Alright guys. I don't know why I asked for this. I'm going to be more negative than usual because I was looking for cards with terrible abilities, and I think a lot of you missed the old school requirement.
Trowel Priggants - This one gets disqualified for hybrid mana, and maybe less so for Wither too. But worst of all, it's a limited playable card with efficient stats and an interesting ability. Not what I was looking for. I like the name though.
Clurichaun Jugsmasher - What immediately stands out is that this is a red faerie, which doesn't exist outside of Wee Dragonauts, not good. Another thing that stands out is the lack of flying, but there's precedent for that. I like the mechanic but it feels a little too efficient. If I were more explicit in the challenge I would have said "create a faerie/ouphe with unplayable abilities and a line that justifies those abilities", and that's what the banding pump does. I could have said this for the first card but I'm now realizing that I'm aesthetically offended by the Uncommon declaration when these are cards meant to predate rarity indicators. Another good name.
Miscreant Ouphe - Way way way too efficient. Missed the mark on the activation cost too, ought to be GGGG.
Scryb Queen - I like this one, but it is very plain and uninspiring. Maybe that gives it extra points in a way. I like that it gives islandwalk with no justification. If it had a random activated ability with a hideous mana cost it would win easily. To be super nitpicky, it should not be a faerie itself and it should say All faeries get +1 and islandwalk, but it's more fair to assume everybody is submitting modern errata'd rules text for old cards.
Faerieland Banquet - Immediately disqualified for the Tribal type. Cool card beyond the challenge constraints though. What the hell is going on? Would like to see it at a lower cost because activated abilities that do nearly nothing should cost a lot and cards that warp the game in a big way for example Stasis should be deployed early.
Karplusan Brownie - Liking this card, but I will continue with negative criticism and say the activation costs are too cheap. They are also a bit too relevant to a game of Magic for my taste. Another 7-8/10 submission from void.
Mischevious Monomal - Blue ouphes??? Beyond that, it fits in. Along with most submissions, this is higher in p/t and/or lower in activation cost than I'd like.
Spelldreamer's Sryb Queen takes it. It could use some extra spice, but I think it would fit in best with the other oldschool sprites.
Tishre, Nyxborn Naiad1WU
Legendary Enchantment Creature - Nymph {MR}
Flying
Other commanders you control get +2/+2 and have flying. 3WU: Exile any number of commanders you control. Return those cards to the battlefield under its owner’s control at the beginning of the next end step.
Partner (You can have two commanders if both have partner.)
2/2
IIW: 1 mana Hybrid cards (a single mono-hybrid mana is also acceptable)
Undaru, the Heartsinger3RG
Legendary Creature - Giant Shaman (R)
The first spell you cast each turn costs X less to cast, where X is Undaru, the Heartsinger’s power. 3RG: Put a +1/+1 counter on Undaru.
Partner (You can have two commanders if both have partner.)
3/3
Jenye Molvuned, Vampiric Avenger3WB
Legendary Creature- Vampire Knight (R)
If one of your creatures is destroyed, deal damage equaling that creatures toughness to attacking creature. If the destroyed creature is a commander, deal damage equaling that creature's toughness +2.
If ~ damages a player, that player loses 1 life and you gain 1 life.
Partner
2/3
Ulzik, Dimir LiaisonUB
Legendary Creature - Human Rogue (R)
Skulk
As long as Ulzik, Dimir Liaison is attacking, other attacking legendary creatures you control get +1/+0 and have hexproof. 1(U/B): Target creature you control becomes legendary until end of turn and its name becomes the name of your choice until end of turn.
Partner
1/3
IIW: A new twist on split cards without creating a new named mechanic of any kind.
Dr Skittles 1
Legendary Artifact Creature - Myr
Sunburst (This enters the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it for each color of mana spent to cast it.)
Creature spells you cast gain Sunburst.
Partner
0/0
Okk the Toothless4BR
Legendary Creature - Ogre (Rare)
This spell costs 1 less to cast for each time a player has cast a spell from the command zone this game.
Trample, menace, haste
Partner
5/5
Goal: To create a legendary creature with partner.
Criteria as I see it: A well designed creature with partner isn’t just good on its own, it needs to be able to seamlessly meld with any other creature with partner already designed. With this in mind I thought it’d be a different challenge and will be judging by these standards:
Design: 1 to 5, this is simply how close to a real card you managed to get. In other words do I think Wizards could feasibly design a card like this, how much would it have to change and why or why not?
Power: 1 to 5. A 5 in this category means your card doesn’t break the game, but does have impact, creating a space for itself while still allowing other powerful cards in it’s area to play along with it.
Synergy: 1 to 5: This is here for the partner mechanic alone. How well does your card meld with what’s out there already with Partner. I don’t think Wizards is going to make many more cards with specifically the partner mechanic, and may lean more on partner with cards. I understand as these are difficult cards to nail down, and are easy to overpower. I’ve taken a look at all your cards and had to consider them next to other creatures with Partner to really see how I feel about the whole package.
I will give a score based on all three at the end, this will be listed as Final Score.
With that in mind, here are the entries:
Cardz5000 – Tishre, Nyxborn Naiad
Design: 4.5
The biggest problem I saw here was a typo. It should be return those cards to the battlefield under THEIR owner’s control. A minor issue I know, but still an issue.
Power: 4.5
I think the abilities to cost are completely fair, and like the design of it, but 5 mana to flicker your commanders seems a little costly. I mean Mistmeadow Witch only costs 4 and that is much more versatile than this.
Synergy: 5
If you like the power of any of the other Partner commanders than it seems fair to want to protect them.
The only one I think it wouldn’t work that well with is Ojutai, but I’m pretty okay with that because they are of the same color so your not openning up options playing that combo anyway. I really like the idea of a joint commander who protects your other commander, and some of them are really going to appreciate the boost. I’d love to play Tishre with Silas Renn.
Final Score: 4.66
Chemtrails – Undaru, the Heartsinger
Design: 5
Design is fine. I like that all the abilities have real cohesion with each other, nothing feels random.
Power: 4.5
I don’t know why people keep giving these cards abilities that cost 5 CMC. I do think this is more fair than the last, but as it’s only the first spell it’s near unusable. I suppose as a mana sink on the end of someone’s turn, but it seems like a lot to pay for the effect. I’d lower it about 1. I suppose a more animar take on this would be potentially bonkers with some of the other commanders, and I like that it doesn’t have to depend on +1/+1 counters but that the option is there if it wants to. I won’t rate it much lower though as I get the +1/+1 is just kind of an added thing. I almost think it would be better without it as it would support the cohesion of the design a bit. Could be fun as a morph commander right off the bat.
Synergy: 4.0
This is where I’m a little lost, I can see a lit bit of thought ticking on something like Reyhan(using sac effects to pump up Unaru and get cheap spells) but past that I don’t see much in the way of synergies to build around. I don’t think it would be awful with any of them, but I’m not sure how much it really does otherwise.
Final Score: 4.5
lookashiny – Jenye Mulvuned, Vampiric Avenge
Design: 3.0
I don’t really know what a Vampiric Avenge is, but it sounds awkward. Maybe a Vampiric Avenger, that would make more sense. The formatting is all wrong on this card. I think your looking for something like:
“Whenever a creature you control is destroyed, deal damage equal to that creature’s toughness to target attacking creature. If that creature is a commander, deal damage equal to that creature's toughness plus 2 instead.”
That’s only a guess though, as it could be closer to:
“Whenever a creature you control dies, ~ deals damage equal to that creature’s toughness to target attacking creature. If that creature is a commander, ~ deals damage equal to that creature’s toughness plus 2 to target attacking creature instead.”
The power level of these two effects are very different as one can go off with sac effects and doesn’t require the creature to be destroyed. I will consider power as if it was written under the former because it’s closer to how you formatted it.
Power: 2.5
It’s not that I don’t like this, I like how the abilities interact, but it seems to be kind of in a pigeon hole. I don’t like that I can only damage attacking creatures, and I don’t like that it feels very hard to build around. I’d like a little more openness for the abilities.
As it stands, It’s a 5 mana attacker without evasion that can attack for 2 commander damage and 3 damage overall.(which feels a little awkward) I’m thinking this is on the weak side with how narrow it’s abilities end up feeling. If you openned up the damage to players, allowed the creature to be sacced to deal it’s effect damage, and took away the attacking clause for targets then it’d just feel better for the cost.
Synergy:3.0
I can see this working with both commanders in it’s colors(Ravos and Tymna) and it does something neither of those two do. That is pretty nice. I can also see this working with any commander that pumps itself. Openning up that ability to hit players, or creatures that aren’t attacking and openning it to sac effects would open up the synergy and power spaces so much more, and I think would have lead to a better card overall.
Final Score 2,83
Void_Nothing – Ulzik, Dimir Liason
Design:4.0
There are two small issues here. The first one is that you mispelled “Liaison”, which isn’t a terrible problem, but will dock you half a point. Both of the other abilities feel a little clumsy, but I can’t say they are badly formatted per say. The first part’s “as long as ~ is attacking” isn’t really on another card. Most other cards trigger by saying “When ~ attacks” but that doesn’t mean it’s wrong, just that it works slightly differently on a technical level. It mostly only matters if something puts it into play attacking already. I don’t know if it’s worth it for something that would technically just work like the more common form of the ability.
The other issue is what the legendary rule with name changing might do to other cards. It’s a rules nightmare for anyone who just doesn’t know. I honestly don’t know what happens when a creature becomes legendary and then gains the same name as a non-legendary variant. I think it just lives? I’d like to think the ability could be used to combo things, but I’m just really unsure about the ins and outs and I think both of these formatting kinks warrant another half point.
Power: 4.0
I feel this is a little weak in that it wants two things. It wants to buff your team to do more damage, and it wants to protect them a bit with hexproof. Unfortunately on the latter hexproof isn’t very good in bursts. The reason for this is pretty simple: Most removal isn’t going to care about it being only during attacking, most removal is happy to wait until it’s targetable. It’s just not something that is going to matter that much.
I will grant you it does two things well, it stops some white removal(almost none of which gets played much anymore, but some people still occasionally whip out wing shards or condemn.) and it protects YOUR combat tricks. That is the better half of this ability
The other half works best if your running a legendary deck(that is a deck running mostly running legendary creatures) and I’ll grant it allows for some play with a historical deck since you can turn some of the artifact creatures legendary during combat if you want.
So my problem is that while this is pushed with evasion and a group buff ability, it seems a little narrow. I know it has partner, so part of the point is to compliment the ability with another creature, but that is where the narrowness of the design really comes out to me.
I would like to have seen it pumped up to 3 CMC perhaps and given a little more versatility to build around. Perhaps giving limited evasion to the creatures it pumps? Or maybe cut the pump out and allow it to give hexproof and evasion to legendary permanents on a whim. I mean the player still has to pay for it, so I don’t think it would be too broken past this.
It’s almost there for me, but just doesn’t quite make it.
Synergy:3.5
That narrowness really hurts here. I see it playing well with a couple of the partners currently around, but does it really do more than say Sidar Kondo? I mean one gives limited +1/+0 to your legendary creatures, while the other can grant evasion to possibly your whole team.
Final Score:3.83
JaceTheBodySculpture – Dr. Skittles
Design:5.0
I like it, it’s clean
Power:2.5
So, I like the idea...alot actually, but it needed to be of some colors. Partner is a mechanic that really only does anything in Commander format, and in that format you can only play the color identity of your commanders. As such, it’s going to be quite difficult to get more than two colors in your deck due to your card being colorless.
Unfortunately this doesn’t bode well for sunburst. I would have aimed for green and white due to +1/+1 kinda being their field, and would also bode well for partnerships that like artifacts that might want to play partner with this guy.
The other half of the power on this card concerns me as well, in that he only costs 1. The problem I have here is it will only come in as a 1/1 but pumps up from anything that supports counters, and it’s ability to give sunburst to other spells is pretty good. Maybe too good for a 1 mana drop.
If it can find the colors to allow it to really boost things.
Synergy:4.5
Sunburst given to your creature spells definitely could play well with some of the other partners, but without adding color it stunts it just a little. It isn’t awful, as getting 2 added +1/+1 counters often just for casting a creature is pretty good. I only took a half point due to the color issues, but overall it’s okay.
Final Score: 4.0
Subject16 – Okk the Toothless
Design:5.0
No problems here, clean design.
Power:4.5
Not too bad here either, it’s a beatstick set to come out cheaper when ANYONE(I do love this aspect) casts there commander. There are quite a few commanders who wouldn’t mind a buddy who just wants to punch things hard. It has limited evasion, comes out swinging, and goes over chumpers.
Synergy:4.0
It’s fine here, if a little direct. I definitely can see where this plays nice with a few of the other partners either through pumping okk, gaining bonus effects from okk’s attacks, or just allowing you to continue playing okk without dealing with commander tax. That being said, he’s a big beatstick. I don’t see specifically where crazy synergies fall into play here. That isn’t terrible, but I do think it kinda hurts it a little due to narrowness.
Final Score: 4.5
Antipox – Lancetosser Orgg
Design:4.0
There is one major issue here. It’s name is lancetosser orgg, and yet it’s legendary. An Orgg is a kind of creature, and they are not exactly unique. Why is the lancetosser variant a legendary creature. Orgg’s aren’t suggested to have animal intelligence and even they didn’t, I’d think it would have gained a given name from it’s owners would it be truly legendary.
I feel this is a bit more than a typo so I’m docking a full point. It just doesn’t fit the flavor of what legendaries are supposed to represent.
Power:3.5
We have a 6/6 creature that wants to gather equipment, yet it can’t attack unless we have a creature with more power. I feel this heavily nerfs the playability of your card. I don’t hate there being requirements to get your guy to attack, but I feel there should have been a little more added to the ability to make it more build-around and less completely hosed. I would have supported it would it have been perhaps “~ can’t attack or block unless you control a creature with greater power than ~ base power.” or perhaps “~ can’t attack unless creatures you control have total power greater than ~.”
Synergy: 3.5
Since a few of the partners pump themselves and can get higher power by naturally just being does offer you some possibilities, but akiri is the only one that REALLY fits in that roll. Akiri is also in the same colors as the orgg. I don’t know how I feel about that.
His first ability is the biggest problem, while the second offers potential to building a partner equipment based deck, but it’s just a little counter productive with the first ability(see, if it counted on base power...well that could allow you to build around that specifically with equipment).
Final Score:3.66
Cardz5000 Is the Winner!!!
NEXT CHALLENGE: 1 mana hybrid cards (a single mono-hybrid mana is also acceptable)
Moonglove Scavenger(B/G)
Creature — Elf Assassin (U)
At the beginning of combat on your turn, you may exile a card from your graveyard. If you do, Moonglove Scavenger gets +1/+1 and gains deathtouch until end of turn.
1/2
IIW: Black will do anything to win, even if it means ________________
Rix Maadi Cackler(B/R)
Creature - Devil (R)
Unbound (Whenever you player or discard the last card in your hamd, if this creature isn't unbound, put a +1/+1 counter on it and it becomes unbound.)
When Rix Maadi Cackler becomes unbound, cretures you control gain haste and menace until end of turn.
1/1
IiW
Ability Anthems or lords
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
MtG is where you can hate white players or black players, and still not be racist.
Strike with Impunity -
Instant(R)
If a source would deal damage to target creature this turn, it deals that damage to that source's controller instead. "You don't just face an army at this turn, not just men. Today, you face justice!" - Feldren, the Unbroken
IIW: Enchantress support spell that doesn't draw cards, create tokens, or pump creatures.
Lightweaver
Creature - Elemental (Uncommon)
When Lightweaver enters the battlefield, if R was spent to cast it, target creature gains first strike and haste until end of turn. If W was spent to cast it, target creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn.
Evoke RW(You may cast this spell for its Evoke cost. If you do, it's sacrificed when it enters the battlefield.)
1/1
Unstable Mutant(G/U)
Creature - Mutant Elf
Unstable Mutant enters the battlefield with three +1/+1 counters.
At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a +1/+1 counter from Unstable Mutant.
0/0
Chemtrails - Solid uncommon, plays well in limited (assuming an environment that it is designed for), and maybe even constructed if there is a demand for 1 drops.
Forestsguy - Unbound seems like a really cool rakdos mechanic (feels like a bit of a mix between madness, ascend and monstrous, but it comes off really clean) New players may make suboptimal plays trying to not tigger unbound using your removal on an opponents turn, but experienced players will recognise the value of the +1/+1 as well as just making the right play despite the lost trigger value, so its a nice card that awards skill, but I'm not sure this needed to be rare.
Spelldreamer - A solid w/r effect, but Deflecting Palm tells me this is too cheap, especially without a "The next time" clause. Maybe as a sorcery?
Subject16 - Beautifully executed card, a creative solution to a problem I didn't even intend for you to have to solve.
TacticalCelebrant - I could see simic really liking to play around with this card (Vorel of the Hull Clade anyone?) nice play on Unstable Mutation make sure to add a rarity to your cards, I would assume this kind of creature would be uncommon.
HMs: Forestsguy, Chemtrails
Winner: Subject16
Next: A green counterspell.
Does this mean mono-green? or just a spell that is at least green?
Cardz5000 Yeah, I thought it being only for creatures would ease out the power a bit. It's powerful but doesn't protect you directly making it much more narrow in it's use, that being said I realized I was pushing the power envelope when I made it, but liked it too much to give in.
Evergreen Effigy - 1G
Enchantment
Whenever a player plays an artifact spell, sacrifice ~. If you do, counter that spell. If a spell is countered this way, exile it instead of putting it in the graveyard.
Runeclaw Rebuttal1G
Instant {U}
Target creature you control fights target noncreature spell (The creature takes damage equal to the spell’s converted mana cost, and the spell is countered if the creature’s power is greater than the spell’s converted mana cost.) Seeing a bear literally wrestle her incantation to the ground, Cornelia decided she had ventured far enough into the woods for today.
Evergrowing Vines GGG
Enchantment- Aura {R}
Enchant Wall
Whenever a player plays a noncreature spell, counter it unless that player pays 1.
Whenever a spell an opponent controls is countered by Evergrowing Vines, put a +1/+1 counter on target creature you control, then create a copy of Evergrowing Vines.
Overwhelming Forcemage1G
Creature - Cat Cleric (R)
Flash
When Overwhelming Forcemage enters the battlefield, you may may cast a creature spell from your hand as though it had flash until end of turn.
Whenever a another creature enters the battlefield under your control, counter target noncreature spell with converted mana cost less than the converted mana cost of the creature.
2/1
IiW
7CMC or higher legendary (creatures, pleaneswalkers, sorceries, etc)
Bewildered OupheG
Creature — Ouphe (U) 1G, T, Sacrifice Bewildered Ouphe: Counter target instant spell. Considered critically endangered, the ouphe’s love of bright lights and crackling mana does its survival no favors.
1/2
Trowel Priggants - This one gets disqualified for hybrid mana, and maybe less so for Wither too. But worst of all, it's a limited playable card with efficient stats and an interesting ability. Not what I was looking for. I like the name though.
Clurichaun Jugsmasher - What immediately stands out is that this is a red faerie, which doesn't exist outside of Wee Dragonauts, not good. Another thing that stands out is the lack of flying, but there's precedent for that. I like the mechanic but it feels a little too efficient. If I were more explicit in the challenge I would have said "create a faerie/ouphe with unplayable abilities and a line that justifies those abilities", and that's what the banding pump does. I could have said this for the first card but I'm now realizing that I'm aesthetically offended by the Uncommon declaration when these are cards meant to predate rarity indicators. Another good name.
Miscreant Ouphe - Way way way too efficient. Missed the mark on the activation cost too, ought to be GGGG.
Scryb Queen - I like this one, but it is very plain and uninspiring. Maybe that gives it extra points in a way. I like that it gives islandwalk with no justification. If it had a random activated ability with a hideous mana cost it would win easily. To be super nitpicky, it should not be a faerie itself and it should say All faeries get +1 and islandwalk, but it's more fair to assume everybody is submitting modern errata'd rules text for old cards.
Faerieland Banquet - Immediately disqualified for the Tribal type. Cool card beyond the challenge constraints though. What the hell is going on? Would like to see it at a lower cost because activated abilities that do nearly nothing should cost a lot and cards that warp the game in a big way for example Stasis should be deployed early.
Karplusan Brownie - Liking this card, but I will continue with negative criticism and say the activation costs are too cheap. They are also a bit too relevant to a game of Magic for my taste. Another 7-8/10 submission from void.
Mischevious Monomal - Blue ouphes??? Beyond that, it fits in. Along with most submissions, this is higher in p/t and/or lower in activation cost than I'd like.
Spelldreamer's Sryb Queen takes it. It could use some extra spice, but I think it would fit in best with the other oldschool sprites.
next: Design a legendary creature with Partner.
Legendary Enchantment Creature - Nymph {MR}
Flying
Other commanders you control get +2/+2 and have flying.
3WU: Exile any number of commanders you control. Return those cards to the battlefield under its owner’s control at the beginning of the next end step.
Partner (You can have two commanders if both have partner.)
2/2
IIW: 1 mana Hybrid cards (a single mono-hybrid mana is also acceptable)
Legendary Creature - Giant Shaman (R)
The first spell you cast each turn costs X less to cast, where X is Undaru, the Heartsinger’s power.
3RG: Put a +1/+1 counter on Undaru.
Partner (You can have two commanders if both have partner.)
3/3
IIW: CCDD
Legendary Creature- Vampire Knight (R)
If one of your creatures is destroyed, deal damage equaling that creatures toughness to attacking creature. If the destroyed creature is a commander, deal damage equaling that creature's toughness +2.
If ~ damages a player, that player loses 1 life and you gain 1 life.
Partner
2/3
IIW: Improve an Urza Block creature.
GENERATION 12: The first time you see this, copy and paste it into your signature and add 1 to the generation number. It's a social experiment.
Legendary Creature - Human Rogue (R)
Skulk
As long as Ulzik, Dimir Liaison is attacking, other attacking legendary creatures you control get +1/+0 and have hexproof.
1(U/B): Target creature you control becomes legendary until end of turn and its name becomes the name of your choice until end of turn.
Partner
1/3
IIW: A new twist on split cards without creating a new named mechanic of any kind.
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
Legendary Artifact Creature - Myr
Sunburst (This enters the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it for each color of mana spent to cast it.)
Creature spells you cast gain Sunburst.
Partner
0/0
IIW: inspired by / named after candy
Legendary Creature - Ogre (Rare)
This spell costs 1 less to cast for each time a player has cast a spell from the command zone this game.
Trample, menace, haste
Partner
5/5
IIW: Alternative casting costs
Criteria as I see it: A well designed creature with partner isn’t just good on its own, it needs to be able to seamlessly meld with any other creature with partner already designed. With this in mind I thought it’d be a different challenge and will be judging by these standards:
Design: 1 to 5, this is simply how close to a real card you managed to get. In other words do I think Wizards could feasibly design a card like this, how much would it have to change and why or why not?
Power: 1 to 5. A 5 in this category means your card doesn’t break the game, but does have impact, creating a space for itself while still allowing other powerful cards in it’s area to play along with it.
Synergy: 1 to 5: This is here for the partner mechanic alone. How well does your card meld with what’s out there already with Partner. I don’t think Wizards is going to make many more cards with specifically the partner mechanic, and may lean more on partner with cards. I understand as these are difficult cards to nail down, and are easy to overpower. I’ve taken a look at all your cards and had to consider them next to other creatures with Partner to really see how I feel about the whole package.
I will give a score based on all three at the end, this will be listed as Final Score.
With that in mind, here are the entries:
Cardz5000 – Tishre, Nyxborn Naiad
Design: 4.5
The biggest problem I saw here was a typo. It should be return those cards to the battlefield under THEIR owner’s control. A minor issue I know, but still an issue.
Power: 4.5
I think the abilities to cost are completely fair, and like the design of it, but 5 mana to flicker your commanders seems a little costly. I mean Mistmeadow Witch only costs 4 and that is much more versatile than this.
Synergy: 5
If you like the power of any of the other Partner commanders than it seems fair to want to protect them.
The only one I think it wouldn’t work that well with is Ojutai, but I’m pretty okay with that because they are of the same color so your not openning up options playing that combo anyway. I really like the idea of a joint commander who protects your other commander, and some of them are really going to appreciate the boost. I’d love to play Tishre with Silas Renn.
Final Score: 4.66
Chemtrails – Undaru, the Heartsinger
Design: 5
Design is fine. I like that all the abilities have real cohesion with each other, nothing feels random.
Power: 4.5
I don’t know why people keep giving these cards abilities that cost 5 CMC. I do think this is more fair than the last, but as it’s only the first spell it’s near unusable. I suppose as a mana sink on the end of someone’s turn, but it seems like a lot to pay for the effect. I’d lower it about 1. I suppose a more animar take on this would be potentially bonkers with some of the other commanders, and I like that it doesn’t have to depend on +1/+1 counters but that the option is there if it wants to. I won’t rate it much lower though as I get the +1/+1 is just kind of an added thing. I almost think it would be better without it as it would support the cohesion of the design a bit. Could be fun as a morph commander right off the bat.
Synergy: 4.0
This is where I’m a little lost, I can see a lit bit of thought ticking on something like Reyhan(using sac effects to pump up Unaru and get cheap spells) but past that I don’t see much in the way of synergies to build around. I don’t think it would be awful with any of them, but I’m not sure how much it really does otherwise.
Final Score: 4.5
lookashiny – Jenye Mulvuned, Vampiric Avenge
Design: 3.0
I don’t really know what a Vampiric Avenge is, but it sounds awkward. Maybe a Vampiric Avenger, that would make more sense. The formatting is all wrong on this card. I think your looking for something like:
“Whenever a creature you control is destroyed, deal damage equal to that creature’s toughness to target attacking creature. If that creature is a commander, deal damage equal to that creature's toughness plus 2 instead.”
That’s only a guess though, as it could be closer to:
“Whenever a creature you control dies, ~ deals damage equal to that creature’s toughness to target attacking creature. If that creature is a commander, ~ deals damage equal to that creature’s toughness plus 2 to target attacking creature instead.”
The power level of these two effects are very different as one can go off with sac effects and doesn’t require the creature to be destroyed. I will consider power as if it was written under the former because it’s closer to how you formatted it.
Power: 2.5
It’s not that I don’t like this, I like how the abilities interact, but it seems to be kind of in a pigeon hole. I don’t like that I can only damage attacking creatures, and I don’t like that it feels very hard to build around. I’d like a little more openness for the abilities.
As it stands, It’s a 5 mana attacker without evasion that can attack for 2 commander damage and 3 damage overall.(which feels a little awkward) I’m thinking this is on the weak side with how narrow it’s abilities end up feeling. If you openned up the damage to players, allowed the creature to be sacced to deal it’s effect damage, and took away the attacking clause for targets then it’d just feel better for the cost.
Synergy:3.0
I can see this working with both commanders in it’s colors(Ravos and Tymna) and it does something neither of those two do. That is pretty nice. I can also see this working with any commander that pumps itself. Openning up that ability to hit players, or creatures that aren’t attacking and openning it to sac effects would open up the synergy and power spaces so much more, and I think would have lead to a better card overall.
Final Score 2,83
Void_Nothing – Ulzik, Dimir Liason
Design:4.0
There are two small issues here. The first one is that you mispelled “Liaison”, which isn’t a terrible problem, but will dock you half a point. Both of the other abilities feel a little clumsy, but I can’t say they are badly formatted per say. The first part’s “as long as ~ is attacking” isn’t really on another card. Most other cards trigger by saying “When ~ attacks” but that doesn’t mean it’s wrong, just that it works slightly differently on a technical level. It mostly only matters if something puts it into play attacking already. I don’t know if it’s worth it for something that would technically just work like the more common form of the ability.
The other issue is what the legendary rule with name changing might do to other cards. It’s a rules nightmare for anyone who just doesn’t know. I honestly don’t know what happens when a creature becomes legendary and then gains the same name as a non-legendary variant. I think it just lives? I’d like to think the ability could be used to combo things, but I’m just really unsure about the ins and outs and I think both of these formatting kinks warrant another half point.
Power: 4.0
I feel this is a little weak in that it wants two things. It wants to buff your team to do more damage, and it wants to protect them a bit with hexproof. Unfortunately on the latter hexproof isn’t very good in bursts. The reason for this is pretty simple: Most removal isn’t going to care about it being only during attacking, most removal is happy to wait until it’s targetable. It’s just not something that is going to matter that much.
I will grant you it does two things well, it stops some white removal(almost none of which gets played much anymore, but some people still occasionally whip out wing shards or condemn.) and it protects YOUR combat tricks. That is the better half of this ability
The other half works best if your running a legendary deck(that is a deck running mostly running legendary creatures) and I’ll grant it allows for some play with a historical deck since you can turn some of the artifact creatures legendary during combat if you want.
So my problem is that while this is pushed with evasion and a group buff ability, it seems a little narrow. I know it has partner, so part of the point is to compliment the ability with another creature, but that is where the narrowness of the design really comes out to me.
I would like to have seen it pumped up to 3 CMC perhaps and given a little more versatility to build around. Perhaps giving limited evasion to the creatures it pumps? Or maybe cut the pump out and allow it to give hexproof and evasion to legendary permanents on a whim. I mean the player still has to pay for it, so I don’t think it would be too broken past this.
It’s almost there for me, but just doesn’t quite make it.
Synergy:3.5
That narrowness really hurts here. I see it playing well with a couple of the partners currently around, but does it really do more than say Sidar Kondo? I mean one gives limited +1/+0 to your legendary creatures, while the other can grant evasion to possibly your whole team.
Final Score:3.83
JaceTheBodySculpture – Dr. Skittles
Design:5.0
I like it, it’s clean
Power:2.5
So, I like the idea...alot actually, but it needed to be of some colors. Partner is a mechanic that really only does anything in Commander format, and in that format you can only play the color identity of your commanders. As such, it’s going to be quite difficult to get more than two colors in your deck due to your card being colorless.
Unfortunately this doesn’t bode well for sunburst. I would have aimed for green and white due to +1/+1 kinda being their field, and would also bode well for partnerships that like artifacts that might want to play partner with this guy.
The other half of the power on this card concerns me as well, in that he only costs 1. The problem I have here is it will only come in as a 1/1 but pumps up from anything that supports counters, and it’s ability to give sunburst to other spells is pretty good. Maybe too good for a 1 mana drop.
If it can find the colors to allow it to really boost things.
Synergy:4.5
Sunburst given to your creature spells definitely could play well with some of the other partners, but without adding color it stunts it just a little. It isn’t awful, as getting 2 added +1/+1 counters often just for casting a creature is pretty good. I only took a half point due to the color issues, but overall it’s okay.
Final Score: 4.0
Subject16 – Okk the Toothless
Design:5.0
No problems here, clean design.
Power:4.5
Not too bad here either, it’s a beatstick set to come out cheaper when ANYONE(I do love this aspect) casts there commander. There are quite a few commanders who wouldn’t mind a buddy who just wants to punch things hard. It has limited evasion, comes out swinging, and goes over chumpers.
Synergy:4.0
It’s fine here, if a little direct. I definitely can see where this plays nice with a few of the other partners either through pumping okk, gaining bonus effects from okk’s attacks, or just allowing you to continue playing okk without dealing with commander tax. That being said, he’s a big beatstick. I don’t see specifically where crazy synergies fall into play here. That isn’t terrible, but I do think it kinda hurts it a little due to narrowness.
Final Score: 4.5
Antipox – Lancetosser Orgg
Design:4.0
There is one major issue here. It’s name is lancetosser orgg, and yet it’s legendary. An Orgg is a kind of creature, and they are not exactly unique. Why is the lancetosser variant a legendary creature. Orgg’s aren’t suggested to have animal intelligence and even they didn’t, I’d think it would have gained a given name from it’s owners would it be truly legendary.
I feel this is a bit more than a typo so I’m docking a full point. It just doesn’t fit the flavor of what legendaries are supposed to represent.
Power:3.5
We have a 6/6 creature that wants to gather equipment, yet it can’t attack unless we have a creature with more power. I feel this heavily nerfs the playability of your card. I don’t hate there being requirements to get your guy to attack, but I feel there should have been a little more added to the ability to make it more build-around and less completely hosed. I would have supported it would it have been perhaps “~ can’t attack or block unless you control a creature with greater power than ~ base power.” or perhaps “~ can’t attack unless creatures you control have total power greater than ~.”
Synergy: 3.5
Since a few of the partners pump themselves and can get higher power by naturally just being does offer you some possibilities, but akiri is the only one that REALLY fits in that roll. Akiri is also in the same colors as the orgg. I don’t know how I feel about that.
His first ability is the biggest problem, while the second offers potential to building a partner equipment based deck, but it’s just a little counter productive with the first ability(see, if it counted on base power...well that could allow you to build around that specifically with equipment).
Final Score:3.66
Cardz5000 Is the Winner!!!
NEXT CHALLENGE: 1 mana hybrid cards (a single mono-hybrid mana is also acceptable)
Creature — Elf Assassin (U)
At the beginning of combat on your turn, you may exile a card from your graveyard. If you do, Moonglove Scavenger gets +1/+1 and gains deathtouch until end of turn.
1/2
IIW: Black will do anything to win, even if it means ________________
Creature - Devil (R)
Unbound (Whenever you player or discard the last card in your hamd, if this creature isn't unbound, put a +1/+1 counter on it and it becomes unbound.)
When Rix Maadi Cackler becomes unbound, cretures you control gain haste and menace until end of turn.
1/1
IiW
Ability Anthems or lords
Instant(R)
If a source would deal damage to target creature this turn, it deals that damage to that source's controller instead.
"You don't just face an army at this turn, not just men. Today, you face justice!" - Feldren, the Unbroken
IIW: Enchantress support spell that doesn't draw cards, create tokens, or pump creatures.
Creature - Elemental (Uncommon)
When Lightweaver enters the battlefield, if R was spent to cast it, target creature gains first strike and haste until end of turn. If W was spent to cast it, target creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn.
Evoke RW (You may cast this spell for its Evoke cost. If you do, it's sacrificed when it enters the battlefield.)
1/1
Next: A green counterspell.
Creature - Mutant Elf
Unstable Mutant enters the battlefield with three +1/+1 counters.
At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a +1/+1 counter from Unstable Mutant.
0/0
IIW: A lord for your favorite creature type.
Forestsguy - Unbound seems like a really cool rakdos mechanic (feels like a bit of a mix between madness, ascend and monstrous, but it comes off really clean) New players may make suboptimal plays trying to not tigger unbound using your removal on an opponents turn, but experienced players will recognise the value of the +1/+1 as well as just making the right play despite the lost trigger value, so its a nice card that awards skill, but I'm not sure this needed to be rare.
Spelldreamer - A solid w/r effect, but Deflecting Palm tells me this is too cheap, especially without a "The next time" clause. Maybe as a sorcery?
Subject16 - Beautifully executed card, a creative solution to a problem I didn't even intend for you to have to solve.
TacticalCelebrant - I could see simic really liking to play around with this card (Vorel of the Hull Clade anyone?) nice play on Unstable Mutation make sure to add a rarity to your cards, I would assume this kind of creature would be uncommon.
HMs: Forestsguy, Chemtrails
Winner: Subject16
Next: A green counterspell.
Does this mean mono-green? or just a spell that is at least green?
Counter target spell that targets a creature you control or a creature spell you control.
IIW: Top-down IT concept/device.
(I don't think this is a break. This would be very close to hexproof for a creature/a creature spell can't be countered)
Enchantment
Whenever a player plays an artifact spell, sacrifice ~. If you do, counter that spell. If a spell is countered this way, exile it instead of putting it in the graveyard.
Instant {U}
Target creature you control fights target noncreature spell (The creature takes damage equal to the spell’s converted mana cost, and the spell is countered if the creature’s power is greater than the spell’s converted mana cost.)
Seeing a bear literally wrestle her incantation to the ground, Cornelia decided she had ventured far enough into the woods for today.
IIW: Guild Commands
Enchantment- Aura {R}
Enchant Wall
Whenever a player plays a noncreature spell, counter it unless that player pays 1.
Whenever a spell an opponent controls is countered by Evergrowing Vines, put a +1/+1 counter on target creature you control, then create a copy of Evergrowing Vines.
Creature - Cat Cleric (R)
Flash
When Overwhelming Forcemage enters the battlefield, you may may cast a creature spell from your hand as though it had flash until end of turn.
Whenever a another creature enters the battlefield under your control, counter target noncreature spell with converted mana cost less than the converted mana cost of the creature.
2/1
IiW
7CMC or higher legendary (creatures, pleaneswalkers, sorceries, etc)
Creature — Ouphe (U)
1G, T, Sacrifice Bewildered Ouphe: Counter target instant spell.
Considered critically endangered, the ouphe’s love of bright lights and crackling mana does its survival no favors.
1/2
IIW: Exchange.