MTG Salvation

Follow Into Death 1BB
Instant (U)
Destroy target creature if another creature was put into its controller's graveyard this turn.
Upon seeing his lover's deathbed, he lost the will to live.

IIW: Adding insult to injury.

Spread the Plague BBB
Sorcery [R]
Each creature gets -2/-2 until end of turn.
Morbid—If a creature died this turn, destroy all creatures.
The messenger had both warned and doomed his village of the infection that followed.

IIW: Small yet free effects

Devastating Loss
Sorcery (U)
Destroy target creature. Then that creature's controller sacrifices a creature.
Garn just couldn't go on without his Lula May.

IIW: Vegas baby, Vegas!

Iphanx (Chaotic Aetherburst): Interesting card. Every time I look at it, I have a different interpretation of its utility. It can hit any creature, but only ever hits your opponents in the face. That means that in a straight burn deck this can threaten to be relatively close to good old Lightning Bolt. In something like Legacy burn, a creatureless match-up is not the craziest thing, making this actually reliable, but even at its most reliable, it is just a Lava Spike. You can't ever rely on decent targets, and that makes this card is too dangerous to really be any good. I do like that the flavor text comes true sometimes, and you blow yourself out, but blowing yourself out isn't actually a good thing. You get a bit of a bonus for being the only nonblack post. Balance: 2/5. Cool factor: 3.5/5. Tragedy: 3.5/5. Final Score: 3/5

Willows (Follow Into Death): Romeo and Juliet was never my favorite Shakespeare play, but you still get bonus points for the reference. Unfortunately, this card is not very powerful. It's a strictly worse Murder, a worse Tragic Slip, or a different Chime of Night, and none of those comparisons are very encouraging. I think you could reasonably charge 1B for this card, but it still wouldn't be a star. Balance 2/5. Cool factor 2.5/5 Tragedy 4/5 (with Bard bonus). Final Score 2.8/5.

Admirableadmiral (Spread the Plague): Wow. An Infest that can scale up to Damnation without costing any more mana is definitely powerful. BBB may be a hard sell, but this card would be played forever after printing. In eternal formats, mana bases are really solid, so this isn't that far of a stretch, and a three mana wrath is absolutely worth it. This requires morbid to be fully operational, but often enough, the Infest option will be just as good, or even better. Toxic Deluge is a three mana wrath that didn't break legacy, and that card is better than this one in many ways, so I'm not going to say it's too powerful to exist, but it is a card that would be an important format consideration forever. The flavor works pretty well here too, although it happens pretty suddenly for a plague. Balance 3.5/5. Cool factor: 3/5. Tragedy: 4/5. Final Score: 3.5/5.

Flatline (Devastating Loss): Devastating indeed. This card is designed to be a blowout every time. The design seems innocuous until you start imagining situations with this card. It gets around a lot of protection, since you can blow up the vanilla guy, leaving them with no choice but to sacrifice the one with hexproof or indestructible. This card just crushes the opposition, and feels awful to lose against. It isn't powerful enough for heavy-duty constructed play, but it is so oppressive in limited that I just don't even want it to exist. Nevertheless, I can't point to any flaws in the design. As a tragedy, this is telling the same kind of story as Follow Into Death, but I don't feel the sorrow as heavily. Balance: 4/5. Cool factor: 2/5. Tragedy: 2.5/5. Final Scrore: 2.8/5.

Nozdormu13 (Famine): The original tragedy. You have some wording issues here (correct wording would be "At the beginning of each player's upkeep, that player may sacrifice a creature. If he or she doesn't, that player puts a -1/-1 counter on each creature he or she controls.") There is also another card called Famine, but I won't count you down too much for those sorts of things. Still, this card is really cool. It's a The Abyss type effect that is very powerful, but is never a hard lock, which is important. I'm kind of surprised that a card like it doesn't already exist. Also, the flavor text on this card is easily the saddest of all of them. A mother bear being forced to eat her own cub: now that's tragedy. I don't know if that is a behavior that bears do exhibit, but I don't doubt it. Balance: 4/5. Cool factor: 4/5. Tragedy: 4/5. Penalty: I'm giving you a .2 penalty for having incorrect wording, a used card-name, and not including a rarity. Final score: 3.8/5.

Winner: Nozdormu13. This was definitely my favorite card in the batch, but minor issues with the development almost made it lose.
Honorable mention: Admirableadmiral.

Next: Time manipulation.

Shattered Time 3UUU
Enchantment (M)
Players take their upkeep steps, draw steps, main phases, combat steps, and end steps in any order you choose.
"It seemed I will have made a grave error recently."
-Gerha, chronomancer

IIW: Fancy words or E (judge chooses one)

Time-Stuttered Stab UR
Instant (U)
Target attacking creature that is blocked gains double strike until end of turn.
That attacking creature deals damage equal to its power to target creature that is blocking it.
"Most soldiers can only get in one jab or slash at a time. An elite warrior might get in two. But with a little bit of time magic, even the lowliest squire can can manage three."
- Izzet mage

IIW: Convoke in blue

Perfected Battle Plan 4WR
Sorcery {R}
Return all creatures that died this turn to the battlefield under their owners' control. They gain haste until end of turn. After this phase, there is an additional combat phase, followed by an additional main phase.
"This time, let's not just wait for the cavalry to trample all of us to death, hmm?"

IIW: Cat rogues.

Time's Bounty 2UG
Enchantment (M)
Players may play up to three additional lands per turn.
Whenever a land enters the battlefield, put a time counter on Time's Bounty.
Whenever Time's Bounty has twelve or more time counters on it, remove all time counters from it and the player whose turn it is takes another turn after this one.

IIW: Make angels relevant!

Props to those of you who are making nonblue time cards.

Gaze Into Yesterday 2U
Enchantment (R)
If you would draw a card, you may instead put a card chosen at random from your graveyard into your hand.

IIW: Ravnica guild paruns!

Frozen in Beauty 7WWWW
Sorcery (R)
Your life total becomes 20.
You may exile a card from your hand. If you do, create a 1/1 white spirit creature token with flying.
Epic (For the rest of the game, you can't cast spells. At the beginning of each of your upkeeps, copy this spell except for its epic ability.)

IIW: Epic

Second Chances 2UUBB
Enchantment — Aura [M]
Enchant creature
If enchanted creature would leave the battlefield, instead exile it, then put it onto the battlefield under your control. Take an extra turn after this one.
If Second Chances would be put into a graveyard from the battlefield, exile it instead.
"A stitch in time lets me kill nine more."
—Lazav, Dimir Mastermind

IIW: Small but free effects

Mai-Lyn, Shrouded Shinobi 3UR
Planeswalker - Mai-Lyn
[+1] Exile target nonland permanent: Put two time counters on the exiled card. If it doesn't have suspend, it gains suspend.
[-2] Create a legendary 1/4 blue red Ninja Illusion creature token named Mai-Lyn's Illusion. It has "2: If a source would deal damage to Mai-Lyn, all damage that would be dealt by that source to Mai-Lyn is dealt to Mai-Lyn's Illusion instead."
[-7] Put two time counters on each nonland permanent target opponent controls and they each gain Vanishing.
[3]

IIW: Something with Improvise

Mind's Passage 3URG
Sorcery (M)
Reveal the top cards from the top of your library until you reveal a nonland card. You may cast that card without paying its cost.
Epic (For the rest of the game, you can't cast spells. At the beginning of each of your upkeeps, copy this spell except for its epic ability. You may choose a new target for the copy.)


iiw: nonwhite nonblack reanimation spell

Nightmare Rebellion 5UB
Sorcery
Each opponent exiles cards from the top of his or her library equal to the number of cards in your hand. You may put a permanent card from among them onto the battlefield.
Epic

IIW Ravnica guild paruns

Endless Celebration 1RRGG
Enchantment (M)
At the beginning of your upkeep, create a 2/2 green and red Satyr token.
Epic (For the rest of the game, you can't cast spells. At the beginning of each of your upkeeps, copy this enchantment except for its epic ability.)
An endless party requires endless guests.


IIW: Convoke in blue

Raging Dragon Storm 4RRG
Sorcery
Create a 4/4 Red Green Dragon creature token with flying. Raging Dragon Storm deals 4 damage to target creature or player times the number of dragon creatures you control.
Epic

IIW: Something with Improvise

Inevitable End 4BB
Sorcery (M)
Each opponent exiles all token permanents he or she controls, then exiles a permanent he or she controls.
If an opponent controls no permanents, he or she loses the game.
Epic

IIW: E

Shred Existence 5RG
Sorcery {M}
Epic (For the rest of the game, you can't cast spells. At the beginning of each of your upkeeps, copy this spell except for its epic ability. You may choose a new target for the copy.)
Devoid
Skip your draw step this turn. Exile the top ten cards of your library, then choose an exiled card you own. If that card is a permanent card, you may put it onto the battlefield. If you do not, put that card into your graveyard and Shred Existence deals damage to target creature or player equal to that card's converted mana cost.
There is no pain when there is nothing.

IIW: Cat rogues

One of the most important things with epic is that the caster needs to still be making important decisions about the game. That's what I mean by "are we still playing Magic".

Iphanx (Mind's Passage): Getting a fee unlimited cascade trigger every turn is absolutely worth six mana, and worth not being able to cast spells. This card is made for EDH, and it is splashy, fun, and cool. It does remove almost all of the skill from your side of the game once it is cast: you have no choice of what card you get every turn, simply the assurance that your deck will turn out something broken most of the time. Balance: 4/5. Cool factor: 4/5. Are we still playing Magic? 3/5. Final score: 3.66/5.

Willows (Nightmare Rebellion): This wins the game by itself, is worth the mana, and allows you to continue making meaningful decisions throughout the rest of the game. It's great in EDH, and unlike most epic cards, is even great in Cube. I have nothing bad to say about this card. Well done. Balance 4.5/5. Cool factor 4/5. Are we still playing Magic? 4/5. Final Score: 4.16/5

Mirrislegend (Endless Celebration): This is pretty cheap for an epic card. I didn't realize it was an enchantment at first, and therefore stacks. It's safer than Endless Ranks of the Dead in that you'll always get the right number of guys, but it doesn't expand as dramatically. Plus, if the opponent destroys the original enchantment, you still can't cast spells for the rest of the game. The guys have no abilities, and you can't back them up with spells, making this a very predictable attack that your opponents can easily find a way around. Also, the card leaves the caster with basically no decisions to make for the rest of the game, except which creatures to attack with. Balance: 2.5/5. Cool factor: 3/5. Are we still playing Magic? 2/5. Final Score: 2.5/5

RyuumiGaroukumi (Raging Dragon Storm): A 4/4 flying is certainly a more relevant threat than 2/2s on the ground. The math on the damage is a little weird, but it's certainly dangerous, and can end out the game pretty fast. It also gives the player of the card real decisions to make, which is the biggest problem with epic. Balance: 4/5. Cool factor: 3.5/5. Are we still playing Magic? 3.5/5. Final score: 3.66/5

Ink-Treader (Inevitable End): You hose their tokens, and then eat a permanent every turn. I love Stax type effects, and this one is actually one-sided, which is pretty cool. But, the fact that you can't cast spells means that this is basically your only game-plan. The idea would be to land this when you already have some stax pieces in play, so your job is done for you, and in such a situation, it will probably suffocate them out, but that's a pretty narrow utility. The fact is that without a lot of support, this card is the opposite of inevitable. They can delay their doom indefinitely by playing an average of slightly more than one permanent a turn. Also, this card leaves all the decisions to the opponent. You go on autopilot, and hope that your engine crushes them. That means it's not that fun to play with, and this type of card was never fun to play against, making this card not really fun for anyone. Balance: 3/5. Cool factor: 2.5/5. Are we still playing Magic? 2.5/5. Final score: 2.66/5

Phyrexian Editor (Shred Existence): We have a lot of red/green cards. This is similar to Nightmare Rebellion, but does feel a bit more red/green. It doesn't actually mill you out, since you skip your draw step, which is clever. Devoid is basically flavor text. I get that the card acts as a processor (although processors hit your opponents exiled cards, not yours,) so I see where devoid fits. This card succeeds where many of the others do not, in that you are left with lots of important decisions. This card does not turn your side of the game into auto-pilot, and that's cool. Balance 4/5. Cool factor 3.5/5. Are we still playing Magic? 4.5/5. Final score: 4/5.

Winner: Willows.

Next: Ravnica Guild Paruns

Azor, Arbiter of Ravnica 2WU
Legendary Creature - Human Advisor (R)
Defender, lifelink
Creatures can't attack unless their controller pays 2 for each creature he or she controls that's attacking.
Whenever a creature blocks, that creature gets +0/+1 until end of turn.
2/5

IIW: Escalate with creative costs

Cizarzim UncontestedRRGG
legendary Creature - Cyclops
Haste, Trample
Whenever Cizarzim Uncontested becomes the target of a spell or ability, It deals 4 damage to that spell or ability controller.
5/4

Iiw: nonwhite nonblack reanimation spell

Rakdos the Hellraiser 2BBRR
Legendary Creature - Demon

Flying, haste, trample
As an additional cost to cast Rakdos the Hellraiser, discard your hand and sacrifice all creatures you control.
When you cast Rakdos the Hellraiser, return up to six creatures from your graveyard to the battlefield, they gain haste until end of turn. Sacrifice them at the end of turn.
6/6

IIW manlands or monocolor utility lands

Zohvor, the First Ruler 1WWBB
Legendary Creature - Human Advisor

Lifelink
Whenever you gain a life, create a 1/1 white black Spirit creature token with flying.
1, Sacrifice a creature: Exile Zohvor, the First Ruler. Return it to the battlefield under its owner's control at the beginning of the next end step.
Can't be replaced as the ruler of the guild, if you never die.
3/3

IIW: Epic Eldrazi Fish

Merek, Scion of Growth UUGG
Legendary Creature - Human Mutant
Evolve.
Whenever another creature enters the battlefield under your control, put X +1/+1 counters on it, where X is the number of +1/+1 counters on ~.
0/1
Everyone has something to contribute - Merek

IIW: Convoke in blue

Niv-Mizzet, of Perfect Mind 2UURR
Legendary Creature - Dragon Wizard (M)
Flying, Prowess
Whenever you draw a card, Niv-Mizzet of Perfect Mind deals 2 damage to target creature or player.
Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, draw a card.
"Knowledge is power, and I am strongest."
4/5

IIW: Innistrad Post-Emrakul