With your newfound partner, you find your way through the rubble in the plaza surrounding the square tower at the heart of the Lost Temple of Azulta. Each side is hundreds of paces across, but an arched entry in the center marks a clear way forward. Just then, you catch sight of another team of adventurers to your right. There is an echoing shout, and you realize that someone is closing in on the left as well. It's a race to the finish!
Each team takes their own door, and has to move quickly to make it to the top of the tower first. But the Lost Temple of Azulta is not ready to give up its treasures so easily. A few bones and rusted equipment show that the ancient magics here have brought an end to the journey of other adventurers before you. Who knows what other obstacles you will have to overcome in your race to the top?
Challenge
Create two mythic rare cards. Card 1 must have either the Trap or Curse subtype. Card 2 must have the Wall subtype or create a unique token.
By unique token, I mean one that has never been created by another card. Copy tokens would not count.
As long as the combination is unique, individual aspects don't have to be - you could have 4/1 red Goblin, a 1/1 blue Goblin, a 1/1 red Slith, a 1/1 red Goblin with phasing, or a legendary 1/1 red Goblin named Young Squee, all of those are fine for this challenge.
This round is open to the following players:
Cardz5000
willows
Hemlock
Raptorchan
Your submissions are due Friday, June 22nd, 23:59 PST.
Your judgments are due Sunday, June 24th, 23:59 PST.
Schedule
• Round 1 — Open to Everyone (May 31st-June 5th)
• Round 2 — Open to Everyone (June 5th-10th)
• Rounds 1 and 2 Critiques (Due June 13th)
• Top 8 — Open to top 8 finishers (June 13th-16th)
• Top 8 Critiques (Due June 19th)
• Top 4 — Open to top 4 finishers from last round (June 19th-22nd)
• Top 4 Critiques (Due June 24th)
• Final (End of month, winner determined by public poll)
Foe Trap(2/W)(2/U)(2/B)(2/R)(2/G)
Instant - Trap (M)
If an opponent controls a planeswalker, you may pay 5 rather than pay Foe Trap's mana cost.
Search your library for a planeswalker card and put it onto the battlefield. Then shuffle your library. Until end of turn, you may activate loyalty abilities of that planeswalker any time you could cast an instant. An enemy plans a date much more carefully than any lover.
Sudden Portcullis2U
Instant (M)
Split second (As long as this spell is on the stack, players can't cast spells or activate abilities that aren't mana abilities.)
For each creature attacking you or a planeswalker you control, create a 1/3 colorless Wall artifact creature token with defender.
Ego Nullification3BGU
Enchantment - Aura Curse {M}
Enchant player
At the beginning of enchanted player’s end step, exile each face-up creature that player controls, then they manifest those cards. (To manifest a card, put it onto the battlefield face down as a 2/2 creature. Turn it face up any time for its mana cost if it’s a creature card.)
Mimetic Membrane1UU
Creature - Illusion Wall {M}
Defender
Whenever Mimetic Membrane blocks or becomes the target of a spell or ability, create a token that is a copy of it.
0/2
Sunforger Trap5RRWW
Instant - Trap (m)
If the total power of creatures an opponent controls is equal or greater than your life total, you may pay RW and unattach an equipment you control from a creature you control rather than pay Sunforger Trap's mana cost.
Search your library for up to three white and/or red instant cards with converted mana cost 4 or less and cast them without paying their mana cost.
Altar of SerraWWWW
Legendary Creature - Wall (m)
Defender
Whenever you cast a white spell, put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control for each white mana symbol in that spell's mana cost.
All damage that would be dealt to you or to permanents you control is dealt to Altar of Serra instead.
0/8
Obviously the schedule is a bit loose this month, but we need one more from Cardz and a submission from willows. If we don't get those in the next day, we'll have to move on.
Fairy Banquet Trap [mana]4UU[/mana
Instant — Trap (M)
If an opponent put a +1/+1 counter on a creature this turn, you may pay U rather than pay this spell's mana cost.
Exile any number of target creatures. For each creature exiled this way, its controller creates a 2/2 green Boar creature token.
Mirror Aegis 2W
Creature — Spirit Wall (R)
Defender
If a creature would deal damage to Mirror Aegis, that creature deals it to its controller instead. WW: Target attacking creature becomes blocked by Mirror Aegis.
0/4
Raptorchan:
Foe trap- While I get the general idea for the cost, I don't understand why this is not just a white-white/X spell. Caring about planeswalkers is a white thing and even the trap clause feels very white in its "balancing" philosophy. That said, I think that what makes the big difference here is the chance of playing the ability as an instant, both as a mean to use dramatic minus ability (New Rowan Kenrith's and Ugin, the spirit dragon's come to mind) and ass a means to accelerate yoir ultis, and that might add a second color to it. I can see this as a mythic very well.
Sudden Portcullis: I tjink that if I opened this as my mythic I will feel quite disspappointed. The effect has its share of power but it's not why I'd expect as a mythic and even as a rare is not exciting.
Cardz5000:
Ego nullification: This is at least intriguing. Chile quite annoying as a curse, the factura that You might find a way yo exploit it yourself adds a Lot to the charm.
Mimetic Membrane: Again, I feel This is a bit underwhelming as a mythic. Stiller, This Holds the charm of potencial exploitation!
Willows: Mass swine, pretty Strong for Blue. I like that springing on a +1/+1 counter feels quite anti-green, as blue should be.
Mirror Aegis: This was supposed to be a rare, but of all second cards, this is what I feel the closest to mythic.
sorry all for my terrible midnight card formatting
Raptorchan
This is a weird Trap. If you look at the Traps that exist, the generalization is that they all get their cost reduction from a thing happening, either "if (restriction) creature(s) is/are attacking" or "if (an event happened) this turn."
So on that basis I think this could be improved if its cost restriction were "If a planeswalker etb under an opponent's control this turn." As-written the card doesn't fit the present mechanical identity of traps or the flavor identity (something bad happens to you if you make a misstep.)
I don't know why this other card needs split second. At the cost it has, it might be oppressive, since it destroys low-toughness hordes and also sets up multiple-turn stalls for low-power attackers.
Cardz5000
Ego Nullification is weird as heck! I wonder if it's problematic that it becomes a powerful tool in decks using Echo Tracer, Voidmage Apprentice or Fathom Seer, or if that's a cool Johnny tool waiting to be discovered. At 6 mana though, how are you getting it onto the table?
Mimetic Membrane has a really funny take on the Illusion ability. Well done.
Hemlock
Going to say again what I said to Raptorchan—I think Trap triggers should strictly be events. This is a wonderful dramatic moment in a card, apart from that.
I don't like the chroma in Altar of Serra's mechanic, but it's pretty rad overall.
Foe Trap - names is generic enough that it doesn't make me think 'this cares about planeswalkers' and I'm not a fine of the five color casting costs. I also dislike that if I already have my planeswalker out and my opponent then draws this on a later turn, somehow I triggered a trap that they hadn't set yet.
Sudden Portcullis - This feels oppressive and like the effect should be white.
Hemlock
Sunforger Trap - This callback feels weird as a trap, and makes the equipment clause awkward. This kinda feels more like a fateful hour type card than a trap.
Altar of Serra - This has a hidden grandeur ability which is kinda cool, the damage redirection makes this hard to keep around, but player's will love trying to figure out the best way to make this indestructible.
willows
Fairy Banquet Trap I feel like the cost reduction on this might be too steep, but I love the flavor of this.
Mirror Aegis - I don't know why you marked this a rare instead of mythic, and I don't think this particularly makes sense as a spirit. The activated ability seems really fun for multiplayer games!
Sunforger Trap is weird - sure this name works just fine if you want to understand how it works mechanically but what makes sunforger is a trap? All I can see while thinking about hammer trap is a cartoonish scene like something from Tom&Jrry and such. Practically unplayable if you want to hardcast it, can be a savior for trap cost.
Altar of Serra would have been fair card if only +1/+1 counter was placed, otherwise it looks oppressive on Vigor levels, maybe more.
Good news: Fairy Banquet Trap looks like almost fair card and the trap activation is great flavorfully so nothing to dislike here. Bad news: Mirror Aegis is a disaster on so many levels so I don't know where to start. Probably one of those mythics I would rather flip a table than play against in Limited.
Ego Nullification works two ways which is interesting - you can enchant yourself to make your face-down combos if necessary. Unexplored space for Curses and definetely worth mythic slot. Name is not great but I guess the lack of "Curse" in the name is acceptable after Amonkhet.
Mimetic Membrane looks like a card that Wizards usually print as mythic for Limited purposes though I can see it as a rare. Nice small card, almost safe outside of some degenerative 0 combos, great job here.
Looks like there was universal agreement on the ordering of the submissions this round. Congrats Cardz5000 and willows for moving on to the finals.
I'll try to get the last round up tonight if I can but it might take until tomorrow.
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Welcome to the Card Creation League!
Theme
With your newfound partner, you find your way through the rubble in the plaza surrounding the square tower at the heart of the Lost Temple of Azulta. Each side is hundreds of paces across, but an arched entry in the center marks a clear way forward. Just then, you catch sight of another team of adventurers to your right. There is an echoing shout, and you realize that someone is closing in on the left as well. It's a race to the finish!
Each team takes their own door, and has to move quickly to make it to the top of the tower first. But the Lost Temple of Azulta is not ready to give up its treasures so easily. A few bones and rusted equipment show that the ancient magics here have brought an end to the journey of other adventurers before you. Who knows what other obstacles you will have to overcome in your race to the top?
Challenge
This round is open to the following players:
Cardz5000
willows
Hemlock
Raptorchan
Your judgments are due Sunday, June 24th, 23:59 PST.
Schedule
• Round 1 — Open to Everyone (May 31st-June 5th)
• Round 2 — Open to Everyone (June 5th-10th)
• Rounds 1 and 2 Critiques (Due June 13th)
• Top 8 — Open to top 8 finishers (June 13th-16th)
• Top 8 Critiques (Due June 19th)
• Top 4 — Open to top 4 finishers from last round (June 19th-22nd)
• Top 4 Critiques (Due June 24th)
• Final (End of month, winner determined by public poll)
Instant - Trap (M)
If an opponent controls a planeswalker, you may pay 5 rather than pay Foe Trap's mana cost.
Search your library for a planeswalker card and put it onto the battlefield. Then shuffle your library. Until end of turn, you may activate loyalty abilities of that planeswalker any time you could cast an instant.
An enemy plans a date much more carefully than any lover.
Sudden Portcullis 2U
Instant (M)
Split second (As long as this spell is on the stack, players can't cast spells or activate abilities that aren't mana abilities.)
For each creature attacking you or a planeswalker you control, create a 1/3 colorless Wall artifact creature token with defender.
Enchantment - Aura Curse {M}
Enchant player
At the beginning of enchanted player’s end step, exile each face-up creature that player controls, then they manifest those cards. (To manifest a card, put it onto the battlefield face down as a 2/2 creature. Turn it face up any time for its mana cost if it’s a creature card.)
Mimetic Membrane 1UU
Creature - Illusion Wall {M}
Defender
Whenever Mimetic Membrane blocks or becomes the target of a spell or ability, create a token that is a copy of it.
0/2
Instant - Trap (m)
If the total power of creatures an opponent controls is equal or greater than your life total, you may pay RW and unattach an equipment you control from a creature you control rather than pay Sunforger Trap's mana cost.
Search your library for up to three white and/or red instant cards with converted mana cost 4 or less and cast them without paying their mana cost.
Altar of Serra WWWW
Legendary Creature - Wall (m)
Defender
Whenever you cast a white spell, put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control for each white mana symbol in that spell's mana cost.
All damage that would be dealt to you or to permanents you control is dealt to Altar of Serra instead.
0/8
Instant — Trap (M)
If an opponent put a +1/+1 counter on a creature this turn, you may pay U rather than pay this spell's mana cost.
Exile any number of target creatures. For each creature exiled this way, its controller creates a 2/2 green Boar creature token.
Mirror Aegis 2W
Creature — Spirit Wall (R)
Defender
If a creature would deal damage to Mirror Aegis, that creature deals it to its controller instead.
WW: Target attacking creature becomes blocked by Mirror Aegis.
0/4
Please start critiques and give a Top 3 for the other players.
Raptorchan:
Foe trap- While I get the general idea for the cost, I don't understand why this is not just a white-white/X spell. Caring about planeswalkers is a white thing and even the trap clause feels very white in its "balancing" philosophy. That said, I think that what makes the big difference here is the chance of playing the ability as an instant, both as a mean to use dramatic minus ability (New Rowan Kenrith's and Ugin, the spirit dragon's come to mind) and ass a means to accelerate yoir ultis, and that might add a second color to it. I can see this as a mythic very well.
Sudden Portcullis: I tjink that if I opened this as my mythic I will feel quite disspappointed. The effect has its share of power but it's not why I'd expect as a mythic and even as a rare is not exciting.
Cardz5000:
Ego nullification: This is at least intriguing. Chile quite annoying as a curse, the factura that You might find a way yo exploit it yourself adds a Lot to the charm.
Mimetic Membrane: Again, I feel This is a bit underwhelming as a mythic. Stiller, This Holds the charm of potencial exploitation!
Willows: Mass swine, pretty Strong for Blue. I like that springing on a +1/+1 counter feels quite anti-green, as blue should be.
Mirror Aegis: This was supposed to be a rare, but of all second cards, this is what I feel the closest to mythic.
2.willows
3. Raptorchan.
This is a weird Trap. If you look at the Traps that exist, the generalization is that they all get their cost reduction from a thing happening, either "if (restriction) creature(s) is/are attacking" or "if (an event happened) this turn."
So on that basis I think this could be improved if its cost restriction were "If a planeswalker etb under an opponent's control this turn." As-written the card doesn't fit the present mechanical identity of traps or the flavor identity (something bad happens to you if you make a misstep.)
I don't know why this other card needs split second. At the cost it has, it might be oppressive, since it destroys low-toughness hordes and also sets up multiple-turn stalls for low-power attackers.
Cardz5000
Ego Nullification is weird as heck! I wonder if it's problematic that it becomes a powerful tool in decks using Echo Tracer, Voidmage Apprentice or Fathom Seer, or if that's a cool Johnny tool waiting to be discovered. At 6 mana though, how are you getting it onto the table?
Mimetic Membrane has a really funny take on the Illusion ability. Well done.
Hemlock
Going to say again what I said to Raptorchan—I think Trap triggers should strictly be events. This is a wonderful dramatic moment in a card, apart from that.
I don't like the chroma in Altar of Serra's mechanic, but it's pretty rad overall.
2. Hemlock
3. Raptorchan
Hemlock
willows
Altar of Serra would have been fair card if only +1/+1 counter was placed, otherwise it looks oppressive on Vigor levels, maybe more.
Mimetic Membrane looks like a card that Wizards usually print as mythic for Limited purposes though I can see it as a rare. Nice small card, almost safe outside of some degenerative 0 combos, great job here.
2) willows
3) Hemlock
I'll try to get the last round up tonight if I can but it might take until tomorrow.