draws a card, if he or she has seven or more cards in hand, that player discards his or her hand.
:2mana:, Discard two cards: Each player draws a card.
3/3
Hypermnesia(2/U)(2/B)
Sorcery (U)
Destroy target creature you don't control. Its controller loses 2 life and draws two cards.
Draw a card. "Trauma from the past never stays there." - Clovilex, shadow wizard
Vehemence6(2/R)(2/G)(2/W)
Creature - Incarnation (M)
At the beginning of each player's upkeep, he or she puts three 2/2 green Bear creature tokens onto the battlefield. (2/R)(2/R): Creatures you control gain haste until end of turn. (2/G)(2/G): Creatures you control gain trample until end of turn. (2/W)(2/W): Creatures you control gain vigilance until end of turn. (2/R)(2/G)(2/W),T: Creatures you control get +3/+3 until end of turn.
8/8
Mneme Gobbler2(2/R)(2/G)
Creature - Nightmare Ogre (R) Anachrome - When Mneme Gobbler enters the battlefield, discard a card at random. If you do, put X +1/+1 counters on , where X is the amount of colorless mana in that card's mana cost.
When Mneme Gobbler leaves the battlefield, return a card at random from your graveyard to your hand.
2/2
Purgatorial Hourglass(2/W)(2/W)(2/W)
Artifact (R) Anachrome - Whenever you cast a creature spell, you may tap target nonland permanent with converted mana cost equal to the amount of colorless mana in that spell's mana cost. (2/W)(2/W)(2/W),T, Sacrifice three nonland permanents: Target player skips his or her next untap step.
I produce something from void_nothing:
Daylis VoidbladeRW
Legendary Creature - Vaiath Soldier (R)
Haste
Whenever Daylis Voidblade becomes tapped, you may exile another target nonland permanent.
Whenever Daylis becomes untapped, return the exiled card to the battlefield under its owner's control.
2/2
Tilled Fields
Land (U) T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
Tap an untapped white creature you control, T: Add WW to your mana pool. "Without the common people, no cities could rise from the ground, and even the bravest armies would starve."
-Daylis Voidblade
I guess you're right, it's not as bad as I first thought. Would be better if we could submit entire cycles instead of just one card.
The only reason it's not the entire cycle is in the interests of not making people design six cards for Top 8. (If you want to post notes about what the rest of your cycle would look like, though, go ahead. It shouldn't hurt your critiques.)
That kind of card output for a round would be more fitting for something along the lines of "Magic Madness" (64 people, single elimination all the way, probably as a variation on We Make The Set).
Had a few other things to get done real quick (like a sandwich and the DCC).
Crits are open; you're critiquing everyone. Anyone who somehow ranks Jimmy Groove in their top 3 will be summarily shot in the foot, because he didn't post an entry for this round.
Tilled Fields
Land (U) T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
Tap an untapped white creature you control, T: Add WW to your mana pool. "Without the common people, no cities could rise from the ground, and even the bravest armies would starve."
-Daylis Voidblade
Daylis VoidbladeRW
Legendary Creature - Vaiath Soldier (R)
Haste
Whenever Daylis Voidblade becomes tapped, you may exile another target nonland permanent.
Whenever Daylis becomes untapped, return the exiled card to the battlefield under its owner's control.
2/2
Tilled Fields — It makes one of your creatures a mana producer, which is nice and elegant. Formatting is iffy because it really should be "T, Tap an untapped white creature you control:" a la Chosen of Markov. Fine flavor text, but a bit long.
Daylis Voidblade — Haha, my favourite play on the runner up's username amidst the seven. Nicely done. Very strong design, pseudo-Fiend Hunter. I would've preferred the permanent be returned if it leaves the battlefield, like the other Oblivion Ring-style effects; otherwise it's just too powerful, since a lot of the time Daylis will effectively be unkillable (you wouldn't ever really want to kill this in combat, for instance). This could've costed 3.
Earthen Generator
Land (R) T: Add 1 to your mana pool. ,T, Add R to your mana pool for each sorcery in your graveyard. Built over the ruins of a mage's school, the generator pulls energy from the spells of a long-lost age.
KoolKoal, the Nullifier2WB
Legendary Creature - Vaiath Wizard (R) 1WB,T, Discard a card: Destroy target creature that dealt damage to you this turn. "I don't have time to be bothered with the likes of you."
2/2
Earthen Generator — ***** why is there no colon in front of that second ability. Good costing on the second ability, like Cabal Coffers to slow down any potential broken interactions (although I'm convinced that this is broken somewhere). Fine design and excellent flavor behind the card.
KoolKoal, the Nullifier — Hating the name with the capital second K. Anyway, nice ability, although I might've preferred it cost WB instead (maybe by bumping the cost itself to 3WB.) The flavor text is nice but uninspired. Nice, if slightly underwhelming, connection between the two cards.
Prismatic Barrows
Land (R) T: Add 1 to your mana pool. T: Add W,U,R or G to your mana pool. Activate this ability only if you control a black permanent.
Komachi, Stranger of Life1B
Legendary Creature - Zombie Vaiath (MR) 2UB: Return target creature spell to its owner's hand. If you do, return Komachi, Strangler of Life from your graveyard to the battlefield.
Cycling 1U(1U, Discard this card: Draw a card.) "Now I've got your youth, your strength, your very soul. Begone!" 2/2
Yes I removed the boxes.
Prismatic Barrows — Lackluster threshold for that second ability. Mechanically, it's a cute ability, but I can only faintly see the flavor connections.
Komachi, Stranger of Life — This is so many times better than Walking Corpse I can't even. Far too cheaply costed. That first ability is badly worded, although I'm not sure what the correct wording should be exactly. Cycling is cute with the reanimation but I don't even think it's all that necessary; it makes the card a bit boring and certainly far more powerful. Again, the connection between this and the land is thin.
Garden of Graves
Land (U) T, Sacrifice a creature: Add 1 to your mana pool. Threshold — T: Add BBB to your mana pool. Spend this mana only to cast black spells or activate abilities of black permanents. (You have threshold as long as seven or more cards are in your graveyard.)
Death Ascended4BB
Legendary Creature - Vaiath Spirit (M)
Flying, Wither (This deals damage to creatures in the form of -1/-1 counters.) 3B,T: Destroy target creature you control and target creature you don't control. If only black mana was spent this way, you may do it again. Threshold — You may cast Death Ascended from your graveyard.
4/4
Yes I removed the boxes.
Garden of Graves — Excellent name, although it implies G, so there's some flavor/mechanics tension there. I like sacrifice outlet lands for EDH, but this land is a bit weak when the sacrifice is completely unavoidable (to be fair, a sacrifice land is inherently extremely powerful, like High Market.) The Threshold mana restriction to only black spells and permanents makes it a bit lackluster overall. Probably should be a rare.
Death Ascended — I dislike the flavor of this because it seems to work better as an Elemental or Incarnation. Wither seems unnecessary. The Threshold ability is really nice, and makes some of the shortcomings of your land just a little more acceptable. That second ability looks like an infinite loop; it might not be, but it's so easy to read it that way.
Shrine of Crimson Leaves
Land (U)
Shrine of Crimson Leaves enters the battlefield tapped with three seal counters on it. t: Add 1 to your mana pool. t, remove a seal counter from Shrine of Crimson Leaves: Add R or G to your mana pool.
Kamau, the Ghostfire Sage2(2/W)(2/W)
Creature - Vaiath Shaman (M)
Kamau, the Ghostfire Sage is colorless.
Whenever a player casts a colorless spell, put a +1/+1 counter on Kamau, the Ghostfire Sage. 3: Choose a colorless permanent with one or more counters on it, then choose one: Put another one of those counters on it, or remove one of those counters from it.
3/3
Shrine of Crimson Leaves — I dislike the use of the word Shrine; seems to fit better as an enchantment or artifact. Boring but solid design, although I'm not sure that the RG land was the best one to do in relation to your legend.
Kamau, the Ghostfire Sage — "Ghostsage" would've been better in my opinion, especially since Ghostfire is usually red. You forgot the Legendary supertype. Slightly formatting issue with the modal ability, just some missing semicolons and dashes. I find this card to be a bit too busy, although the abilities certainly have synergy. I really think this could've been GW or WU, and the land fit the colors as well.
Overgrown Pastures
Land (R)
Exile a card from your graveyard, T: Add 1 to your mana pool. T: Add W or G to your mana pool. Activate this ability only if there are no cards in your graveyard.
Cedric, of Scrounged Strength 2GGW
Legendary Creature - Vaiath Wizard (R)
Shuffle a card from your graveyard into your library, T: Target creature gets +X/+X until end of turn, where X is the shuffled card's converted mana cost.
3/3
Overgrown Pastures — Good power level. Like with Gerrard's Mom, there's a slight formatting issue with the first ability; it should be "T, Exile a card from your graveyard:". Nothing much to say, other than I think this could be an uncommon.
Cedric, of Scourged Strength — Iffy name. Excellent, innovative ability, really like it. Could've been monogreen, to be honest, although I understand that GW strengthens the connection between the cards.
Glass Rose5
Creature - Breaker (R)
Players play with their hands revealed.
Spells cost 1 more to cast for each colorless card in its controller's hand. (It does not count itself.)
2/3
Touch of Hemlock (2/B)(2/B)
Instant (U)
Destroy target creature if it shares no colors with other creatures. The last one dies. Nature persists.
Identity 8(2/U)(2/U)
Creature - Incarnation (MR)
Each creature is a copy of Identity except for their colors.
Identity gets -2/-2 for each of its colors. All it seeks is to share its newfound selfhood. 10/10
Ghasthaunt 3(2/B)(2/B)
Sorcery (R) Anachrome — Until end of turn, each creature gets -1/-1 for each colorless mana in its mana cost. Beware what dwells in the negative space.
Chrome Wreath 3(2/W)(2/W)
Enchantment (U) Anachrome — Each creature you control has protection from converted mana cost X or less, where X is the amount of colorless mana in that creature's mana cost.
Walking Mine3
Creature - Breaker (U)
Sacrifice Walking Mine: Destroy target creature or planeswalker that is exactly the same colors as Walking Mine. They are built to trace down small trails of a certain kind of mana. Then... BOOM!
Ethereal Verdict(2/W)(2/W)
Instant (U)
Destroy target attacking creature with power 3 or less. For each W spent to cast Ethereal Verdict, you may gain 3 life. Another breaker approached Strink. As it passed the 'line' it broke apart.
Intentness4(2/U)(2/U)(2/B)(2/B)
Creature - Incarnation
Flying, hexproof (2/U)(2/U) Scry 4. Draw a card. (2/B),T: Choose creature, land to planeswalker. Target player sacrifices a permanent of the chosen type.
6/6
Pernicious Sphere1(2/B)(2/G)
Artifact (R) Anachrome — XX, Sacrifice Pernicious Sphere: Destroy each nonland permanent with X or less generic mana in its mana cost.
Chromaschool MentorUUU
Creature - Human Wizard (U) Anachrome — Each spell costs X more to cast, where X is the amount of generic mana in its mana cost. "You are either on my side or on another one's side. Decide!"
2/1
Brimstone Bog
Land (U) T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
As long as you control two or more Swamps, Brimstone Bog is a Mountain and an Island in addition to its other types. Long ago its inhabitants realised that lungs were liabilities.
Schuft, Lord Phota 4WBG
Legendary Creature - Vaiath Wizard (MR)
Vigilance Domain — When Schuft, Lord Phota enters the battlefield, destroy all nonland permanents with converted mana cost X or less, where X is the number of basic land types among lands you control.
5/5 "The world must be reborn in light."
Brimstone Bog is pretty interesting in how it's designed and how it plays. I don't have any issues with the power, or the elegance of it.
Schuft's silly name is silly, but the ability is pretty clever and original. I swear I've seen it somewhere before though... The link to the land is tenuous at best, but I reckon it should be okay.
I guess my cycle would be about different ability words for getting the triple mana of one colour ability on the land, with an additional something to help getting there. Metalcraft on a blue Artifact Land I can see, but I'd probably invent others for the three missing colours to represent game states. Hellbent and Fateful Hour are other threshold like abilities, but the first one doesn't really work with what a land wants to do. Fateful Hour for the white one could work though.
Garden of Graves
Land (U)
T, Sacrifice a creature: Add 1 to your mana pool.
Threshold — T: Add BBB to your mana pool. Spend this mana only to cast black spells or activate abilities of black permanents. (You have threshold as long as seven or more cards are in your graveyard.)
Creature based on LnGrrrR's Mana Wither and Mana Impurities.
Death Ascended4BB
Legendary Creature - Vaiath Spirit (M)
Flying, Wither (This deals damage to creatures in the form of -1/-1 counters.)
3B,T: Destroy target creature you control and target creature you don't control. If only black mana was spent this way, you may do it again.
Threshold — You may cast Death Ascended from your graveyard.
4/4
Previous:
Time Breaker5
Creature - Breaker
Whenever Time Breaker deals combat damage to a creature or player, end the turn.
2/3
Unhallowed Decay(2/G)(2/B)
Instant {R}
Destroy target permanent. You lose half your life, rounded up
Have you not heard the tales of demonkind? Stuff like this never ends well!
Height8(2/G)(2/U)
Creature - Incarnation (R)
Trample, Reach, Hexproof
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may have another target creature you control gain flying as long as Height remains on the battlefield.
They thought the clouds as no limit, the sky as no scare.
12/12
Bladed Aberration2(2/R)(2/R)
Artifact Creature - Construct
First strike
Anachrome — When Bladed Aberration attacks, attacking creatures you control can’t be blocked by creatures with a lower amount of colorless mana in their mana cost.
Morphing Shield (2/W)
Enchantment - Aura (C)
Enchant creature Anachrome — Enchanted creature can’t attack or block unless it’s controller pays X, where X is the amount of colorless mana in its mana cost.
Garden of Graves is interesting, but it seems like it could be easily broken by, er, dredge. That breaks every cheap graveyard-based card, seriously, but it is a worry. Hitting the field tapped might help, but that seems a tad clunky. It's also a bit swingy; it's really hard to get mana without massive disadvantage using the first ability, but it gets really really good once you've activated the second.
Death Ascended looks like there's too much going on; I don't think it needs the keyword abilities (so you could probably pump its p/t slightly), and the Wither is really just to show that you linked to more than one of Linger's cards, but I do like the mechanical synergy between the destruction and the Threshold ability. It seems a bit expensive to abuse though, which I think is right. Also, wording "If only black mana was spent to activate this ability, repeat this process." The link to the land is okay, I guess.
Overgrown Pastures
Land (R)
Exile a card from your graveyard, T: Add 1 to your mana pool. T: Add W or G to your mana pool. Activate this ability only if there are no cards in your graveyard.
Cedric, of Scrounged Strength2GGW
Legendary Creature - Vaiath Wizard (R)
Shuffle a card from your graveyard into your library, T: Target creature gets +X/+X until end of turn, where X is the shuffled card's converted mana cost.
3/3
Based upon the R3 W/G Anachrome card.
Overgrown Pastures has some sweet abilities and self-synergy (always love self-synergy) and plays very interestingly. In green/white, it works pretty well, what with all the graveyard-exiling and shuffling.
Cedric's links to both ced's cards and the land are magnificent, if a bit slow (to get the land to activate, that is). I like the flavour though, and it shouldn't be too powerful.
2UB: Return target creature spell to its owner's hand. If you do, return Komachi, Strangler of Life from your graveyard to the battlefield.
Cycling 1U(1U, Discard this card: Draw a card.)
"Now I've got your youth, your strength, your very soul. Begone!"
2/2
Prismatic Barrows is... weird in flavour, to say the least. It seems like it should be okay and not too dangerous, although I could be wrong; controlling a permanent is a really easy feat in most decks.
Komachi is pushed really hard, and a bit too much, I think. It shouldn't cost 1B and be a 2/2; probably something like 2B 2/1. The body probably needs to be slightly less efficient because of how easily you can get it back. The cycling, I think, pushes it a bit overboard because you don't have to wait for your opponent to activate him; you can just pitch him, DRAW A CARD, and then mess up your opponent's tempo. The link to the land is a bit rubbish, too, but I guess that's a result of your land being so simple to activate.
Shrine of Crimson Leaves
Land (U)
Shrine of Crimson Leaves enters the battlefield tapped with three seal counters on it. t: Add 1 to your mana pool. t, remove a seal counter from Shrine of Crimson Leaves: Add R or G to your mana pool.
Kamau, the Ghostfire Sage2:sym2w::sym2w:
Creature - Vaiath Shaman (M)
Kamau, the Ghostfire Sage is colorless.
Whenever a player casts a colorless spell, put a +1/+1 counter on Kamau, the Ghostfire Sage. 3: Choose a colorless permanent with one or more counters on it, then choose one: Put another one of those counters on it, or remove one of those counters from it.
3/3
Shrine is a bit of a cheap way to circumvent the round restrictions. It's actually a terrible, terrible land and really weak, but I guess it's useable as fixing fodder in limited (at uncommon...? Dual lands at uncommon often have to be weaker than rare ones, so as not to break limited, but aren't seen enough in limited to matter, so they end up being crappy and never played in constructed, while also rarely mattering in limited (see: Worldwake's ETB 1 life lands).
Kamau is a pretty interesting and well designed card... except for the last ability. It's so random and out of place mechanically. Sure, it cares about colourless like the rest of the card, but it's just... so awkward mechanically. I mean, yes, it works with itself, but it's kinda in a convoluted way. Combined, it's really obvious you made a weak land, as well as a somewhat unfitting ability, just to fit the challenge in that they had to interact.
Schismslither4
Creature - Breaker (U)
Flash
Affinity for damage dealt to you this turn
2/2
Fair Reckoning(2/W)(2/W)
Instant (C)
Destroy target permanent that shares a card type with a card put into your graveyard from the battlefield this turn. "For six counts of robbery and two of murder, you are hereby sentenced to surrender 7,492 weights of silver, 16 years of labor, and your life."
Benevolence(2/G)(2/G)(2/W)(2/W)(2/U)(2/U)
Creature - Incarnation (R)
Benevolence enters the battlefield with X +1/+1 counters on it, where X is the total amount of mana paid to cast it. 2, Remove a +1/+1 counter from Benevolence: Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature. If G was spent to activate this ability, that creature gains trample until end of turn. If W was spent to activate this ability, that creature gains lifelink until end of turn. If U was spent to activate this ability, that creature gains hexproof until end of turn.
0/0
Empty the Vessel(2/U)(2/U)
Instant (C) Anachrome—Target creature becomes X/X until end of turn, where X is the amount of colorless mana in its mana cost.
Invisible Bonds(2/W)(2/W)
Enchantment - Aura (C)
Enchant creature Anachrome—Enchanted creature can't attack or block unless its controller pays X, where X is the total amount of colorless mana in the mana costs of permanents you control.
Mouthpiece of Nil
Creature - Breaker (R)
Whenever a player draws a card, if he or she has seven or more cards in hand, that player discards his or her hand.
:2mana:, Discard two cards: Each player draws a card.
3/3
Hypermnesia(2/U)(2/B)
Sorcery (U)
Destroy target creature you don't control. Its controller loses 2 life and draws two cards.
Draw a card. "Trauma from the past never stays there." - Clovilex, shadow wizard
Vehemence6(2/R)(2/G)(2/W)
Creature - Incarnation (M)
At the beginning of each player's upkeep, he or she puts three 2/2 green Bear creature tokens onto the battlefield. (2/R)(2/R): Creatures you control gain haste until end of turn. (2/G)(2/G): Creatures you control gain trample until end of turn. (2/W)(2/W): Creatures you control gain vigilance until end of turn. (2/R)(2/G)(2/W),T: Creatures you control get +3/+3 until end of turn.
8/8
Mneme Gobbler2(2/R)(2/G)
Creature - Nightmare Ogre (R) Anachrome - When Mneme Gobbler enters the battlefield, discard a card at random. If you do, put X +1/+1 counters on , where X is the amount of colorless mana in that card's mana cost.
When Mneme Gobbler leaves the battlefield, return a card at random from your graveyard to your hand.
2/2
Purgatorial Hourglass(2/W)(2/W)(2/W)
Artifact (R) Anachrome - Whenever you cast a creature spell, you may tap target nonland permanent with converted mana cost equal to the amount of colorless mana in that spell's mana cost. (2/W)(2/W)(2/W),T, Sacrifice three nonland permanents: Target player skips his or her next untap step.
I produce something from void_nothing:
Daylis VoidbladeRW
Legendary Creature - Vaiath Soldier (R)
Haste
Whenever Daylis Voidblade becomes tapped, you may exile another target nonland permanent.
Whenever Daylis becomes untapped, return the exiled card to the battlefield under its owner's control.
2/2
Tilled Fields
Land (U) T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
Tap an untapped white creature you control, T: Add WW to your mana pool. "Without the common people, no cities could rise from the ground, and even the bravest armies would starve."
-Daylis Voidblade
Daylis Voidblade is a cool name. The card itself is a very interesting one, and can lead to all kinds of cool mechanical stuff. It makes my Melvin designer side pretty pleased with the redirectable-semi-Oblivion Ring that it is, although because of the combat step, it'll usually keep something locked down fairly well.
Tilled Fields has the coolest interaction with Daylis, and I reckon is also pretty well costed and potent, but not broken. Good job.
1 - Gerrard's Mom
2 - MirrorEntity
3 - Lanxal
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
If you're having creature problems I feel bad for you son
You got 99 attackers but I'm blocking with 1.
The Winner is Judge | 7
This Winner is Also Judge | 6
Club Flamingo | Lots
Lanxal: Land: I really like the way this one turns on. Very clever. Legend: Good use of Domain. Good power level.
Profani: Land: Always had kind of a soft spot for threshold, and this is a good use of it. Legend: Feels like it needs a name. Like, Blahblah, Death Ascended. Aside from that, solid design.
MirrorEntity: Again, very interesting method of turning on there. I like it. Legend: Finally, something I could put into a Scornful Egoist deck. Very nice.
Ryder0522: Land: Eh... not bad designwise. But possibly a little too strong. Splashing shouldn't be made this easy. Legend: Again, interesting design, but I don't think it would play all that well.
Ninja Caterpie: Land: Now THIS is a cycle I could get behind. Very well done! Legend: Always had a fondness for white and black cards, and this makes good use of the combo.
Gerard's Mom: Land: Not much to say about this one. It's nice and straightforward, does what it needs to do. Nicely done. Legend: Interesting take on flickering. I like it.
Ninja Caterpie Crypt of Agadeem for sorceries, ok. Could probably activate for 2 like the crypt, you need 5 sorceries in yard to come out ahead, which is a lot. KK is fine, although it seems like it would have made more sense to make the land that is one of his colors.
Ryder052
This isn't a cycle I would expect to see printed any time soon, I can't really imagine what goals of a set it would fulfill. The ability on Komachi seems pretty neat, but I wish it left me with something more than a bear. Maybe some kind of shapeshifting ability based on the returned spell would be cool. Subtle and slow card advantage/tempo isn't what I really think of at mythic.
Profani
I'd say the base ability of the land is weak but sometimes useful, but threshold is probably too weak of a restriction to get three black mana, it can be achieved fairly easily. The creature is awfully busy, and the connection to the land a little weak. Powering up the activated ability is fairly interesting though.
GG Crono
Shrines are basically just bad Vivid lands as far as I can tell. The sage is ok for his theme I guess, not sure he needed the monohybrid white though.
Lanxal
The land is a bit weird for me, but I guess a wedge set might look for a way to let a mono base splash both allies. The guy is a reasonable domain effect I suppose, could maybe drop one of the colors but it's ok. I kind of wish the land was wedge instead to go with this guy.
MirrorEntity
The land seems reasonable to me, and combos with Wheel of the Sun and Moon...I wish Cedric just put cards on the bottom to avoid shuffling all the time. Might be nicer as a mana activated ability instead of a tap ability too.
You've managed to convince a couple of your fellow travelers that you're best suited for leading the expedition here, partly by virtue of that, after another year of searching, you're the only one in the group who's managed to even pick up the rudiments of the language that was originally spoken here.
This is a mixed blessing, though. You're doing what you can to help keep them from doing stupid things, but more and more often you keep seeing a scrawl that, as best you've been able to determine, translates out to "Disiea", a direction, and a distance. It's like you're being led to a certain place.
Yet another year passes, following the directions, and you can finally see something at the horizon that looks like a city. It might be this "Disiea". It might not. At this point, you don't really care - it's a destination, and that's all that matters to your group. The sun sets, and you set up camp for the night, watching the stars in the sky slowly fading out as if they, too, were being eaten by the Breakers.
Now that's a depressing thought, though the idea that the stars are just burning out isn't really any better.
After another day of walking, you reach the city - surrounded by a dome, and just as deserted as every other city, if not quite as ruined. And at the limits of your vision, you see a couple of similar groups just reaching the dome. Glaring at the dome, you make a gesture, and an opening ripples into existence in front of you.
Your group makes its way to the center of the city, where a great golden building stands - and a shimmering portal sits at the center of it.
Unfortunately, seven other groups have managed to get here at the same time.
Even more unfortunately, a voice rings out in your head, claiming that the other groups are unworthy to be here and must be destroyed... and from the look on everyone's face, they've heard the same thing.
The fighting is ugly, but the leaders of each group make it to the portal, where they see a landscape - and not one done in various shades of gray...
Challenge: Design a land that produces colorless mana, and, upon reaching a certain threshold, allows it to produce colored mana. This land is supposed to be one member of a cycle; you do not have to produce the rest of the cycle.
In addition, design a legendary creature based on the entries of the closest runner-up on your team, which somehow interacts with the land. The main creature type for this creature is Vaiath (so its typeline will probably be "Legendary Creature—Vaiath Wizard", although other second types are fine).
Clarifications: There are no cost restrictions on the creature. "Interacts with the land" means that the creature either helps the land "turn on" into colored mode, or responds to the state of that land, or... well, I hope you get the idea.
Entries are closed. Begin critiquing everyone else now; your critiques and Top 3 are due by 3pm Pacific, April 24.
Team Aemadi
void_nothing R1, R2, R3 - 61
Gerrard's Mom R1, R2, R3 - 175
Team Keliak
KoolKoal R1, R2, R3 - 79
Ninja Caterpie R1, R2, R3 - 134
silence_dais R1, R2, R3 - 46
Team Zarugh
Ryder052 R1, R2, R3 - 133
Komachi R1, R2, R3 - 125
Emocakes R1, R2, R3 - 44
Arcel R1, R2, R3 - 63
Team Moilan
Egak R1, R2, R3 - 47
LnGrrrR R1, R2, R3 - 104
Solesticio R1, R2, R3 - 82
Profani R1, R2, R3 - 121
Team Vanakh
GG Crono R1, R2, R3 - 119
Eskimo_Rage R1, R2, R3 - 107
Team Oimau
Lanxal R1, R2, R3 - 137
Lordschuft R1, R2, R3 - 103
Team J'lami
Prophylaxis R1, R2, R3 - 111
Random_Nation R1, R2, R3 - 35
Jimmy Groove R1, R2, R3 - 164
Team Yimal
ced395 R1, R2, R3 - 131
BlackBull R1, R2, R3 - 80
yewlas R1, R2, R3 - 83
MirrorEntity R1, R2, R3 - 165
Y = Total number of Possible Points (3 * Number of Judges + Additional Points)
(Probably NSFW) So you may have heard I'm trying to write a TV series...
Most Nominated for Random Categories, 2013
Glass Rose 5
Creature - Breaker (R)
Players play with their hands revealed.
Spells cost 1 more to cast for each colorless card in its controller's hand. (It does not count itself.)
2/3
Touch of Hemlock (2/B)(2/B)
Instant (U)
Destroy target creature if it shares no colors with other creatures.
The last one dies. Nature persists.
Identity 8(2/U)(2/U)
Creature - Incarnation (MR)
Each creature is a copy of Identity except for their colors.
Identity gets -2/-2 for each of its colors.
All it seeks is to share its newfound selfhood.
10/10
Ghasthaunt 3(2/B)(2/B)
Sorcery (R)
Anachrome — Until end of turn, each creature gets -1/-1 for each colorless mana in its mana cost.
Beware what dwells in the negative space.
Chrome Wreath 3(2/W)(2/W)
Enchantment (U)
Anachrome — Each creature you control has protection from converted mana cost X or less, where X is the amount of colorless mana in that creature's mana cost.
Walking Mine 3
Creature - Breaker (U)
Sacrifice Walking Mine: Destroy target creature or planeswalker that is exactly the same colors as Walking Mine.
They are built to trace down small trails of a certain kind of mana. Then... BOOM!
Ethereal Verdict (2/W)(2/W)
Instant (U)
Destroy target attacking creature with power 3 or less. For each W spent to cast Ethereal Verdict, you may gain 3 life.
Another breaker approached Strink. As it passed the 'line' it broke apart.
Intentness 4(2/U)(2/U)(2/B)(2/B)
Creature - Incarnation
Flying, hexproof
(2/U)(2/U) Scry 4. Draw a card.
(2/B),T: Choose creature, land to planeswalker. Target player sacrifices a permanent of the chosen type.
6/6
Pernicious Sphere 1(2/B)(2/G)
Artifact (R)
Anachrome — XX, Sacrifice Pernicious Sphere: Destroy each nonland permanent with X or less generic mana in its mana cost.
Chromaschool Mentor UUU
Creature - Human Wizard (U)
Anachrome — Each spell costs X more to cast, where X is the amount of generic mana in its mana cost.
"You are either on my side or on another one's side. Decide!"
2/1
Land (U)
T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
As long as you control two or more Swamps, Brimstone Bog is a Mountain and an Island in addition to its other types.
Long ago its inhabitants realised that lungs were liabilities.
Schuft, Lord Phota 4WBG
Legendary Creature - Vaiath Wizard (MR)
Vigilance
Domain — When Schuft, Lord Phota enters the battlefield, destroy all nonland permanents with converted mana cost X or less, where X is the number of basic land types among lands you control.
5/5
"The world must be reborn in light."
My Pauper Cube ♤ The Pauper Cube Thread Common Knowledge — 1 2
Earthen Generator
Land (R)
T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
,T, Add R to your mana pool for each sorcery in your graveyard.
Built over the ruins of a mage's school, the generator pulls energy from the spells of a long-lost age.
KoolKoal, the Nullifier 2WB
Legendary Creature - Vaiath Wizard (R)
1WB,T, Discard a card: Destroy target creature that dealt damage to you this turn.
"I don't have time to be bothered with the likes of you."
2/2
W: Enchantments
U: Artifacts
B: Creatures
G: Lands
there isn't one for instants LOL. maybe blue for that and a colourless one for artifacts.
they probably won't all cost the same either because balance.
You got 99 attackers but I'm blocking with 1.
The Winner is Judge | 7
This Winner is Also Judge | 6
Club Flamingo | Lots
Five 1/1s and Thraben Doomsayer is pretty ace as well. Good luck winning on four life anyway.
You got 99 attackers but I'm blocking with 1.
The Winner is Judge | 7
This Winner is Also Judge | 6
Club Flamingo | Lots
You are also on 4 life.
So, good luck with winning?
Last time I checked, Gather the Townsfolk was 2CMC.
My Pauper Cube ♤ The Pauper Cube Thread Common Knowledge — 1 2
Grave Titan still doesn't swing until next turn, and it can get chumped.
Turn 3, swinging with five 3/3s or a 6/6 and two 2/2s?
You got 99 attackers but I'm blocking with 1.
The Winner is Judge | 7
This Winner is Also Judge | 6
Club Flamingo | Lots
Like, here the land interacts positively with the legend:
Does this count?
My Pauper Cube ♤ The Pauper Cube Thread Common Knowledge — 1 2
Also, I just realized I'd left out part of the challenge on the land, mostly because it used to be obvious. (The original plan was to just produce a cycle of lands.) Your land is supposed to be one member of a cycle, rather than just a standalone land.
(Probably NSFW) So you may have heard I'm trying to write a TV series...
Most Nominated for Random Categories, 2013
You got 99 attackers but I'm blocking with 1.
The Winner is Judge | 7
This Winner is Also Judge | 6
Club Flamingo | Lots
Bah, whatever. I have another idea.
My Pauper Cube ♤ The Pauper Cube Thread Common Knowledge — 1 2
(Probably NSFW) So you may have heard I'm trying to write a TV series...
Most Nominated for Random Categories, 2013
Land (U)
Shrine of Crimson Leaves enters the battlefield tapped with three seal counters on it.
t: Add 1 to your mana pool.
t, remove a seal counter from Shrine of Crimson Leaves: Add R or G to your mana pool.
Kamau, the Ghostfire Sage 2:sym2w::sym2w:
Legendary Creature - Vaiath Shaman (M)
Kamau, the Ghostfire Sage is colorless.
Whenever a player casts a colorless spell, put a +1/+1 counter on Kamau, the Ghostfire Sage.
3: Choose a colorless permanent with one or more counters on it, then choose one: Put another one of those counters on it, or remove one of those counters from it.
3/3
EDIT: Doh. Yeah, I forgot to add legendary. It may be too late for my changing it to make a difference, but I'm doing it anyway for my own state of mind. Also, it's possible I misunderstood the criteria for the land creation... but if I did, that's my mistake and I'll accept the consequences of it.
(Probably NSFW) So you may have heard I'm trying to write a TV series...
Most Nominated for Random Categories, 2013
Creature - Breaker (U)
Flash
Affinity for damage dealt to you this turn
2/2
Fair Reckoning (2/W)(2/W)
Instant (C)
Destroy target permanent that shares a card type with a card put into your graveyard from the battlefield this turn.
"For six counts of robbery and two of murder, you are hereby sentenced to surrender 7,492 weights of silver, 16 years of labor, and your life."
Benevolence (2/G)(2/G)(2/W)(2/W)(2/U)(2/U)
Creature - Incarnation (R)
Benevolence enters the battlefield with X +1/+1 counters on it, where X is the total amount of mana paid to cast it.
2, Remove a +1/+1 counter from Benevolence: Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature. If G was spent to activate this ability, that creature gains trample until end of turn. If W was spent to activate this ability, that creature gains lifelink until end of turn. If U was spent to activate this ability, that creature gains hexproof until end of turn.
0/0
Empty the Vessel (2/U)(2/U)
Instant (C)
Anachrome—Target creature becomes X/X until end of turn, where X is the amount of colorless mana in its mana cost.
Invisible Bonds (2/W)(2/W)
Enchantment - Aura (C)
Enchant creature
Anachrome—Enchanted creature can't attack or block unless its controller pays X, where X is the total amount of colorless mana in the mana costs of permanents you control.
Creature - Breaker (R)
Whenever a player draws a card, if he or she has seven or more cards in hand, that player discards his or her hand.
:2mana:, Discard two cards: Each player draws a card.
3/3
Hypermnesia (2/U)(2/B)
Sorcery (U)
Destroy target creature you don't control. Its controller loses 2 life and draws two cards.
Draw a card.
"Trauma from the past never stays there." - Clovilex, shadow wizard
Vehemence 6(2/R)(2/G)(2/W)
Creature - Incarnation (M)
At the beginning of each player's upkeep, he or she puts three 2/2 green Bear creature tokens onto the battlefield.
(2/R)(2/R): Creatures you control gain haste until end of turn.
(2/G)(2/G): Creatures you control gain trample until end of turn.
(2/W)(2/W): Creatures you control gain vigilance until end of turn.
(2/R)(2/G)(2/W),T: Creatures you control get +3/+3 until end of turn.
8/8
Mneme Gobbler 2(2/R)(2/G)
Creature - Nightmare Ogre (R)
Anachrome - When Mneme Gobbler enters the battlefield, discard a card at random. If you do, put X +1/+1 counters on , where X is the amount of colorless mana in that card's mana cost.
When Mneme Gobbler leaves the battlefield, return a card at random from your graveyard to your hand.
2/2
Purgatorial Hourglass (2/W)(2/W)(2/W)
Artifact (R)
Anachrome - Whenever you cast a creature spell, you may tap target nonland permanent with converted mana cost equal to the amount of colorless mana in that spell's mana cost.
(2/W)(2/W)(2/W),T, Sacrifice three nonland permanents: Target player skips his or her next untap step.
Daylis Voidblade RW
Legendary Creature - Vaiath Soldier (R)
Haste
Whenever Daylis Voidblade becomes tapped, you may exile another target nonland permanent.
Whenever Daylis becomes untapped, return the exiled card to the battlefield under its owner's control.
2/2
Tilled Fields
Land (U)
T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
Tap an untapped white creature you control, T: Add WW to your mana pool.
"Without the common people, no cities could rise from the ground, and even the bravest armies would starve."
-Daylis Voidblade
That kind of card output for a round would be more fitting for something along the lines of "Magic Madness" (64 people, single elimination all the way, probably as a variation on We Make The Set).
(Probably NSFW) So you may have heard I'm trying to write a TV series...
Most Nominated for Random Categories, 2013
My Pauper Cube ♤ The Pauper Cube Thread Common Knowledge — 1 2
(Probably NSFW) So you may have heard I'm trying to write a TV series...
Most Nominated for Random Categories, 2013
Crits are open; you're critiquing everyone. Anyone who somehow ranks Jimmy Groove in their top 3 will be summarily shot in the foot, because he didn't post an entry for this round.
(Probably NSFW) So you may have heard I'm trying to write a TV series...
Most Nominated for Random Categories, 2013
Tilled Fields — It makes one of your creatures a mana producer, which is nice and elegant. Formatting is iffy because it really should be "T, Tap an untapped white creature you control:" a la Chosen of Markov. Fine flavor text, but a bit long.
Daylis Voidblade — Haha, my favourite play on the runner up's username amidst the seven. Nicely done. Very strong design, pseudo-Fiend Hunter. I would've preferred the permanent be returned if it leaves the battlefield, like the other Oblivion Ring-style effects; otherwise it's just too powerful, since a lot of the time Daylis will effectively be unkillable (you wouldn't ever really want to kill this in combat, for instance). This could've costed 3.
8/10
Earthen Generator — ***** why is there no colon in front of that second ability. Good costing on the second ability, like Cabal Coffers to slow down any potential broken interactions (although I'm convinced that this is broken somewhere). Fine design and excellent flavor behind the card.
KoolKoal, the Nullifier — Hating the name with the capital second K. Anyway, nice ability, although I might've preferred it cost WB instead (maybe by bumping the cost itself to 3WB.) The flavor text is nice but uninspired. Nice, if slightly underwhelming, connection between the two cards.
8/10
Yes I removed the boxes.
Prismatic Barrows — Lackluster threshold for that second ability. Mechanically, it's a cute ability, but I can only faintly see the flavor connections.
Komachi, Stranger of Life — This is so many times better than Walking Corpse I can't even. Far too cheaply costed. That first ability is badly worded, although I'm not sure what the correct wording should be exactly. Cycling is cute with the reanimation but I don't even think it's all that necessary; it makes the card a bit boring and certainly far more powerful. Again, the connection between this and the land is thin.
5/10
Yes I removed the boxes.
Garden of Graves — Excellent name, although it implies G, so there's some flavor/mechanics tension there. I like sacrifice outlet lands for EDH, but this land is a bit weak when the sacrifice is completely unavoidable (to be fair, a sacrifice land is inherently extremely powerful, like High Market.) The Threshold mana restriction to only black spells and permanents makes it a bit lackluster overall. Probably should be a rare.
Death Ascended — I dislike the flavor of this because it seems to work better as an Elemental or Incarnation. Wither seems unnecessary. The Threshold ability is really nice, and makes some of the shortcomings of your land just a little more acceptable. That second ability looks like an infinite loop; it might not be, but it's so easy to read it that way.
5/10
Shrine of Crimson Leaves — I dislike the use of the word Shrine; seems to fit better as an enchantment or artifact. Boring but solid design, although I'm not sure that the RG land was the best one to do in relation to your legend.
Kamau, the Ghostfire Sage — "Ghostsage" would've been better in my opinion, especially since Ghostfire is usually red. You forgot the Legendary supertype. Slightly formatting issue with the modal ability, just some missing semicolons and dashes. I find this card to be a bit too busy, although the abilities certainly have synergy. I really think this could've been GW or WU, and the land fit the colors as well.
6/10
Overgrown Pastures — Good power level. Like with Gerrard's Mom, there's a slight formatting issue with the first ability; it should be "T, Exile a card from your graveyard:". Nothing much to say, other than I think this could be an uncommon.
Cedric, of Scourged Strength — Iffy name. Excellent, innovative ability, really like it. Could've been monogreen, to be honest, although I understand that GW strengthens the connection between the cards.
9/10
1. MirrorEntity
2. Gerrard's Mom
3. Ninja Caterpie
My Pauper Cube ♤ The Pauper Cube Thread Common Knowledge — 1 2
(Probably NSFW) So you may have heard I'm trying to write a TV series...
Most Nominated for Random Categories, 2013
Brimstone Bog is pretty interesting in how it's designed and how it plays. I don't have any issues with the power, or the elegance of it.
Schuft's silly name is silly, but the ability is pretty clever and original. I swear I've seen it somewhere before though... The link to the land is tenuous at best, but I reckon it should be okay.
Garden of Graves is interesting, but it seems like it could be easily broken by, er, dredge. That breaks every cheap graveyard-based card, seriously, but it is a worry. Hitting the field tapped might help, but that seems a tad clunky. It's also a bit swingy; it's really hard to get mana without massive disadvantage using the first ability, but it gets really really good once you've activated the second.
Death Ascended looks like there's too much going on; I don't think it needs the keyword abilities (so you could probably pump its p/t slightly), and the Wither is really just to show that you linked to more than one of Linger's cards, but I do like the mechanical synergy between the destruction and the Threshold ability. It seems a bit expensive to abuse though, which I think is right. Also, wording "If only black mana was spent to activate this ability, repeat this process." The link to the land is okay, I guess.
Overgrown Pastures has some sweet abilities and self-synergy (always love self-synergy) and plays very interestingly. In green/white, it works pretty well, what with all the graveyard-exiling and shuffling.
Cedric's links to both ced's cards and the land are magnificent, if a bit slow (to get the land to activate, that is). I like the flavour though, and it shouldn't be too powerful.
Prismatic Barrows is... weird in flavour, to say the least. It seems like it should be okay and not too dangerous, although I could be wrong; controlling a permanent is a really easy feat in most decks.
Komachi is pushed really hard, and a bit too much, I think. It shouldn't cost 1B and be a 2/2; probably something like 2B 2/1. The body probably needs to be slightly less efficient because of how easily you can get it back. The cycling, I think, pushes it a bit overboard because you don't have to wait for your opponent to activate him; you can just pitch him, DRAW A CARD, and then mess up your opponent's tempo. The link to the land is a bit rubbish, too, but I guess that's a result of your land being so simple to activate.
Shrine is a bit of a cheap way to circumvent the round restrictions. It's actually a terrible, terrible land and really weak, but I guess it's useable as fixing fodder in limited (at uncommon...? Dual lands at uncommon often have to be weaker than rare ones, so as not to break limited, but aren't seen enough in limited to matter, so they end up being crappy and never played in constructed, while also rarely mattering in limited (see: Worldwake's ETB 1 life lands).
Kamau is a pretty interesting and well designed card... except for the last ability. It's so random and out of place mechanically. Sure, it cares about colourless like the rest of the card, but it's just... so awkward mechanically. I mean, yes, it works with itself, but it's kinda in a convoluted way. Combined, it's really obvious you made a weak land, as well as a somewhat unfitting ability, just to fit the challenge in that they had to interact.
Daylis Voidblade is a cool name. The card itself is a very interesting one, and can lead to all kinds of cool mechanical stuff. It makes my Melvin designer side pretty pleased with the redirectable-semi-Oblivion Ring that it is, although because of the combat step, it'll usually keep something locked down fairly well.
Tilled Fields has the coolest interaction with Daylis, and I reckon is also pretty well costed and potent, but not broken. Good job.
2 - MirrorEntity
3 - Lanxal
You got 99 attackers but I'm blocking with 1.
The Winner is Judge | 7
This Winner is Also Judge | 6
Club Flamingo | Lots
1. Ninja Caterpie
2. MirrorEntity
3. Gerard's Mom
Lanxal: Land: I really like the way this one turns on. Very clever. Legend: Good use of Domain. Good power level.
Profani: Land: Always had kind of a soft spot for threshold, and this is a good use of it. Legend: Feels like it needs a name. Like, Blahblah, Death Ascended. Aside from that, solid design.
MirrorEntity: Again, very interesting method of turning on there. I like it. Legend: Finally, something I could put into a Scornful Egoist deck. Very nice.
Ryder0522: Land: Eh... not bad designwise. But possibly a little too strong. Splashing shouldn't be made this easy. Legend: Again, interesting design, but I don't think it would play all that well.
Ninja Caterpie: Land: Now THIS is a cycle I could get behind. Very well done! Legend: Always had a fondness for white and black cards, and this makes good use of the combo.
Gerard's Mom: Land: Not much to say about this one. It's nice and straightforward, does what it needs to do. Nicely done. Legend: Interesting take on flickering. I like it.
Crypt of Agadeem for sorceries, ok. Could probably activate for 2 like the crypt, you need 5 sorceries in yard to come out ahead, which is a lot. KK is fine, although it seems like it would have made more sense to make the land that is one of his colors.
Ryder052
This isn't a cycle I would expect to see printed any time soon, I can't really imagine what goals of a set it would fulfill. The ability on Komachi seems pretty neat, but I wish it left me with something more than a bear. Maybe some kind of shapeshifting ability based on the returned spell would be cool. Subtle and slow card advantage/tempo isn't what I really think of at mythic.
Profani
I'd say the base ability of the land is weak but sometimes useful, but threshold is probably too weak of a restriction to get three black mana, it can be achieved fairly easily. The creature is awfully busy, and the connection to the land a little weak. Powering up the activated ability is fairly interesting though.
GG Crono
Shrines are basically just bad Vivid lands as far as I can tell. The sage is ok for his theme I guess, not sure he needed the monohybrid white though.
Lanxal
The land is a bit weird for me, but I guess a wedge set might look for a way to let a mono base splash both allies. The guy is a reasonable domain effect I suppose, could maybe drop one of the colors but it's ok. I kind of wish the land was wedge instead to go with this guy.
MirrorEntity
The land seems reasonable to me, and combos with Wheel of the Sun and Moon...I wish Cedric just put cards on the bottom to avoid shuffling all the time. Might be nicer as a mana activated ability instead of a tap ability too.
2. Lanxal
3. MirrorEntity
Advancing to the next round:
Ninja Caterpie
MirrorEntity
Gerrard's Mom
and Lanxal!
I'll put up the thread real soon here.
(Probably NSFW) So you may have heard I'm trying to write a TV series...
Most Nominated for Random Categories, 2013