A zombie who doesn't want to eat brains, he's just there for moral support.
Corpsefriend(W/B)
Creature - Zombie (R)
Prevent all damage Corpsefriend would deal to creatures and players.
When Corpsefriend enters the battlefield, gain 1 life.
When another creature enters the battlefield under your control, you may pay (W/B), if you do, return Corpsefriend from your graveyard to the battlefield.
2/2
"Even in death, he was always my steadfast friend."
IIW: Artifacts and Enchantments in the command zone.
Archdemon of Kindness. 2WWB
Creature-Demon (Mythic)
Flying, trample, undying
When Archdemon of Kindness enters the battlefield, each player gains 2 life and draws a card. If Archdemon of Kindness entered the graveyard this turn, instead you gain 2 life and draw a card.
5/5
IIW: mythics that are competitive but not broken.
Nalyn, the Stone-Cold 2R
Legendary Creature - Human Shaman R
If Nalyn's power would become 1 or more, instead it becomes 0 and each other creature you control gets +1/+0 until end of turn. R: Nalyn gets +1/+0 until end of turn. Her family died, purged by the plague. She took the throne with intense indifference.
0/3
Next: Remake a card from Alpha/Beta, changing its Oracle card type.
Steel Sheriff4
Artifact Creature - Construct Soldier (U)
Vigilance
When Steel Sheriff or another artifact enters the battlefield under your control, Outlaw target creature an opponent controls. (Put a bounty counter on that creature. For as long as that creature has a bounty counter on it, it has "When this creature dies, each opponent draws a card and gains 2 life.") It stands day and night in the town square, a challenge to all bandits "Do your worst."
4/4
Does this feel like an Un- challenge to anyone else?
Sword of Prophecy5
Legendary Artifact - Equipment (M)
Equipped creature is legendary, gets +3/+3, and has first strike, vigilance, and haste.
At the beginning of each combat phase, choose a creature you control at random and attach Sword of Prophecy to that creature. “The Chosen One... our savior... is a goat?!”
Infernal Chaperone2B
Creature - Devil Lady of Proper Etiquette
Flash, haste T, pay 2 life: Target nonblack creature gains menace & infect until end of turn. When that creature dies this turn, return that card to the battlefield & sacrifice Infernal Chaperone.
0/2 "Now my deary, don't forget your hemlock cologne. And your haunted hand mirror. And your shoulder imp. And most importantly of all, don't you come home before midnight!"
Judging is based on two things:
Quality of Genre Subversion
Quality of Card Design
Unfortunately my own view of fiction will inevitably bias me, but here it goes:
Corpsefriend
Subversion - I really like the idea, mostly because it's kind of funny. I imagine a zombie just standing in the background giving a thumbs up all the time. It would be an ideal eccentric figure for a comedy game like West of Loathing. Also the name is a nice play on words. 4/5
Card Design - I like how corpsefriend is a pacifist, and that the mechanics fit very well with the idea of being an "undying friend". 4/5
Archdemon of Kindness -
Subversion - This is also a interesting idea, similar to corpsefriend. In this case less comic relief and more the "enlightened monster" trope, which I actually find more interesting, especially if its like a Lucifer level demon. 4.5/5
Card Design - I like the ETB, but the undying and die effects don't really seem to fit very well. You basically have to sacrifice him immediately to get an effect and then he zombie rises from the grave. Basically the second half of the card doesn't seem to fit well with the general idea of a Generous Demon. 2.5/5
Arboreal Mechsuit
Subversion - A nice idea; a mech made of trees. Maybe cyberpunk elves or something use it. 3.5/5
Card Design - Not much to say here, it's a normal vehicle, but it draws its bulk from the forest, fits the idea well. 4/5
Nalyn, the Stone-Cold
Subversion - Rulers who don't care to rule are actually pretty common in fiction. I suppose they're in the minority, but it happens often enough that I can't give this a high subversion score. 2.5/5
Card Design - Actually a really cool design for a ruler. Not only does the ruler enhance those around it, but also there's a reason that the resources themselves go to the ruler. 5/5
Steel Sheriff
Subversion - Personal bias, but I like this a lot. I like the idea of an almost statue figure just droning "Dooo youurrr wooorssst" at random people. 4/5
Card Design - Excellent. Vigilance fits the flavor, you introduce a small sub-story with the outlaw mechanic, and the outlaw mechanic itself seems fun and flavorful (most importantly, after explaining it once, its very intuitive). I can imagine joking with friends while playing outlaw cards 5/5
Sword of Prophecy
Subversion - Interesting subversion, but its name really doesn't give you any impression that it is arbitrary. Additionally, somewhat arbitrary recipients of Mcguffin weapons are also not that uncommon. However, the core idea of a goat getting the weapon of prophecy is pretty cool. 3/5
Card Design - It's very funny that it can go on a fish or bird, but in mtg terms, it actually shares this trait with every other equipment. The random bouncing does add to the flavor, but honestly if this is played in a normal deck, it gets equipped to things like Kor, Humans, etc. anyway. I'd like it better if it could only equip to goats or something. 3/5
Infernal Chaperone
Subversion - This is quite interesting, given that its an actual nice infernal chaperone (of course not so nice chaperones are quite common). The flavor text really sells it, and I'd like to see this type of character in a video game. 4/5
Card Design - The card design doesn't really seem like a Chaperone though. The flash, haste, save the creature seems more like an hidden Guard or similar. A Chaperone in my head is annoying and sticks around on the battlefield with its attended creature. 2.5/5
Winner:
Subject16
Next Prompt: Bounty Counters
Outlaw target creature an opponent controls. (Put a bounty counter on that creature. For as long as that creature has a bounty counter on it, it has "When this creature dies, each opponent draws a card and gains 2 life.")
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Modern UWUW ControlUW UGWSpiritsUGW GHardened ScalesG WGRUKiki PodWGRU [RIP]
Merciless RetributionB
Enchantment (R)
Whenever a creature deals damage to you, put a bounty counter on that creature. For as long as that creature has a bounty counter on it, it has "When this creature dies, each opponent draws a card and gains 2 life."
Lay LowG
Instant {U}
Target creature you control gains hexproof and indestructible until end of turn. Tap it and remove all bounty counters from it. The basement at The Coffin’s Nail might be expensive to rent, but it's about the best place to wait for the heat to die down.
IIW: Make one or more gold cards as part of a new cycle that pays homage to a mono-colored cycle (ex: a gold leyline, titan, or vow)
Echoes of Mirarri1WG
Enchantment (M)
When a land enters play under your control, you may put a bounty counter on it.
Remove a bounty counter from a land you control, then choose one:
- Add one mana of any type that land could produce.
- Target creature you control gets +1/+1 until end of turn
IIW: Artifacts or Enchantments in the Command Zone
It was a subversion of Magic's color red, since red is usually overtly emotional. Red is also about intensity of will, and as such I combined the two. She was all about emotions in the sense that she's intensely cold, similar to how Jace was a mind mage with amnesia. I assumed that was fitting seeing that JamBlock's tree mech was also mostly a break with Magic conventions in my eyes, and it was obvious that JamBlock knew what he was doing.
But even if my submission fit, if it was too subtle, it failed. : )
Fera, Bounty Hunter Extraordinaire 3WBR
Legendary Creature- Human Mercenary
First strike, haste, menace
Fera can't block.
Whenever Fera becomes blocked by a creature, outlaw that creature, then Fera gets +1/+0 for each bounty counter on that creature.
Whenever Fera deals combat damage to a player, outlaw each creature that player controls. "You don't look like much of a fighter, missy"- famous last words of T. Steeleyes, Fera's eight-hundred and forty-third successful bounty
4/3
Most Wanted 2BR
Enchantment {R}
Each creature gets +2/+0 for each bounty counter on it.
Whenever a creature dies, if it had more bounty counters than each other creature, return it to the battlefield under its owner's control at the beginning of the next end step.
Pay 2 life, sacrifice a creature: Put a bounty counter on target creature. For as long as that creature has a bounty counter on it, it has "When this creature dies, each opponent draws a card and gains 2 life." Any player may activate this ability, but only whenever they could cast a sorcery. The biggest fish always seem to slip right out from under the law's nose.
IIW: Give an underloved tribe an interesting leader or tribal boost card, or give an overpushed tribe an enemy or tribal hate card.
Damien, Supreme Inquisitor 2WU
Legendary Planeswalker- Damien (M)
[+1] Target creature doesn’t untap during it's controller’s next untap step. You gain 1 life.
[-2] until you next turn, up to two target creatures cannot attack or block.
[-6] Put a bounty counter on each creature your opponents control, then destroy all creatures.
[4]
IIW: Competitive mythics. (Would see a lot of play in standard.)
Bounty Hunt 3BB
Enchantment {R}
Whenever a creature would die, if it had no bounty counters on it, you may outlaw it instead. (Put a bounty counter on that creature. For as long as that creature has a bounty counter on it, it has "When this creature dies, each opponent draws a card and gains 2 life.") Nobody will pay me if I kill you... now.
Jamblock: This is definitely undercosted but a good flavorful use of bounty counters. Punishing people for attacking and outlawing as a practice both don't feel black to me at all. I would probably make this a white card.
Cardz5000: This is really nice, it's flavorful and practical. Like a smaller version of Heroic Intervention.
graffd20: This isn't the bounty counter I expected but it works for me. I like the callback to Mirari's Wake, but I think this has some balancing issues, first of which would be making this legendary, at three mana two of these can be a bit overpowered for sure. I would also change the second ability to an effect granting an ability to the lands like "Lands you control have T, Remove a bounty counter from this land: Choose one -".
TotallyHaywire: Fera is a strong card holy smokes. With first strike and menace you're putting a LOT of bounty counters on. If your opponent blocks and you survive the fight you end up gaining 4 life and drawing 2 cards which is great value. The saboteur effect is very strong too. I like a lot of things about this card but it feels unbalanced and way too strong though.
TheRavenManIsSquee: This seems like a pretty decent control planeswalker. He neutralizes an opposing threat, or several on the downtick. The ultimate has some potential for huge value in only three turns down but he doesn't protect himself amazingly well so I reckon that's a balanced walker. I would probably have used Outlaw rather than bounty counter for the ultimate because bounty counters don't automatically indicate the "gain 2 life and draw" trigger.
Superbajt: I like the idea behind this but the execution is off for me. It's a replacement effect that keeps creatures on the battlefield, which makes sacrifices confusing for the table. I feel like this could work as a variant of undying/persist too, but it's still a really nice effect with solid flavor.
The winner is TheRavenManIsSquee! Our next challenge is Competitive Mythics
Change of Fate 1UR
Sorcery (M)
You may reveal this card from your opening hand. If you do, each player shuffles the cards from their hand into their library, then draws seven cards.
Each player discards their hand, then draws seven cards.
IIW: Sagas.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
May your games be chaotic and your decks be Rogue.
Blightsteel Masticore
Artifact Creature - Masticore {M}
Infect, indestructible
At the beginning of your upkeep, Blightsteel Masticore deals 1 damage to you, then sacrifice it unless you discard a card.
Reveal the first card you draw each turn. Whenever you reveal an artifact in this way, Blightsteel Masticore deals damage equal to the revealed card’s converted mana cost to target creature.
4/4
IIW: Make one or more gold cards as part of a new cycle that pays homage to a mono-colored cycle (ex: a gold leyline, titan, or vow)
Madmad Genius1UBR
Creature - Vedalken Wizard (MR)
At the beginning of your upkeep, draw a card and put two +1/+1 counter on Madmad Genius. Madmad Genius deals 2 damage to you.
Your maximum hand size is reduced by the number of +1/+1 counters on Madmad Genius.
2/2
IiW
Mana Sinks
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
MtG is where you can hate white players or black players, and still not be racist.
For example: A vampire cowboy, a dwarven dandy, a benevolent hydra
UWUW ControlUW
UGWSpiritsUGW
GHardened ScalesG
WGRUKiki PodWGRU [RIP]
Corpsefriend (W/B)
Creature - Zombie (R)
Prevent all damage Corpsefriend would deal to creatures and players.
When Corpsefriend enters the battlefield, gain 1 life.
When another creature enters the battlefield under your control, you may pay (W/B), if you do, return Corpsefriend from your graveyard to the battlefield.
2/2
"Even in death, he was always my steadfast friend."
IIW: Artifacts and Enchantments in the command zone.
Creature-Demon (Mythic)
Flying, trample, undying
When Archdemon of Kindness enters the battlefield, each player gains 2 life and draws a card. If Archdemon of Kindness entered the graveyard this turn, instead you gain 2 life and draw a card.
5/5
IIW: mythics that are competitive but not broken.
Artifact - Vehicle (U)
Arboreal Mechsuit gets +1/+1 for each Forest you control
Crew 2
0/0
IIW: An archer tribal commander
Nalyn, the Stone-Cold 2R
Legendary Creature - Human Shaman R
If Nalyn's power would become 1 or more, instead it becomes 0 and each other creature you control gets +1/+0 until end of turn.
R: Nalyn gets +1/+0 until end of turn.
Her family died, purged by the plague. She took the throne with intense indifference.
0/3
Next: Remake a card from Alpha/Beta, changing its Oracle card type.
Steel Sheriff 4
Artifact Creature - Construct Soldier (U)
Vigilance
When Steel Sheriff or another artifact enters the battlefield under your control, Outlaw target creature an opponent controls. (Put a bounty counter on that creature. For as long as that creature has a bounty counter on it, it has "When this creature dies, each opponent draws a card and gains 2 life.")
It stands day and night in the town square, a challenge to all bandits "Do your worst."
4/4
IIW: Bounty counters
Sword of Prophecy 5
Legendary Artifact - Equipment (M)
Equipped creature is legendary, gets +3/+3, and has first strike, vigilance, and haste.
At the beginning of each combat phase, choose a creature you control at random and attach Sword of Prophecy to that creature.
“The Chosen One... our savior... is a goat?!”
IIW: Sagas.
UWUW ControlUW
UGWSpiritsUGW
GHardened ScalesG
WGRUKiki PodWGRU [RIP]
Creature - Devil Lady of Proper Etiquette
Flash, haste
T, pay 2 life: Target nonblack creature gains menace & infect until end of turn. When that creature dies this turn, return that card to the battlefield & sacrifice Infernal Chaperone.
0/2
"Now my deary, don't forget your hemlock cologne. And your haunted hand mirror. And your shoulder imp. And most importantly of all, don't you come home before midnight!"
IIW: More civilised Devils
Judging is based on two things:
Quality of Genre Subversion
Quality of Card Design
Unfortunately my own view of fiction will inevitably bias me, but here it goes:
Corpsefriend
Subversion - I really like the idea, mostly because it's kind of funny. I imagine a zombie just standing in the background giving a thumbs up all the time. It would be an ideal eccentric figure for a comedy game like West of Loathing. Also the name is a nice play on words. 4/5
Card Design - I like how corpsefriend is a pacifist, and that the mechanics fit very well with the idea of being an "undying friend". 4/5
Archdemon of Kindness -
Subversion - This is also a interesting idea, similar to corpsefriend. In this case less comic relief and more the "enlightened monster" trope, which I actually find more interesting, especially if its like a Lucifer level demon. 4.5/5
Card Design - I like the ETB, but the undying and die effects don't really seem to fit very well. You basically have to sacrifice him immediately to get an effect and then he zombie rises from the grave. Basically the second half of the card doesn't seem to fit well with the general idea of a Generous Demon. 2.5/5
Arboreal Mechsuit
Subversion - A nice idea; a mech made of trees. Maybe cyberpunk elves or something use it. 3.5/5
Card Design - Not much to say here, it's a normal vehicle, but it draws its bulk from the forest, fits the idea well. 4/5
Nalyn, the Stone-Cold
Subversion - Rulers who don't care to rule are actually pretty common in fiction. I suppose they're in the minority, but it happens often enough that I can't give this a high subversion score. 2.5/5
Card Design - Actually a really cool design for a ruler. Not only does the ruler enhance those around it, but also there's a reason that the resources themselves go to the ruler. 5/5
Steel Sheriff
Subversion - Personal bias, but I like this a lot. I like the idea of an almost statue figure just droning "Dooo youurrr wooorssst" at random people. 4/5
Card Design - Excellent. Vigilance fits the flavor, you introduce a small sub-story with the outlaw mechanic, and the outlaw mechanic itself seems fun and flavorful (most importantly, after explaining it once, its very intuitive). I can imagine joking with friends while playing outlaw cards 5/5
Sword of Prophecy
Subversion - Interesting subversion, but its name really doesn't give you any impression that it is arbitrary. Additionally, somewhat arbitrary recipients of Mcguffin weapons are also not that uncommon. However, the core idea of a goat getting the weapon of prophecy is pretty cool. 3/5
Card Design - It's very funny that it can go on a fish or bird, but in mtg terms, it actually shares this trait with every other equipment. The random bouncing does add to the flavor, but honestly if this is played in a normal deck, it gets equipped to things like Kor, Humans, etc. anyway. I'd like it better if it could only equip to goats or something. 3/5
Infernal Chaperone
Subversion - This is quite interesting, given that its an actual nice infernal chaperone (of course not so nice chaperones are quite common). The flavor text really sells it, and I'd like to see this type of character in a video game. 4/5
Card Design - The card design doesn't really seem like a Chaperone though. The flash, haste, save the creature seems more like an hidden Guard or similar. A Chaperone in my head is annoying and sticks around on the battlefield with its attended creature. 2.5/5
Winner:
Subject16
Next Prompt:
Bounty Counters
Outlaw target creature an opponent controls. (Put a bounty counter on that creature. For as long as that creature has a bounty counter on it, it has "When this creature dies, each opponent draws a card and gains 2 life.")
UWUW ControlUW
UGWSpiritsUGW
GHardened ScalesG
WGRUKiki PodWGRU [RIP]
Enchantment (R)
Whenever a creature deals damage to you, put a bounty counter on that creature. For as long as that creature has a bounty counter on it, it has "When this creature dies, each opponent draws a card and gains 2 life."
IIW: A Dack-themed card
Instant {U}
Target creature you control gains hexproof and indestructible until end of turn. Tap it and remove all bounty counters from it.
The basement at The Coffin’s Nail might be expensive to rent, but it's about the best place to wait for the heat to die down.
IIW: Make one or more gold cards as part of a new cycle that pays homage to a mono-colored cycle (ex: a gold leyline, titan, or vow)
Enchantment (M)
When a land enters play under your control, you may put a bounty counter on it.
Remove a bounty counter from a land you control, then choose one:
- Add one mana of any type that land could produce.
- Target creature you control gets +1/+1 until end of turn
IIW: Artifacts or Enchantments in the Command Zone
But even if my submission fit, if it was too subtle, it failed. : )
Legendary Creature- Human Mercenary
First strike, haste, menace
Fera can't block.
Whenever Fera becomes blocked by a creature, outlaw that creature, then Fera gets +1/+0 for each bounty counter on that creature.
Whenever Fera deals combat damage to a player, outlaw each creature that player controls.
"You don't look like much of a fighter, missy"- famous last words of T. Steeleyes, Fera's eight-hundred and forty-third successful bounty
4/3
Enchantment {R}
Each creature gets +2/+0 for each bounty counter on it.
Whenever a creature dies, if it had more bounty counters than each other creature, return it to the battlefield under its owner's control at the beginning of the next end step.
Pay 2 life, sacrifice a creature: Put a bounty counter on target creature. For as long as that creature has a bounty counter on it, it has "When this creature dies, each opponent draws a card and gains 2 life." Any player may activate this ability, but only whenever they could cast a sorcery.
The biggest fish always seem to slip right out from under the law's nose.
IIW: Give an underloved tribe an interesting leader or tribal boost card, or give an overpushed tribe an enemy or tribal hate card.
Legendary Planeswalker- Damien (M)
[+1] Target creature doesn’t untap during it's controller’s next untap step. You gain 1 life.
[-2] until you next turn, up to two target creatures cannot attack or block.
[-6] Put a bounty counter on each creature your opponents control, then destroy all creatures.
[4]
IIW: Competitive mythics. (Would see a lot of play in standard.)
Enchantment {R}
Whenever a creature would die, if it had no bounty counters on it, you may outlaw it instead. (Put a bounty counter on that creature. For as long as that creature has a bounty counter on it, it has "When this creature dies, each opponent draws a card and gains 2 life.")
Nobody will pay me if I kill you... now.
IIW: IT device/concept
Cardz5000: This is really nice, it's flavorful and practical. Like a smaller version of Heroic Intervention.
graffd20: This isn't the bounty counter I expected but it works for me. I like the callback to Mirari's Wake, but I think this has some balancing issues, first of which would be making this legendary, at three mana two of these can be a bit overpowered for sure. I would also change the second ability to an effect granting an ability to the lands like "Lands you control have T, Remove a bounty counter from this land: Choose one -".
TotallyHaywire: Fera is a strong card holy smokes. With first strike and menace you're putting a LOT of bounty counters on. If your opponent blocks and you survive the fight you end up gaining 4 life and drawing 2 cards which is great value. The saboteur effect is very strong too. I like a lot of things about this card but it feels unbalanced and way too strong though.
TheRavenManIsSquee: This seems like a pretty decent control planeswalker. He neutralizes an opposing threat, or several on the downtick. The ultimate has some potential for huge value in only three turns down but he doesn't protect himself amazingly well so I reckon that's a balanced walker. I would probably have used Outlaw rather than bounty counter for the ultimate because bounty counters don't automatically indicate the "gain 2 life and draw" trigger.
Superbajt: I like the idea behind this but the execution is off for me. It's a replacement effect that keeps creatures on the battlefield, which makes sacrifices confusing for the table. I feel like this could work as a variant of undying/persist too, but it's still a really nice effect with solid flavor.
The winner is TheRavenManIsSquee! Our next challenge is Competitive Mythics
Sorcery (M)
You may reveal this card from your opening hand. If you do, each player shuffles the cards from their hand into their library, then draws seven cards.
Each player discards their hand, then draws seven cards.
IIW: Sagas.
Artifact Creature - Masticore {M}
Infect, indestructible
At the beginning of your upkeep, Blightsteel Masticore deals 1 damage to you, then sacrifice it unless you discard a card.
Reveal the first card you draw each turn. Whenever you reveal an artifact in this way, Blightsteel Masticore deals damage equal to the revealed card’s converted mana cost to target creature.
4/4
IIW: Make one or more gold cards as part of a new cycle that pays homage to a mono-colored cycle (ex: a gold leyline, titan, or vow)
Planeswalker - Venju M
- [+1] Each player puts the top five cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard.
- [0] Choose a loyalty ability of target planeswalker card in a graveyard. Venju gains that ability.
- [-X] Target player sacrifices a nonland permanent with converted mana cost X.
- [-8] Return any number of target cards from your graveyard to your hand.
[[5]]IIW: Lands with abilities that specifically state "you win the game."
Creature - Vedalken Wizard (MR)
At the beginning of your upkeep, draw a card and put two +1/+1 counter on Madmad Genius. Madmad Genius deals 2 damage to you.
Your maximum hand size is reduced by the number of +1/+1 counters on Madmad Genius.
2/2
IiW
Mana Sinks
Instant (MR)
Choose one of the following:
Target player discards 2 cards
Target player draws 2 cards
Exile target creature with power 4 or less
IIW: Underused Keywords
UWUW ControlUW
UGWSpiritsUGW
GHardened ScalesG
WGRUKiki PodWGRU [RIP]