Yore-Tiller's Charm
Instant (U)
If was spent to cast this, put a +1/+1 counter on target creature.
If was spent to cast this, draw a card.
If was spent to cast this, target player discards a card.
If was spent to cast this, put a -1/-1 counter on target creature.
Form of the Kraken4UUUU
Enchantment (R)
At the beginning of your upkeep, your life total becomes 8.
Whenever a creature an opponent controls becomes tapped, it doesn't untap during its controller's next untap step.
Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, you may reveal the top eight cards of your library. You may add the effects of any number of instant or sorcery cards revealed in this way to that spell as long as the total converted mana cost of the spell and those cards is 8 or less. If it's exactly 8, copy that spell and you may choose new targets for the copy. "'Get a grip on yourself,' my instructor said, so I showed him up eightfold."
Both have you have chosen to hand out and perform trickily difficult dares. Even Wizards have failed to provide a good four-color cards as a baseline, the nephilim being fun but mostly weak and disappointing (MaRo admitted to that years ago). I don't doubt we will see four color cards in a future set, but I doubt it'll be with a double hybrid. The reason for that is that any set that will feature these sorts of costs would make signalling impossible in Limited. That said, in a vacuum, your card really looks like a fun design for a four color charm. All effects fit the two mana cost, and it functions as a decent game trick. Limited has almost no use for the black part, and the blue part is much stronger than the white, making this card best as UR by far, which makes the choice not be a real choice at all. I like the symmetry of the card too much to suggest any fixes, and the card is still playable in all other combinations, though weakest at WB. All in all, nice card, but a risky move.
As I said, both of you had difficult dares. Yours was to remake one of the most flavorful enchantments in the game's history, knowing full well that such a trick is not as impressive the second time around. Going kraken is a good idea, since that's another iconic creature type, and I appreciate you keeping 8 as the number theme throughout the card's mechanic, which helps enforcing the sense that you are a kraken. However, the card gets worse the longer I read it. First ability is good, Krakens are after all creatures of water and tapping has mechanically been tied to water. Then things get troubling. The only kraken that was ever tied to instant and sorceries was Wrexial, the Risen Deep, making the flavor connection of the second ability fall flat. It also take the card from Timmy's territory to Johnny's, and I'd like at least a bit of Timmy left in it. The language is also very confusing (does the copied instant get to have all the effects you've added?) I'd rather an effect that's more straightforward. I feel like the second part could be an enchantment on its own, and its being tacked to a "form of..." enchantment just for the sake of the dare.
I've had a lot to complain for both cards, but also a lot to love. Both have taken difficult challenges, and created interesting cards that are worthy of a final round. Even if it doesn't look like it from my critque, this was an extremely close match, and not an easy choice at all. But at the end, a winner most be declared, and this time, that winner is Aftermarketradio. I like it when simplicity is mixed with depth in a card, and your design is the epitome of that. Congrats.
I'd like to thank all the players for participating and both finalists for awesome entries. See you next time!
Host, December 2015: A Winter Wonderland? - R1|R2|R3|Top 8|Semifinals|Finals|Poll
Host, CCL April 2014: A Game of Fate - Signup|R1|R2|R3|Top 8|Semifinal|Finals|Poll
Host, CCL December 2012: Spy Games - Signup|R1|R2|R3|Top 8|Semifinals|Finals|Poll
Host, CCL November 2010: The Perfect Crime - Signup|R1|R2|R3|Top 8|Semifinals|Finals|Poll
Host, CCL August 2009: A Commander's Journey: Signups|R1|R2|R3|Top 8|Semifinals|Finals|Poll
I've got tons of art from the web. Want art for a render? PM me! Want to create your own collection? Start here!
Instant (U)
If was spent to cast this, put a +1/+1 counter on target creature.
If was spent to cast this, draw a card.
If was spent to cast this, target player discards a card.
If was spent to cast this, put a -1/-1 counter on target creature.
Memento Mori, if the nineth lion ate the sun.
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
Enchantment (R)
At the beginning of your upkeep, your life total becomes 8.
Whenever a creature an opponent controls becomes tapped, it doesn't untap during its controller's next untap step.
Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, you may reveal the top eight cards of your library. You may add the effects of any number of instant or sorcery cards revealed in this way to that spell as long as the total converted mana cost of the spell and those cards is 8 or less. If it's exactly 8, copy that spell and you may choose new targets for the copy.
"'Get a grip on yourself,' my instructor said, so I showed him up eightfold."
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
Both have you have chosen to hand out and perform trickily difficult dares. Even Wizards have failed to provide a good four-color cards as a baseline, the nephilim being fun but mostly weak and disappointing (MaRo admitted to that years ago). I don't doubt we will see four color cards in a future set, but I doubt it'll be with a double hybrid. The reason for that is that any set that will feature these sorts of costs would make signalling impossible in Limited. That said, in a vacuum, your card really looks like a fun design for a four color charm. All effects fit the two mana cost, and it functions as a decent game trick. Limited has almost no use for the black part, and the blue part is much stronger than the white, making this card best as UR by far, which makes the choice not be a real choice at all. I like the symmetry of the card too much to suggest any fixes, and the card is still playable in all other combinations, though weakest at WB. All in all, nice card, but a risky move.
I've had a lot to complain for both cards, but also a lot to love. Both have taken difficult challenges, and created interesting cards that are worthy of a final round. Even if it doesn't look like it from my critque, this was an extremely close match, and not an easy choice at all. But at the end, a winner most be declared, and this time, that winner is Aftermarketradio. I like it when simplicity is mixed with depth in a card, and your design is the epitome of that. Congrats.
I'd like to thank all the players for participating and both finalists for awesome entries. See you next time!
Host, December 2015: A Winter Wonderland? - R1|R2|R3|Top 8|Semifinals|Finals|Poll
Host, CCL April 2014: A Game of Fate - Signup|R1|R2|R3|Top 8|Semifinal|Finals|Poll
Host, CCL December 2012: Spy Games - Signup|R1|R2|R3|Top 8|Semifinals|Finals|Poll
Host, CCL November 2010: The Perfect Crime - Signup|R1|R2|R3|Top 8|Semifinals|Finals|Poll
Host, CCL August 2009: A Commander's Journey: Signups|R1|R2|R3|Top 8|Semifinals|Finals|Poll
I've got tons of art from the web. Want art for a render? PM me! Want to create your own collection? Start here!