Judging can begin right now. For now the judging deadline stays on Monday night. Should any judge need a time extension, please let me know as soon as possible.
Monday 6/11, 8 pm Italian time: I've just finished these, and I want to get these out now even though I've got no time to look for typos now (so I apologize if any are there) as I won't be able to access the site until tomorrow European afternoon at best because of real life work. I will probably check then if we have all judgments and if so post round 2.
Judgments complete, not final until deadline.
Dedicated LibrarianWU
Creature - Human Advisor {U}
Historic spells you control can’t be countered. (Artifacts, legendaries, and Sagas are historic.)
Sacrifice Dedicated Librarian: Target historic permanent you control gains hexproof until end of turn. "While history may repeat itself, I will not."
1/1
Design (2/3) Appeal - Timmy likes "can't be countered", but there is not much more for him here. I don't see much for Johnny either, maybe he could use this in a recurring engine because of its free sacrifice ability, but it feels like a bit of a stretch to me. Spike likes this card very much as protection for her historic things. (3/3) Elegance - No problems here.
Development (1.5/3) Viability - There is nothing white here, so this should just have been a monoblue card. "Can't be countered" is tertiary in blue and white doesn't get it anyway (it's primarily green for creatures and red for one-shot spells). Hexproof on permanents is a blue and green ability, not white. White gives hexproof to players. Yes, Shalai, Voice of Plenty is a card from the latest main set that's white and that gives hexproof to permanents, but it also gives it to you, and that's what makes it white. And anyway, blue could just give hexproof to a historic permanent by itself. It also has no problems sacrificing creatures as a cost. Again, white could do that too, but blue has no problems doing it by itself. If I had really wanted to add white, I probably would have said "...gains hexproof and indestructible..." or some other white ability. I have no problems with this card at uncommon. (2/3) Balance - This looks very playable in limited to protect your historic stuff from removal, but I don'r really see this in constructed. No problems in casual or multiplayer.
Creativity (0.5/3) Uniqueness - Nothing really new here: a couple of effects we see almost every set just coupled with the historic mechanic. (2/3) Flavor - The librarian flavor works very well with a card that interacts with historic things, but the name feels a bit generic to me. Also, while good in a vacuum, the "repeat history" part of the flavor text would feel better with a card that lets you recur historic things instead of giving them hexproof and uncounterability.
Polish (3/3) Quality - All good. (2/2) Main Challenge - Good. (2/2) Subchallenges - Both met.
Total: 18/25
Necromancer's Obsession3BB
Sorcery (R)
Create a 2/2 black Zombie creature token for each different name among historic cards in your graveyard. (Artifacts, legendaries, and Sagas are historic.) "Ooh, I didn't think there were any intact specimens left from the Battle of Argoth!"
Design (2.5/3) Appeal - Timmy dreams to flood the battlefield with Zombie tokens. Johnny has challenges in deckbuilding and trying to fill his graveyard with differently named historic things. Spike would probably like this to be a little stronger. She doesn't expect to get many tokens out of this realistically. (2.5/3) Elegance - The ability might be a little harder to parse than it is to read at first glance, but no big problems here.
Development (3/3) Viability - Everything is in color and rarity feels right. (2/3) Balance - This looks like it poses an interesting deckbuilding question: how many different historic things can you fit into your deck while still also playing other non-historic things, such as, say, this sorcery? It will probably be easier to do in constructed rather than limited, and the larger the format is the better. I don't see you getting too many tokens out of this on average, but the potential for explosive turns is there and helps to justify the relatively high mana cost. As they say, better safe than sorry. I see no particular problems in casual or multiplayer.
Creativity (2.5/3) Uniqueness - This has the "different name" mechanic which makes it feel new, but I'm honestly convinced the inspiration for this card came from GDS3, where the "different name" mechanic was proposed by a contestant (I don't remember who, I should check but now I don't have the time) in one episode (if I recall correctly, it was proposed in the tribal challenge for Rogues, again no time for checking now). (2.5/3) Flavor - The flavor works fine, even if the card name feels a bit generic to me. The flavor text more than makes up for that though, even if I am left with the curiosity of knowing whether the necromancer in question is Liliana or someone else. I feel like an attribution for the flavor text would have helped make it work even better than it does.
Polish (3/3) Quality - There are no precedents for checking different names among cards in graveyards, but your template looks realistic enough to me. (2/2) Main Challenge - Good. (2/2) Subchallenges - Both met.
Total: 22/25
Tharon, the Sceptic1WW
Legendary Creature - Human Advisor (r)
You and permanents you control have hexproof from historic.
Activated abilities of historic permanents cost an additional 2 to play. Fame can only be built from others.
2/4
Design (2/3) Appeal - The first ability is something Timmy likes, but he would probably like it more on a bigger and/or evasive creature. I don't see much for Johnny here. Spike sees this as a sideboard card to use against historic decks. (3/3) Elegance - No problems here.
Development (3/3) Viability - Now, this is a white way to give hexproof to things (see Cardz5000's judgment). Taxing is also white. Rarity feels right. (2/3) Balance - The stats are good for limited. In constructed, as I've already mentioned, I see this filling the role of sideboard card against historic decks. Nowadays, we see relatively often "failsafe cards" in sets to avoid the main set mechanics going out of control eventually. The last ability affecting all players, including you, might have interesting implications in multiplayer.
Creativity (2.5/3) Uniqueness - Ok, "hexproof from historic" is new and feels like an original twist on both hexproof and historic. Yet, I'm not sure that line would exist if the "hexproof from color" variant weren't in Dominaria. (2/3) Flavor - The overall flavor works well, but the flavor text doesn't feel to me like a perfect match for the mechanics. The name does though, a "sceptic" giving you "hexproof from historic" does feel like great flavor if not perfect.
Polish (2/3) Quality - The second ability should say "...cost 2 more to activate" (the most recent example is Kopala, Warden of Waves but there are more, -0.5). I really feel like "hexproof from historic" would have reminder text if this card were printed for real, just like the two "hexproof from" cards from Dominaria (the mirrored pair of Knight of Grace and Knight of Malice, -0.5). (2/2) Main Challenge - Good. (1/2) Subchallenges - Not mythic, but the card is historic itself.
Total: 19.5/25
Erase from History1WB
Instant {R}
Exile target historic permanent.
Design (2.5/3) Appeal - This is clearly a Spike card, and it fits that role perfectly. (3/3) Elegance - This must be one of the most elegant cards I've ever seen.
Development (3/3) Viability - "Exile target permanent" ("destroy" too) is one of the few examples of effects that do not belong to any one single color in the color pie, and have to be done on gold cards, in this case white-black or black-green. Regular rare is the perfect rarity for this kind of effect. (3/3) Balance - Compared to similar existing cards, the mana cost looks realistic. In a limited environment like Dominaria, you will always play this in limited if you can support its mana cost. I can easily see this in Standard too, especially if powerful historic decks exist in the format. There might be implications in larger formats too, after all Affinity is an all-historic deck that is competitive in Modern and that gets completely hosed by this card. No particular problems in multiplayer.
Creativity (0.5/3) Uniqueness - This is just a twist on the classic Vindicate effect, nothing more. (2/3) Flavor - This is perfect flavor even without flavor text. I imagine this card in the frame with centered rules text and it feels very good. I still would have liked even just a few words of flavor text though, and here there is plenty of room for it, I don't even have to check that on MSE.
Polish (2.5/3) Quality - Reminder text for historic should be there, as it's not an evergreen mechanic (-0.5). (2/2) Main Challenge - Good. (2/2) Subchallenges - Both met.
Total: 20.5/25
Goblin Rummager2R
Creature - Goblin Rogue (Common)
Art Depiction: A goblin scrapper, delving through a pile of old junk, casually tosses a Mox Pearl into the pile and gleefully reaches for a beetle underneath.
When Goblin Ransacker enters the battlefield, you may discard a card. If you do, draw a card. If a historic card is discarded this way, draw two cards instead. York was delighted. Bluebeetles were highly prized by goblins and thallids alike. He was going to be rich.
2/2
Design (2.5/3) Appeal - Not much for Timmy here. Johnny might use this to find combo pieces. Spike likes the potential for card advantage. (3/3) Elegance - No big problems here. This card is probably more easily understandable as is than how it would have to be to work in the rules (to avoid the word "instead", see Quality).
Development (1/3) Viability - Red is not supposed to go up on cards with its rummaging effects, so this is a slight bend (you're up one card with the historic rider). I think this is still acceptable as there is a real restriction to get card advantage, even though this would certainly be redflagged at common because of that. A set still gets to have a small percentage of redflagged commons (last I knew, this was 20%), but the safe solution would just be to move this to uncommon. As a contrast, Keldon Raider can never get you card advantage by itself, and in fact that's a common. (2/3) Balance - This looks certainly playable in limited, but I don't really see this in constructed outside of historic decks, which don't really play red (see all the white-blue historic decks we've seen in Dominaria Standard). Everything on this card is about you, so I see no particular problems in multiplayer.
Creativity (0.5/3) Uniqueness - Just a twist on the rummaging effect we see almost every set today. (2.5/3) Flavor - Both Goblin Rummager and Goblin Ransacker work flavorfully here as this card's name, you just have to choose one (I suggest the latter as Rummaging Goblin already exists). The flavor text is very good, but I feel that it would work on almost every creature card that depicts a goblin and that has a rummaging-like ability, were it not for the mention of thallids that firmly places this on Dominaria, home of the historic mechanic. My brain also parsed York as the city name at first, so a different name might be better for this goblin, but these are all just small details and I could see this flavor text printed for real. It doesn't impact the score as it's not required in the MCC, but I just want to say a quick word about your art description, which is hilarious and I really like. The fact that this goblin is throwing away a Mox to get a beetle really works both with the flavor text and with the typical goblin humor we can find everywhere in Magic.
Polish (1/3) Quality - If you want to add an art description to your text card, which is actually not advised in the MCC (you should not post any additional design notes with your submission, your card is supposed to speak for itself), at least separate it from the rules text in some way, or even better, put it after the end of card in its own paragraph. As is, at first my brain parsed it as the first line of rules text. I'm not deducting points for this now, but keep it as advice for future rounds should you advance. What I am deducting points for, instead, is the fact that the creature is called differently in the card name and in the rules text: the Rummager becomes a Ransacker. Probably just a leftover from a name change, but it makes the card unprintable as is (-1). Also, the word "instead" identifies a replacement effect, which this is not (this is a triggered ability, as it begins with "when"). While the intent is clear, a wording that doesn't use the word instead is necessary, for example "If a historic card is discarded this way, draw an additional card." (-0.5). While not the same exact thing (a static ability instead of a trigger ability, but still not a replacement effect so the same reasoning still applies), compare the original printing of the shocklands from Ravnica block (example: Stomping Ground from Guildpact), that wrongfully includes "instead", with the one from RTR block (example: Stomping Ground from Gatecrash), where the word "instead" has been correctly taken off. By the way, we might have a new example of that next fall... Finally, reminder text for historic should be there, as it's not an evergreen mechanic (-0.5). (2/2) Main Challenge - Good. (2/2) Subchallenges - Both met.
Total: 16.5/25
Curse of Ignorance2WU
Enchantment - Aura Curse (R)
Flash
Enchant player
When ~ enters the battlefield exile all historic spells from the stack.
Enchanted player can't cast historic spells. Those who don't remember their history are doomed to repeat it.
Design (2/3) Appeal - I don't see Timmy caring too much about this card. Johnny might use this for protection, but it feels a bit of a stretch to me. Spike definitely likes this. (1/3) Elegance - While the text is not too long and easy enough to understand, mentioning the stack is a big problem here. It's a well known fact that it causes all kinds of confusion for new and less experienced players, and in fact it's something we haven't seen in a decade in real Magic. The last time was in Time Spiral block (pun unintended) with split second. It's something that they actively try to avoid these days.
Development (3/3) Viability - Flash and exiling spells from the stack are blue and the last ability is white, so no problems with the color pie. Rarity also feels right. (2/3) Balance - Just like Hemlock's submission, I see this card as a sideboard card against historic decks. You will not play this in an environment where historic decks are not abundant. As I've already noted, that might be relatively important in larger formats: Affinity decks are historic decks. Choosing who to enchant will have interesting multiplayer implications.
Creativity (1/3) Uniqueness - These are all effects we've seen before, just not together, in their historic variation. Despite exiling creatures instead of spells on the stack, the overall feeling of this card is a bit too similar to Ixalan's Binding to me. (2.5/3) Flavor - The flavor text might be better on a card that makes you recur historic spells in some way (with the bit about "repeating it") rather than one that erases all present and future ones. The overall flavor of this card is still very good, but maybe something about rewriting or erasing history would have worked even better as flavor text. I like that you followed the conventional pattern for a Curse in the name, and ignorance feels like a great concept for this particular card.
Polish (0.5/3) Quality - A space is missing between the card name and mana cost (yes, I saw that, -0.5). In the MCC, you're supposed to write out the rules text exactly as it would be printed if the card were real. So, the use of ~ or CARDNAME is not accepted. Just write out the full card name (-1). The "from the stack" part is superfluous ("spells" only exist on the stack, they are called "permanents" on the battlefield and just "cards" everywhere else) and should not be there (-0.5). For example, Summary Dismissal doesn't say "Exile all other spells from the stack..." but just "Exile all other spells". Finally, reminder text for historic should be there, as it's not an evergreen mechanic (-0.5). (2/2) Main Challenge - Good. (2/2) Subchallenges - Both met.
MCC - Winner (6): Oct 2014, Apr Nov 2017, Jan 2018, Apr Jun 2019 || Host (15): Dec 2014, Apr Jul Aug Dec 2015, Mar Jul Aug Oct 2016, Feb Jul 2017, Jun Nov 2018, Feb Jul 2019 (last one here) || Judge (34): every month from Nov 2014 to Nov 2016 except Oct 2015, every month from Feb to Jul 2017 except Apr 2017, then Oct 2017, May Jun Nov 2018, Feb Jul 2019 (last one here) CCL - Winner (3): Jul 2016 (tied with Flatline), May 2017, Jul 2019 (last one here) || Host (5): Feb 2015, Mar Apr May Jun 2016 DCC - Winner (1): Mar 2015 (tied with Piar) || Host (3): May Oct 2015, Jan 2016
• The two public custom sets I've been part a part of the design team for: "Brotherhood of Ormos" - Blog post with all info - set thread - design skeleton / card list || "Extinctia: Homo Evanuit" - Blog post with all info - set thread - card list spreadsheet
• "The Lion's Lair", my article series about MTG and custom card design in particular. Latest article here. Here is the article index.Rather outdated by now, and based on the old MCC rubric, but I'm leaving this here for anybody that might be interested anyway.
• My only public attempt at being a writer: the story of my Leonin custom planeswalker Jeff Lionheart. (I have a very big one that I'm working on right now but that's private for now, and I don't know if I will ever actually publish it, and I also have ideas for multiple future ones, including one where I'm going to reprise Jeff.)
Design - (2/3) Appeal: Timmy's definitely somewhat into potential free spells. Johnny is all about abuseable triggered abilities and cost reductions. Spike sees something that can be upgraded into a Mycosynth Golem-plus, but that's really fragile until then and that can't be done in one turn unless you already have a game-winning combo ready. (1/3) Elegance: Level up is already a strike against elegance, but turning it into a triggered ability and then making you constantly track your historics for the final ability is over the top, especially at uncommon.
Development - (1.5/3) Viability: Artifact is obviously okay but this is the sort of thing that should definitely be a rare. Level up in a presumably Dominarian context is bizarre - I know the challenge didn't specify that the card had to be flavorfully from Dominarian, but there are definitely flavor cues that place it in that particular set. (1/3) Balance: Not inherently broken, but begs for abuse with 0 artifacts and legendary lands. If this is meant to level itself up just by entering the battlefield - which as worded it does - then it's doubly absurd.
Creativity - (2.5/3) Uniqueness: As said, the precedent is Mycosynth Golem. (2/3) Flavor: The name strongly suggests an Artificer rather than an artifact creature.
Polish - (1/3) Quality: Level up is an activated ability, not a keyword action; if you want to use a triggered ability in this context you have to spell out "Put a level counter on this." Missing a period at the end of the first ability. Historic spells you cast, not permanents - there's no such thing as a permanent anywhere but the battlefield. (2/2) *Main Challenge: Fulfilled. (1/2) Subchallenges: Is historic.
Total: 14/25
Design - (1/3) Appeal: Timmy likes being able to tutor out his big threats but shies away from a card that's so expensive but has no board impact. Johnny might see an odd use. Spike turns away from such oppressive costs. (3/3) Elegance: Solidly elegant.
Development - (2.5/3) Viability: Rare is correct. Feels a bit more black than it does blue for a number of reasons, although not flavorwise. (Would be called Belzenlok's Archive or similar as a black card.) (2/3) Balance: Any card that requires nine mana and a sacrifice to do anything had better be pretty impactful; this card just provides one restricted tutor for that cost. A severely underpowered junk rare.
Creativity - (1.5/3) Uniqueness: Basically a Survival of the Fittest variant... a very bad one, in point of fact. (3/3) Flavor: The high point of this card.
Polish - (2/3) Quality: Missing the reveal clause. Random unnecessary line break before the flavor text. (2/2) *Main Challenge: Done. (2/2) Subchallenges: Done.
Total: 19/25
Design - (1/3) Appeal: Timmy might like this for Commander toolboxing but usually turns up his nose at such inefficient stats for cost. Johnny has better ways to save combos. Spike doesn't care 99% of the time when there's Selfless Spirit. (3/3) Elegance: Elegant! What a concept.
Development - (3/3) Viability: Colors and rarity are right. (3/3) Balance: Fine Limited fodder. Nothing to complain about here.
Creativity - (0.5/3) Uniqueness: Mass indestructible has tons of precedent. (2/3) Flavor: Generic, but gets the job done.
Design - (2/3) Appeal: Timmy likes a big beater that's also the final answer versus opposing legends. Johnny is semi-interested but ultimately there's not that much to abuse here despite all the moving parts. Spike likes a threat that's also removal but the restrictive mana costs turns him off a little. (2/3) Elegance: The whole exile-one-thing-temporarily, exile-all-the-others-forever is confusingly inelegant. The bonus for exiling a bunch of historic cards - a somewhat busywork-ish thing to have to count in its own right - is disappointingly small.
Development - (2.5/3) Viability: Colors and rarity are right. This is a white card mechanically (Chinese-menu multicolor) but not at all flavorfully. (3/3) Balance: Does a lot, but pretty expensive. I would not worry at all about this card's power level.
Creativity - (3/3) Uniqueness: Highly unique. Only precedent I can think of is Detention Sphere and Warden of the Beyond's strange baby. (2.5/3) Flavor: Name is generic. Great, ironic flavor text.
Polish - (2.5/3) Quality: Superfluous comma in the first part of the ETB triggered ability, missing Oxford comma in the second. (2/2) *Main Challenge: Good. (2/2) Subchallenges: Done.
Total: 21.5/25
Design - (3/3) Appeal: Timmy loves how a one-mana card can make such big plays. Johnny would want to do dumb things with legendary sorceries. Spike loves the sheer efficiency. (3/3) Elegance: Very!
Development - (3/3) Viability: Color and rarity both feel right. (1.5/3) Balance: I seriously question whether costing this card at one mana would make it strong or outright OP. It would need heavy testing.
Creativity - (1.5/3) Uniqueness: Some obvious precedents, but overall somewhat unique. (3/3) Flavor: Great.
Polish - (2/3) Quality: No space before the attribution of the flavor text, and it's "historian." (2/2) *Main Challenge: Done. (2/2) Subchallenges: Done.
Total: 21/25
Design - (3/3) Appeal: This is an all-rounder - Timmy wants to tutor his legendaries directly to the battlefield, Johnny wants to be able to get combo pieces, Spike wants an auto-finisher(tm) that also makes sure his threat doesn't get spot-removed. (2.5/3) Elegance: Slightly wordy ETB ability; overall elegant.
Development - (3/3) Viability: Colors and rarity look good. (3/3) Balance: Strong but expensive to use. Okay.
Creativity - (1/3) Uniqueness: In a phrase I'd never thought I'd type, this is basically Sterling Grove plus Wargate. (2.5/3) Flavor: Generic, but it serves.
The Hall of Champions Plane - Kylem
Whenever a historic permanent would leave the battlefield, instead exile it.
Whenever you roll [Chaos], create a token that's a copy of a permanent exiled with The Hall of Champions.
When you planeswalk away from The Hall of Champions, return to the battlefield all cards exiled with it under their owner's control.
Design .:. (2/3) Appeal: Planechase is a multiplayer format, an aspect Timmy appreciates. The card itself enables a lot of chaotic shenanigans. Entering the battlefield and leaving it will be Johnny's goal. (2,5/3) Elegance: The card is a nice addition to the planechase game and easy to understand. But I think there should be a friendly reminder text for the historic keyword. Planechase is probably the most chaotic offical way to play magic. It includes effects from a lot of sets, remembering all those abilities is not that easy.
Development .:. (3/3) Viability: This entry might be unusual but what it does it does good. I can imagine a plane like this to be included in the next installment of planechase (if it ever comes . . .). (3/3) Balance: It's difficult to talk about balance when you talk planes. Power levels of individual planes are all over the place. What makes all those effects even remotely possible to be printed on cards is the randomnes of this game variant. Maybe you can build a deck that's good with a plane or even some of them. But you will not be able to use all of the places and events to your full advantage. The Hall of Champions can very strong if you build around it, but it's open enough that any player should be able to get some neat advantage off of it.
Creativity .:. (3/3) Uniqueness: Seeing cool new planes is always nice. A plane like has yet to be printed. (3/3) Flavor: That there's a hall on Kylem where the most famous of the champions would be eternalized I can imagine. The card plays around with that idea in a nice way.
Polish .:. (1/3) Quality: The first ability is a replacement effect and thus can't start with "whenever". The correct wording is "If a historic permanent would leave the battlefield, exile it instead of putting it anywhere else.", e.g. Nephalia Academy. The word permanent in the token ability is not needed, e.g. Caller of the Untamed. The walk away ability should come before the chaos effect. Also the proper wording would be ", return all cards exiled with it to the battlefield under their owners’ control.", e.g. Helvault. (2/2) Main Challenge: Main challenge satisfied! (2/2) Subchallenges: Both subchallenges satisfied!
Total: 21,5/25
Inspired CadetW
Creature - Human Soldier {R}
As long as you control a white historic creature, Inspired Cadet gets +2/+1 and has indestructible. With all hope lost, one warrior raised her sword and shouted, as a paragon of hope. “Our bodies might break, but our will won’t waiver!”
1/1
Design .:. (2/3) Appeal: In the right environment this one-drop might impress a Timmy. It certainly is strong enough for a Spike. (3/3) Elegance: The card is easy to understand and makes sense.
Development .:. (3/3) Viability: Both rarity and color are right on this card. We have seen similar in Toolcraft Exemplar. (3/3) Balance: It certainly is a strong card. Compared to the Exemplar it only needs one other card to be fully online. Needing a white historic card though limits the number of cards that work well with it on a competitive level.
Creativity .:. (1/3) Uniqueness: The cadet is a nice historic sister of our Exemplar. (3/3) Flavor: Even I feel inspired by that flavor. The alliterative quote reads really nice.
Polish .:. (3/3) Quality: No flaws detected! (2/2) Main Challenge: Main challenge satisfied! (2/2) Subchallenges: Both subchallenges satisfied!
Total: 22/25
Witness to HistoryR
Creature - Human Soldier (U)
Haste
Whenever you cast a historic spell, put a +1/+1 counter on Witness to History. "Life is like a box of cards; you never know what you are going to get."
1/1
Design .:. (2/3) Appeal: Johnny wants to know how much counters they can put on this card on turn 1. Spike already figured it out, the answer is a lot. (3/3) Elegance: The card is easy to understand and makes sense.
Development .:. (2/3) Viability: So far red has no such direct connection to historic, legendary, or even artifact spell triggers. As an enters the battlefield effect it would play alomst the same but would be a better fit for the color. As is I see it as bend. In the same standard as a or more 0 cost artifacts this would probably be bah-roken at uncommon. This can do so much on turn one, this feels more like a rare anyways. (1/3) Balance: I think this card is broken in Standard and is still very good in Modern. While probably being also good enough for Legacy or even Vintage. Getting a buff until end of turn would have been good enough I find.
Creativity .:. (1/3) Uniqueness: Very reminiscent of Monastery Swiftspear. (2/3) Flavor: The flavor here is difficult for me. On the one side a Soldier that went throug a lot, I think I get that. But also the text that's an alteration of the box-of-chocolate saying and kind of fourth wall breaking. Seems to be a bit on the goofy side of things.
Polish .:. (3/3) Quality: No flaws detected! (2/2) Main Challenge: Main challenge satisfied! (2/2) Subchallenges: Both subchallenges satisfied!
Total: 18/25
Lighthouse of Pabrian
Legendary Land (R) T: Add C to your mana pool. T, Pay 1 life: Add one mana of any color. Spend this mana only to cast historic spells, or activate abilities of historic permanents.
Design .:. (1/3) Appeal: Just mana land has its problems with being appealing to the classic psychographics. It plays probaby similar to Spire of Industry which is/was a staple in a top tier standard deck. So maybe this qualifies as a Spike card. (3/3) Elegance: The card is easy to understand and makes sense.
Development .:. (3/3) Viability: A legendary land that produces only one mana at a time, with restrictions, and no other abilities. There's one other card that's very much like this in Paliano, the High City. In a legend heavy set this could probably even be uncommon. (2/3) Balance: It fixes mana for artifacts (mostly colorless), legendaries (several of them) and sagas. Maybe too tame.
Creativity .:. (1/3) Uniqueness: Kind of City of Brass, kind of Spire of Industry, kind of Corrupted Crossroads. But legendary. (2/3) Flavor: I'd like to see more of Pabrian, places with lighthouses are nice.
Polish .:. (2/3) Quality: Huh, what is a mana pool? You mean like swimming in mana? Also, no comma when you only list two things, e.g. Crucible of the Spirit Dragon. (2/2) Main Challenge: Main challenge satisfied! (1/2) Subchallenges: Subchallenge 2 satisfied!
Total: 17/25
Academy Lorekeeper1UR
Creature - Human Wizard (R)
Prowess 1: Reveal the top card of your library. If it's a historic card, you may cast that card. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery. Don't interrupt her if you want to hear the story to the very end.
2/2
Design .:. (2/3) Appeal: This is a great tool for Johnny. The card advantage it can generate might be Spike worthy. (3/3) Elegance: The card is easy to understand and makes sense.
Development .:. (2,5/3) Viability: Looking at it I find it weird that historic is even in blue. The parts of the keyword care about artifacts, legendaries and a sub set of enchantments. Of those only artifacts belong to blue's slice of the pie. That Jhoira, Weatherlight Captain is red in addition to that was probably mostly to satisfy the edh crowd (yes, it worked on me). Besides her and Jimmy Groove's card there are no other red cards with historic so far. As this card is more about the lore I'd say it'd look better as X/green, just like Reki, the History of Kamigawa. If only green got any historic. Then X/white, the one color that has connections to all three aspects of historic. (2/3) Balance: The power level here seems tricky. Virtually drawing an extra card for 1 is strong, yes. But paying 1 and eventually just learn that the top card of the deck is something you can't use right now is sub optimal. A once-per-turn clause in addition to the timing restriction would have been ideal.
Creativity .:. (3/3) Uniqueness: Look at the top card of your deck like never before. This card is very unique. (3/3) Flavor: I'd love to sit beside her and listen to her stories.
Polish .:. (3/3) Quality: No flaws detected! (2/2) Main Challenge: Main challenge satisfied! (2/2) Subchallenges: Both subchallenges satisfied!
Total: 22,5/25
Might of the AgesG
Instant [C]
Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn for each historic permanent you control. (Artifacts, legendaries, and Sagas are historic.) Each blow falls with the weight of centuries.
Design .:. (1/3) Appeal: This has potential to be a nice Timmy card. (3/3) Elegance: The card is easy to understand and makes sense.
Development .:. (2/3) Viability: The pump seems fitting for green. So far historic did not appear in that color. Tied to a creature's power this might be possible in the future. (3/3) Balance: The whole card is very similar to Might of the Masses and thus appears to be appropriately balanced for a common.
Creativity .:. (0,5/3) Uniqueness: Basically identical to said existing card. A nice callback though. (3/3) Flavor: The flavor text is simple and effective.
Polish .:. (3/3) Quality: No flaws detected! (2/2) Main Challenge: Main challenge satisfied! (2/2) Subchallenges: Both subchallenges satisfied!
Thanks to all the judges. Round 2 will be posted in a few minutes.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
MCC - Winner (6): Oct 2014, Apr Nov 2017, Jan 2018, Apr Jun 2019 || Host (15): Dec 2014, Apr Jul Aug Dec 2015, Mar Jul Aug Oct 2016, Feb Jul 2017, Jun Nov 2018, Feb Jul 2019 (last one here) || Judge (34): every month from Nov 2014 to Nov 2016 except Oct 2015, every month from Feb to Jul 2017 except Apr 2017, then Oct 2017, May Jun Nov 2018, Feb Jul 2019 (last one here) CCL - Winner (3): Jul 2016 (tied with Flatline), May 2017, Jul 2019 (last one here) || Host (5): Feb 2015, Mar Apr May Jun 2016 DCC - Winner (1): Mar 2015 (tied with Piar) || Host (3): May Oct 2015, Jan 2016
• The two public custom sets I've been part a part of the design team for: "Brotherhood of Ormos" - Blog post with all info - set thread - design skeleton / card list || "Extinctia: Homo Evanuit" - Blog post with all info - set thread - card list spreadsheet
• "The Lion's Lair", my article series about MTG and custom card design in particular. Latest article here. Here is the article index.Rather outdated by now, and based on the old MCC rubric, but I'm leaving this here for anybody that might be interested anyway.
• My only public attempt at being a writer: the story of my Leonin custom planeswalker Jeff Lionheart. (I have a very big one that I'm working on right now but that's private for now, and I don't know if I will ever actually publish it, and I also have ideas for multiple future ones, including one where I'm going to reprise Jeff.)
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I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
Thanks. Brackets coming in a few minutes.
EDIT: And here they are.
BRACKETS
Top 4 from each bracket advance to round 2.
Judge: Antiantiserum
Clockwork Gamer
Freyleyes
Jimmy Groove
Mergatroid_Jones
Raptorchan
The_Hittite
Judge: bravelion83
Cardz5000
Gerrard's Mom
Hemlock
RaikouRider
Subject16
Trabant777
Judge: void_nothing
BlackWaltz3
DaAwesomeCheeto
Flatline
Forestsguy
netn10
StonerOfKruphix
Judging can begin right now. For now the judging deadline stays on Monday night. Should any judge need a time extension, please let me know as soon as possible.
Monday 6/11, 8 pm Italian time: I've just finished these, and I want to get these out now even though I've got no time to look for typos now (so I apologize if any are there) as I won't be able to access the site until tomorrow European afternoon at best because of real life work. I will probably check then if we have all judgments and if so post round 2.
Judgments complete, not final until deadline.
Dedicated Librarian WU
Creature - Human Advisor {U}
Historic spells you control can’t be countered. (Artifacts, legendaries, and Sagas are historic.)
Sacrifice Dedicated Librarian: Target historic permanent you control gains hexproof until end of turn.
"While history may repeat itself, I will not."
1/1
Design
(2/3) Appeal - Timmy likes "can't be countered", but there is not much more for him here. I don't see much for Johnny either, maybe he could use this in a recurring engine because of its free sacrifice ability, but it feels like a bit of a stretch to me. Spike likes this card very much as protection for her historic things.
(3/3) Elegance - No problems here.
Development
(1.5/3) Viability - There is nothing white here, so this should just have been a monoblue card. "Can't be countered" is tertiary in blue and white doesn't get it anyway (it's primarily green for creatures and red for one-shot spells). Hexproof on permanents is a blue and green ability, not white. White gives hexproof to players. Yes, Shalai, Voice of Plenty is a card from the latest main set that's white and that gives hexproof to permanents, but it also gives it to you, and that's what makes it white. And anyway, blue could just give hexproof to a historic permanent by itself. It also has no problems sacrificing creatures as a cost. Again, white could do that too, but blue has no problems doing it by itself. If I had really wanted to add white, I probably would have said "...gains hexproof and indestructible..." or some other white ability. I have no problems with this card at uncommon.
(2/3) Balance - This looks very playable in limited to protect your historic stuff from removal, but I don'r really see this in constructed. No problems in casual or multiplayer.
Creativity
(0.5/3) Uniqueness - Nothing really new here: a couple of effects we see almost every set just coupled with the historic mechanic.
(2/3) Flavor - The librarian flavor works very well with a card that interacts with historic things, but the name feels a bit generic to me. Also, while good in a vacuum, the "repeat history" part of the flavor text would feel better with a card that lets you recur historic things instead of giving them hexproof and uncounterability.
Polish
(3/3) Quality - All good.
(2/2) Main Challenge - Good.
(2/2) Subchallenges - Both met.
Total: 18/25
Necromancer's Obsession 3BB
Sorcery (R)
Create a 2/2 black Zombie creature token for each different name among historic cards in your graveyard. (Artifacts, legendaries, and Sagas are historic.)
"Ooh, I didn't think there were any intact specimens left from the Battle of Argoth!"
Design
(2.5/3) Appeal - Timmy dreams to flood the battlefield with Zombie tokens. Johnny has challenges in deckbuilding and trying to fill his graveyard with differently named historic things. Spike would probably like this to be a little stronger. She doesn't expect to get many tokens out of this realistically.
(2.5/3) Elegance - The ability might be a little harder to parse than it is to read at first glance, but no big problems here.
Development
(3/3) Viability - Everything is in color and rarity feels right.
(2/3) Balance - This looks like it poses an interesting deckbuilding question: how many different historic things can you fit into your deck while still also playing other non-historic things, such as, say, this sorcery? It will probably be easier to do in constructed rather than limited, and the larger the format is the better. I don't see you getting too many tokens out of this on average, but the potential for explosive turns is there and helps to justify the relatively high mana cost. As they say, better safe than sorry. I see no particular problems in casual or multiplayer.
Creativity
(2.5/3) Uniqueness - This has the "different name" mechanic which makes it feel new, but I'm honestly convinced the inspiration for this card came from GDS3, where the "different name" mechanic was proposed by a contestant (I don't remember who, I should check but now I don't have the time) in one episode (if I recall correctly, it was proposed in the tribal challenge for Rogues, again no time for checking now).
(2.5/3) Flavor - The flavor works fine, even if the card name feels a bit generic to me. The flavor text more than makes up for that though, even if I am left with the curiosity of knowing whether the necromancer in question is Liliana or someone else. I feel like an attribution for the flavor text would have helped make it work even better than it does.
Polish
(3/3) Quality - There are no precedents for checking different names among cards in graveyards, but your template looks realistic enough to me.
(2/2) Main Challenge - Good.
(2/2) Subchallenges - Both met.
Total: 22/25
Tharon, the Sceptic 1WW
Legendary Creature - Human Advisor (r)
You and permanents you control have hexproof from historic.
Activated abilities of historic permanents cost an additional 2 to play.
Fame can only be built from others.
2/4
Design
(2/3) Appeal - The first ability is something Timmy likes, but he would probably like it more on a bigger and/or evasive creature. I don't see much for Johnny here. Spike sees this as a sideboard card to use against historic decks.
(3/3) Elegance - No problems here.
Development
(3/3) Viability - Now, this is a white way to give hexproof to things (see Cardz5000's judgment). Taxing is also white. Rarity feels right.
(2/3) Balance - The stats are good for limited. In constructed, as I've already mentioned, I see this filling the role of sideboard card against historic decks. Nowadays, we see relatively often "failsafe cards" in sets to avoid the main set mechanics going out of control eventually. The last ability affecting all players, including you, might have interesting implications in multiplayer.
Creativity
(2.5/3) Uniqueness - Ok, "hexproof from historic" is new and feels like an original twist on both hexproof and historic. Yet, I'm not sure that line would exist if the "hexproof from color" variant weren't in Dominaria.
(2/3) Flavor - The overall flavor works well, but the flavor text doesn't feel to me like a perfect match for the mechanics. The name does though, a "sceptic" giving you "hexproof from historic" does feel like great flavor if not perfect.
Polish
(2/3) Quality - The second ability should say "...cost 2 more to activate" (the most recent example is Kopala, Warden of Waves but there are more, -0.5). I really feel like "hexproof from historic" would have reminder text if this card were printed for real, just like the two "hexproof from" cards from Dominaria (the mirrored pair of Knight of Grace and Knight of Malice, -0.5).
(2/2) Main Challenge - Good.
(1/2) Subchallenges - Not mythic, but the card is historic itself.
Total: 19.5/25
Erase from History 1WB
Instant {R}
Exile target historic permanent.
Design
(2.5/3) Appeal - This is clearly a Spike card, and it fits that role perfectly.
(3/3) Elegance - This must be one of the most elegant cards I've ever seen.
Development
(3/3) Viability - "Exile target permanent" ("destroy" too) is one of the few examples of effects that do not belong to any one single color in the color pie, and have to be done on gold cards, in this case white-black or black-green. Regular rare is the perfect rarity for this kind of effect.
(3/3) Balance - Compared to similar existing cards, the mana cost looks realistic. In a limited environment like Dominaria, you will always play this in limited if you can support its mana cost. I can easily see this in Standard too, especially if powerful historic decks exist in the format. There might be implications in larger formats too, after all Affinity is an all-historic deck that is competitive in Modern and that gets completely hosed by this card. No particular problems in multiplayer.
Creativity
(0.5/3) Uniqueness - This is just a twist on the classic Vindicate effect, nothing more.
(2/3) Flavor - This is perfect flavor even without flavor text. I imagine this card in the frame with centered rules text and it feels very good. I still would have liked even just a few words of flavor text though, and here there is plenty of room for it, I don't even have to check that on MSE.
Polish
(2.5/3) Quality - Reminder text for historic should be there, as it's not an evergreen mechanic (-0.5).
(2/2) Main Challenge - Good.
(2/2) Subchallenges - Both met.
Total: 20.5/25
Goblin Rummager 2R
Creature - Goblin Rogue (Common)
Art Depiction: A goblin scrapper, delving through a pile of old junk, casually tosses a Mox Pearl into the pile and gleefully reaches for a beetle underneath.
When Goblin Ransacker enters the battlefield, you may discard a card. If you do, draw a card. If a historic card is discarded this way, draw two cards instead.
York was delighted. Bluebeetles were highly prized by goblins and thallids alike. He was going to be rich.
2/2
Design
(2.5/3) Appeal - Not much for Timmy here. Johnny might use this to find combo pieces. Spike likes the potential for card advantage.
(3/3) Elegance - No big problems here. This card is probably more easily understandable as is than how it would have to be to work in the rules (to avoid the word "instead", see Quality).
Development
(1/3) Viability - Red is not supposed to go up on cards with its rummaging effects, so this is a slight bend (you're up one card with the historic rider). I think this is still acceptable as there is a real restriction to get card advantage, even though this would certainly be redflagged at common because of that. A set still gets to have a small percentage of redflagged commons (last I knew, this was 20%), but the safe solution would just be to move this to uncommon. As a contrast, Keldon Raider can never get you card advantage by itself, and in fact that's a common.
(2/3) Balance - This looks certainly playable in limited, but I don't really see this in constructed outside of historic decks, which don't really play red (see all the white-blue historic decks we've seen in Dominaria Standard). Everything on this card is about you, so I see no particular problems in multiplayer.
Creativity
(0.5/3) Uniqueness - Just a twist on the rummaging effect we see almost every set today.
(2.5/3) Flavor - Both Goblin Rummager and Goblin Ransacker work flavorfully here as this card's name, you just have to choose one (I suggest the latter as Rummaging Goblin already exists). The flavor text is very good, but I feel that it would work on almost every creature card that depicts a goblin and that has a rummaging-like ability, were it not for the mention of thallids that firmly places this on Dominaria, home of the historic mechanic. My brain also parsed York as the city name at first, so a different name might be better for this goblin, but these are all just small details and I could see this flavor text printed for real. It doesn't impact the score as it's not required in the MCC, but I just want to say a quick word about your art description, which is hilarious and I really like. The fact that this goblin is throwing away a Mox to get a beetle really works both with the flavor text and with the typical goblin humor we can find everywhere in Magic.
Polish
(1/3) Quality - If you want to add an art description to your text card, which is actually not advised in the MCC (you should not post any additional design notes with your submission, your card is supposed to speak for itself), at least separate it from the rules text in some way, or even better, put it after the end of card in its own paragraph. As is, at first my brain parsed it as the first line of rules text. I'm not deducting points for this now, but keep it as advice for future rounds should you advance. What I am deducting points for, instead, is the fact that the creature is called differently in the card name and in the rules text: the Rummager becomes a Ransacker. Probably just a leftover from a name change, but it makes the card unprintable as is (-1). Also, the word "instead" identifies a replacement effect, which this is not (this is a triggered ability, as it begins with "when"). While the intent is clear, a wording that doesn't use the word instead is necessary, for example "If a historic card is discarded this way, draw an additional card." (-0.5). While not the same exact thing (a static ability instead of a trigger ability, but still not a replacement effect so the same reasoning still applies), compare the original printing of the shocklands from Ravnica block (example: Stomping Ground from Guildpact), that wrongfully includes "instead", with the one from RTR block (example: Stomping Ground from Gatecrash), where the word "instead" has been correctly taken off. By the way, we might have a new example of that next fall... Finally, reminder text for historic should be there, as it's not an evergreen mechanic (-0.5).
(2/2) Main Challenge - Good.
(2/2) Subchallenges - Both met.
Total: 16.5/25
Curse of Ignorance2WU
Enchantment - Aura Curse (R)
Flash
Enchant player
When ~ enters the battlefield exile all historic spells from the stack.
Enchanted player can't cast historic spells.
Those who don't remember their history are doomed to repeat it.
Design
(2/3) Appeal - I don't see Timmy caring too much about this card. Johnny might use this for protection, but it feels a bit of a stretch to me. Spike definitely likes this.
(1/3) Elegance - While the text is not too long and easy enough to understand, mentioning the stack is a big problem here. It's a well known fact that it causes all kinds of confusion for new and less experienced players, and in fact it's something we haven't seen in a decade in real Magic. The last time was in Time Spiral block (pun unintended) with split second. It's something that they actively try to avoid these days.
Development
(3/3) Viability - Flash and exiling spells from the stack are blue and the last ability is white, so no problems with the color pie. Rarity also feels right.
(2/3) Balance - Just like Hemlock's submission, I see this card as a sideboard card against historic decks. You will not play this in an environment where historic decks are not abundant. As I've already noted, that might be relatively important in larger formats: Affinity decks are historic decks. Choosing who to enchant will have interesting multiplayer implications.
Creativity
(1/3) Uniqueness - These are all effects we've seen before, just not together, in their historic variation. Despite exiling creatures instead of spells on the stack, the overall feeling of this card is a bit too similar to Ixalan's Binding to me.
(2.5/3) Flavor - The flavor text might be better on a card that makes you recur historic spells in some way (with the bit about "repeating it") rather than one that erases all present and future ones. The overall flavor of this card is still very good, but maybe something about rewriting or erasing history would have worked even better as flavor text. I like that you followed the conventional pattern for a Curse in the name, and ignorance feels like a great concept for this particular card.
Polish
(0.5/3) Quality - A space is missing between the card name and mana cost (yes, I saw that, -0.5). In the MCC, you're supposed to write out the rules text exactly as it would be printed if the card were real. So, the use of ~ or CARDNAME is not accepted. Just write out the full card name (-1). The "from the stack" part is superfluous ("spells" only exist on the stack, they are called "permanents" on the battlefield and just "cards" everywhere else) and should not be there (-0.5). For example, Summary Dismissal doesn't say "Exile all other spells from the stack..." but just "Exile all other spells". Finally, reminder text for historic should be there, as it's not an evergreen mechanic (-0.5).
(2/2) Main Challenge - Good.
(2/2) Subchallenges - Both met.
Total: 16/25
Gerrard's Mom: 22
RaikouRider: 20.5
Hemlock: 19.5
Cardz5000: 18
Subject16: 16.5
Trabant777: 16
MCC - Winner (6): Oct 2014, Apr Nov 2017, Jan 2018, Apr Jun 2019 || Host (15): Dec 2014, Apr Jul Aug Dec 2015, Mar Jul Aug Oct 2016, Feb Jul 2017, Jun Nov 2018, Feb Jul 2019 (last one here) || Judge (34): every month from Nov 2014 to Nov 2016 except Oct 2015, every month from Feb to Jul 2017 except Apr 2017, then Oct 2017, May Jun Nov 2018, Feb Jul 2019 (last one here)
CCL - Winner (3): Jul 2016 (tied with Flatline), May 2017, Jul 2019 (last one here) || Host (5): Feb 2015, Mar Apr May Jun 2016
DCC - Winner (1): Mar 2015 (tied with Piar) || Host (3): May Oct 2015, Jan 2016
• The two public custom sets I've been part a part of the design team for:
"Brotherhood of Ormos" - Blog post with all info - set thread - design skeleton / card list || "Extinctia: Homo Evanuit" - Blog post with all info - set thread - card list spreadsheet
• "The Lion's Lair", my article series about MTG and custom card design in particular. Latest article here. Here is the article index. Rather outdated by now, and based on the old MCC rubric, but I'm leaving this here for anybody that might be interested anyway.
• My only public attempt at being a writer: the story of my Leonin custom planeswalker Jeff Lionheart. (I have a very big one that I'm working on right now but that's private for now, and I don't know if I will ever actually publish it, and I also have ideas for multiple future ones, including one where I'm going to reprise Jeff.)
(2/3) Appeal: Timmy's definitely somewhat into potential free spells. Johnny is all about abuseable triggered abilities and cost reductions. Spike sees something that can be upgraded into a Mycosynth Golem-plus, but that's really fragile until then and that can't be done in one turn unless you already have a game-winning combo ready.
(1/3) Elegance: Level up is already a strike against elegance, but turning it into a triggered ability and then making you constantly track your historics for the final ability is over the top, especially at uncommon.
Development -
(1.5/3) Viability: Artifact is obviously okay but this is the sort of thing that should definitely be a rare. Level up in a presumably Dominarian context is bizarre - I know the challenge didn't specify that the card had to be flavorfully from Dominarian, but there are definitely flavor cues that place it in that particular set.
(1/3) Balance: Not inherently broken, but begs for abuse with 0 artifacts and legendary lands. If this is meant to level itself up just by entering the battlefield - which as worded it does - then it's doubly absurd.
Creativity -
(2.5/3) Uniqueness: As said, the precedent is Mycosynth Golem.
(2/3) Flavor: The name strongly suggests an Artificer rather than an artifact creature.
Polish -
(1/3) Quality: Level up is an activated ability, not a keyword action; if you want to use a triggered ability in this context you have to spell out "Put a level counter on this." Missing a period at the end of the first ability. Historic spells you cast, not permanents - there's no such thing as a permanent anywhere but the battlefield.
(2/2) *Main Challenge: Fulfilled.
(1/2) Subchallenges: Is historic.
Total: 14/25
(1/3) Appeal: Timmy likes being able to tutor out his big threats but shies away from a card that's so expensive but has no board impact. Johnny might see an odd use. Spike turns away from such oppressive costs.
(3/3) Elegance: Solidly elegant.
Development -
(2.5/3) Viability: Rare is correct. Feels a bit more black than it does blue for a number of reasons, although not flavorwise. (Would be called Belzenlok's Archive or similar as a black card.)
(2/3) Balance: Any card that requires nine mana and a sacrifice to do anything had better be pretty impactful; this card just provides one restricted tutor for that cost. A severely underpowered junk rare.
Creativity -
(1.5/3) Uniqueness: Basically a Survival of the Fittest variant... a very bad one, in point of fact.
(3/3) Flavor: The high point of this card.
Polish -
(2/3) Quality: Missing the reveal clause. Random unnecessary line break before the flavor text.
(2/2) *Main Challenge: Done.
(2/2) Subchallenges: Done.
Total: 19/25
(1/3) Appeal: Timmy might like this for Commander toolboxing but usually turns up his nose at such inefficient stats for cost. Johnny has better ways to save combos. Spike doesn't care 99% of the time when there's Selfless Spirit.
(3/3) Elegance: Elegant! What a concept.
Development -
(3/3) Viability: Colors and rarity are right.
(3/3) Balance: Fine Limited fodder. Nothing to complain about here.
Creativity -
(0.5/3) Uniqueness: Mass indestructible has tons of precedent.
(2/3) Flavor: Generic, but gets the job done.
Polish -
(3/3) Quality: Fine.
(2/2) *Main Challenge: Done.
(2/2) Subchallenges: And done.
Total: 21.5/25
(2/3) Appeal: Timmy likes a big beater that's also the final answer versus opposing legends. Johnny is semi-interested but ultimately there's not that much to abuse here despite all the moving parts. Spike likes a threat that's also removal but the restrictive mana costs turns him off a little.
(2/3) Elegance: The whole exile-one-thing-temporarily, exile-all-the-others-forever is confusingly inelegant. The bonus for exiling a bunch of historic cards - a somewhat busywork-ish thing to have to count in its own right - is disappointingly small.
Development -
(2.5/3) Viability: Colors and rarity are right. This is a white card mechanically (Chinese-menu multicolor) but not at all flavorfully.
(3/3) Balance: Does a lot, but pretty expensive. I would not worry at all about this card's power level.
Creativity -
(3/3) Uniqueness: Highly unique. Only precedent I can think of is Detention Sphere and Warden of the Beyond's strange baby.
(2.5/3) Flavor: Name is generic. Great, ironic flavor text.
Polish -
(2.5/3) Quality: Superfluous comma in the first part of the ETB triggered ability, missing Oxford comma in the second.
(2/2) *Main Challenge: Good.
(2/2) Subchallenges: Done.
Total: 21.5/25
(3/3) Appeal: Timmy loves how a one-mana card can make such big plays. Johnny would want to do dumb things with legendary sorceries. Spike loves the sheer efficiency.
(3/3) Elegance: Very!
Development -
(3/3) Viability: Color and rarity both feel right.
(1.5/3) Balance: I seriously question whether costing this card at one mana would make it strong or outright OP. It would need heavy testing.
Creativity -
(1.5/3) Uniqueness: Some obvious precedents, but overall somewhat unique.
(3/3) Flavor: Great.
Polish -
(2/3) Quality: No space before the attribution of the flavor text, and it's "historian."
(2/2) *Main Challenge: Done.
(2/2) Subchallenges: Done.
Total: 21/25
(3/3) Appeal: This is an all-rounder - Timmy wants to tutor his legendaries directly to the battlefield, Johnny wants to be able to get combo pieces, Spike wants an auto-finisher(tm) that also makes sure his threat doesn't get spot-removed.
(2.5/3) Elegance: Slightly wordy ETB ability; overall elegant.
Development -
(3/3) Viability: Colors and rarity look good.
(3/3) Balance: Strong but expensive to use. Okay.
Creativity -
(1/3) Uniqueness: In a phrase I'd never thought I'd type, this is basically Sterling Grove plus Wargate.
(2.5/3) Flavor: Generic, but it serves.
Polish -
(3/3) Quality: Looks good.
(2/2) *Main Challenge: Done.
(2/2) Subchallenges: Done.
Total: 22/25
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
The Hall of Champions
Plane - Kylem
Whenever a historic permanent would leave the battlefield, instead exile it.
Whenever you roll [Chaos], create a token that's a copy of a permanent exiled with The Hall of Champions.
When you planeswalk away from The Hall of Champions, return to the battlefield all cards exiled with it under their owner's control.
Design .:.
(2/3) Appeal: Planechase is a multiplayer format, an aspect Timmy appreciates. The card itself enables a lot of chaotic shenanigans. Entering the battlefield and leaving it will be Johnny's goal.
(2,5/3) Elegance: The card is a nice addition to the planechase game and easy to understand. But I think there should be a friendly reminder text for the historic keyword. Planechase is probably the most chaotic offical way to play magic. It includes effects from a lot of sets, remembering all those abilities is not that easy.
Development .:.
(3/3) Viability: This entry might be unusual but what it does it does good. I can imagine a plane like this to be included in the next installment of planechase (if it ever comes . . .).
(3/3) Balance: It's difficult to talk about balance when you talk planes. Power levels of individual planes are all over the place. What makes all those effects even remotely possible to be printed on cards is the randomnes of this game variant. Maybe you can build a deck that's good with a plane or even some of them. But you will not be able to use all of the places and events to your full advantage. The Hall of Champions can very strong if you build around it, but it's open enough that any player should be able to get some neat advantage off of it.
Creativity .:.
(3/3) Uniqueness: Seeing cool new planes is always nice. A plane like has yet to be printed.
(3/3) Flavor: That there's a hall on Kylem where the most famous of the champions would be eternalized I can imagine. The card plays around with that idea in a nice way.
Polish .:.
(1/3) Quality: The first ability is a replacement effect and thus can't start with "whenever". The correct wording is "If a historic permanent would leave the battlefield, exile it instead of putting it anywhere else.", e.g. Nephalia Academy. The word permanent in the token ability is not needed, e.g. Caller of the Untamed. The walk away ability should come before the chaos effect. Also the proper wording would be ", return all cards exiled with it to the battlefield under their owners’ control.", e.g. Helvault.
(2/2) Main Challenge: Main challenge satisfied!
(2/2) Subchallenges: Both subchallenges satisfied!
Total: 21,5/25
Creature - Human Soldier {R}
As long as you control a white historic creature, Inspired Cadet gets +2/+1 and has indestructible.
With all hope lost, one warrior raised her sword and shouted, as a paragon of hope. “Our bodies might break, but our will won’t waiver!”
1/1
Design .:.
(2/3) Appeal: In the right environment this one-drop might impress a Timmy. It certainly is strong enough for a Spike.
(3/3) Elegance: The card is easy to understand and makes sense.
Development .:.
(3/3) Viability: Both rarity and color are right on this card. We have seen similar in Toolcraft Exemplar.
(3/3) Balance: It certainly is a strong card. Compared to the Exemplar it only needs one other card to be fully online. Needing a white historic card though limits the number of cards that work well with it on a competitive level.
Creativity .:.
(1/3) Uniqueness: The cadet is a nice historic sister of our Exemplar.
(3/3) Flavor: Even I feel inspired by that flavor. The alliterative quote reads really nice.
Polish .:.
(3/3) Quality: No flaws detected!
(2/2) Main Challenge: Main challenge satisfied!
(2/2) Subchallenges: Both subchallenges satisfied!
Total: 22/25
Creature - Human Soldier (U)
Haste
Whenever you cast a historic spell, put a +1/+1 counter on Witness to History.
"Life is like a box of cards; you never know what you are going to get."
1/1
Design .:.
(2/3) Appeal: Johnny wants to know how much counters they can put on this card on turn 1. Spike already figured it out, the answer is a lot.
(3/3) Elegance: The card is easy to understand and makes sense.
Development .:.
(2/3) Viability: So far red has no such direct connection to historic, legendary, or even artifact spell triggers. As an enters the battlefield effect it would play alomst the same but would be a better fit for the color. As is I see it as bend. In the same standard as a or more 0 cost artifacts this would probably be bah-roken at uncommon. This can do so much on turn one, this feels more like a rare anyways.
(1/3) Balance: I think this card is broken in Standard and is still very good in Modern. While probably being also good enough for Legacy or even Vintage. Getting a buff until end of turn would have been good enough I find.
Creativity .:.
(1/3) Uniqueness: Very reminiscent of Monastery Swiftspear.
(2/3) Flavor: The flavor here is difficult for me. On the one side a Soldier that went throug a lot, I think I get that. But also the text that's an alteration of the box-of-chocolate saying and kind of fourth wall breaking. Seems to be a bit on the goofy side of things.
Polish .:.
(3/3) Quality: No flaws detected!
(2/2) Main Challenge: Main challenge satisfied!
(2/2) Subchallenges: Both subchallenges satisfied!
Total: 18/25
Legendary Land (R)
T: Add C to your mana pool.
T, Pay 1 life: Add one mana of any color. Spend this mana only to cast historic spells, or activate abilities of historic permanents.
Design .:.
(1/3) Appeal: Just mana land has its problems with being appealing to the classic psychographics. It plays probaby similar to Spire of Industry which is/was a staple in a top tier standard deck. So maybe this qualifies as a Spike card.
(3/3) Elegance: The card is easy to understand and makes sense.
Development .:.
(3/3) Viability: A legendary land that produces only one mana at a time, with restrictions, and no other abilities. There's one other card that's very much like this in Paliano, the High City. In a legend heavy set this could probably even be uncommon.
(2/3) Balance: It fixes mana for artifacts (mostly colorless), legendaries (several of them) and sagas. Maybe too tame.
Creativity .:.
(1/3) Uniqueness: Kind of City of Brass, kind of Spire of Industry, kind of Corrupted Crossroads. But legendary.
(2/3) Flavor: I'd like to see more of Pabrian, places with lighthouses are nice.
Polish .:.
(2/3) Quality: Huh, what is a mana pool? You mean like swimming in mana? Also, no comma when you only list two things, e.g. Crucible of the Spirit Dragon.
(2/2) Main Challenge: Main challenge satisfied!
(1/2) Subchallenges: Subchallenge 2 satisfied!
Total: 17/25
Creature - Human Wizard (R)
Prowess
1: Reveal the top card of your library. If it's a historic card, you may cast that card. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.
Don't interrupt her if you want to hear the story to the very end.
2/2
Design .:.
(2/3) Appeal: This is a great tool for Johnny. The card advantage it can generate might be Spike worthy.
(3/3) Elegance: The card is easy to understand and makes sense.
Development .:.
(2,5/3) Viability: Looking at it I find it weird that historic is even in blue. The parts of the keyword care about artifacts, legendaries and a sub set of enchantments. Of those only artifacts belong to blue's slice of the pie. That Jhoira, Weatherlight Captain is red in addition to that was probably mostly to satisfy the edh crowd (yes, it worked on me). Besides her and Jimmy Groove's card there are no other red cards with historic so far. As this card is more about the lore I'd say it'd look better as X/green, just like Reki, the History of Kamigawa. If only green got any historic. Then X/white, the one color that has connections to all three aspects of historic.
(2/3) Balance: The power level here seems tricky. Virtually drawing an extra card for 1 is strong, yes. But paying 1 and eventually just learn that the top card of the deck is something you can't use right now is sub optimal. A once-per-turn clause in addition to the timing restriction would have been ideal.
Creativity .:.
(3/3) Uniqueness: Look at the top card of your deck like never before. This card is very unique.
(3/3) Flavor: I'd love to sit beside her and listen to her stories.
Polish .:.
(3/3) Quality: No flaws detected!
(2/2) Main Challenge: Main challenge satisfied!
(2/2) Subchallenges: Both subchallenges satisfied!
Total: 22,5/25
Instant [C]
Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn for each historic permanent you control. (Artifacts, legendaries, and Sagas are historic.)
Each blow falls with the weight of centuries.
Design .:.
(1/3) Appeal: This has potential to be a nice Timmy card.
(3/3) Elegance: The card is easy to understand and makes sense.
Development .:.
(2/3) Viability: The pump seems fitting for green. So far historic did not appear in that color. Tied to a creature's power this might be possible in the future.
(3/3) Balance: The whole card is very similar to Might of the Masses and thus appears to be appropriately balanced for a common.
Creativity .:.
(0,5/3) Uniqueness: Basically identical to said existing card. A nice callback though.
(3/3) Flavor: The flavor text is simple and effective.
Polish .:.
(3/3) Quality: No flaws detected!
(2/2) Main Challenge: Main challenge satisfied!
(2/2) Subchallenges: Both subchallenges satisfied!
Total: 19,5/25
Freyleyes 22,0
Clockwork Gamer 21,5
The_Hittie 19,5
Jimmy Groove 18,0
Mergatroid_Jones 17,0
MCC - Winner (6): Oct 2014, Apr Nov 2017, Jan 2018, Apr Jun 2019 || Host (15): Dec 2014, Apr Jul Aug Dec 2015, Mar Jul Aug Oct 2016, Feb Jul 2017, Jun Nov 2018, Feb Jul 2019 (last one here) || Judge (34): every month from Nov 2014 to Nov 2016 except Oct 2015, every month from Feb to Jul 2017 except Apr 2017, then Oct 2017, May Jun Nov 2018, Feb Jul 2019 (last one here)
CCL - Winner (3): Jul 2016 (tied with Flatline), May 2017, Jul 2019 (last one here) || Host (5): Feb 2015, Mar Apr May Jun 2016
DCC - Winner (1): Mar 2015 (tied with Piar) || Host (3): May Oct 2015, Jan 2016
• The two public custom sets I've been part a part of the design team for:
"Brotherhood of Ormos" - Blog post with all info - set thread - design skeleton / card list || "Extinctia: Homo Evanuit" - Blog post with all info - set thread - card list spreadsheet
• "The Lion's Lair", my article series about MTG and custom card design in particular. Latest article here. Here is the article index. Rather outdated by now, and based on the old MCC rubric, but I'm leaving this here for anybody that might be interested anyway.
• My only public attempt at being a writer: the story of my Leonin custom planeswalker Jeff Lionheart. (I have a very big one that I'm working on right now but that's private for now, and I don't know if I will ever actually publish it, and I also have ideas for multiple future ones, including one where I'm going to reprise Jeff.)