Welcome to the Final(?) MCC for MTG Salvation. Due to the desire to make sure this contest concludes before the current CCC&G moderator migrates elsewhere, there are only three rounds. Contestants will have five days to design, and judges will be given four days to complete scoring. We will do our best to adhere to this schedule. For the potentially last Round of MCC at MTGS, we now face the knowledge that the end comes for us all.
Round 3 Challenge: Design a card that employs the exact rules text "you lose the game".
Subchallenge 1: The CMC is greater than 0 but less than 5. Subchallenge 2: None of the following words appear anywhere in the rules text of the card: "upkeep", "battlefield", or "end".
As needed.
Design Deadline is the 26th of June, 2019 at 23:59 EDT.
Judging Deadline is the 30th of June, 2019 at 23:59 EDT.
Design (X/3) Appeal:
Do the different player psychographics (Timmy/Johhny/Spike) have a use for the card? (X/3) Elegance:
Is the card easily understandable at a glance? Do all the flavor and mechanics combined as a whole make sense?
Development (X/3) Viability:
How well does the card fit into the color wheel? Does it break or bend the rules of the game? Is it the appropriate rarity? (X/3) Balance:
Does the card have a power level appropriate for contemporary constructed/limited environments without breaking them? Does it play well in casual and multiplayer formats? Does it create or fit into a deck/archetype? Does it create an oppressive environment?
Creativity (X/3) Uniqueness:
Has a card like this ever been printed before? Does it use new mechanics, ideas, or design space? Does it combine old ideas in a new way? Overall, does it feel “fresh”? (X/3) Flavor:
Does the name seem realistic for a card? Does the flavor text sound professional? Do all the flavor elements synch together to please Vorthos players?
Polish (X/3) Quality:
Points deducted for incorrect spelling, grammar, and templating. (X/2) *Main Challenge:
Was the main challenge satisfied? Was it approached in a unique or interesting way? Does the card fit the intent of the challenge? (X/2) Subchallenges:
One point awarded per satisfied subchallenge condition.
Total: /25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
Insanity InsightUUUU
Sorcery (M)
Draw seven cards, then discard any number of cards. Delirium — Then you lose the game unless there are four or more card types among cards in your graveyard. “What most people would call madness, others would call genius.”
—Ludevic, necro-alchemist
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.)
Unspeakable VisionsU
Instant (m)
Suspend 4 - U
Whenever a time counter is removed from Unspeakable Visions while it's exiled, draw a card.
Target player draws four cards. You lose the game.
I'm calling it. IcariiFA has been on several times in the past five days, and no entry was submitted. Judges, please review the two entries.
Design (3/3) Appeal: It says "Draw seven cards" for 4. Everyone wants to draw cards. (3/3) Elegance: No explanation needed.
Development (3/3) Viability: Blue looting is about as on color as it gets. When something mentions losing or winning the game, it should probably be at Mythic (outside of reprints). (2/3) Balance: Four Blue mana is a very restrictive casting cost, and there are only five cards in the game that employ it (including casual racism). In a Limited environment, this would be a sad pick, as the Delirium restriction would be much more difficult to reliably hit, even with the built in assist from the discard. In Constructed, the casting cost is still difficult, but might work in the right control builds... if it wasn't a Sorcery.
Creativity (2/3) Uniqueness: Outside of Overflowing Insight, there isn't a card that just draws seven cards for a player without something else occurring or being required. (1/3) Flavor: "Insanity" makes me think of Rakdos and/or random effects. Of the three cards that use it in their name, two involve discard. Having a different word accompany "insight" might have added more depth.
Polish (2.75/3) Quality: Lose the Delirium ability word. It actually makes it more confusing, as Delirium often added an additional or stronger effect when meeting the condition, like with Threshold. Like many cards in War, the flavor of the ability comes across without directly stating it. (2/2) *Main Challenge: "You lose the game" text employed? Yes. (2/2) Subchallenges: CMC 0 < X < 5? Yes. No instance of "battlefield", "end", or "upkeep"? Yes.
Total: 20.75/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
Design (1.5/3) Appeal: Spike is looking to break this. Johnny is skeptical. Timmy is crying. (3/3) Elegance: Easy to understand the "what", if confusing to comprehend the "why".
Development (3/3) Viability: Blue card draw. Sort of more powerful than Ancestral Recall? Absolutely Mythic. (1/3) Balance: Cast straight, this appears to make very little sense in traditional Magic, especially Limited. Suspended, I see the clock you're putting yourself on to try and squeak out the win, but Clockspinning effects are still going to be wanted here. In Archenemy, I can see a point to this card being used to give the rest of your team options if you are about to die anyway.
Creativity (1.5/3) Uniqueness:Aeon Chronicler is disgruntled that its Suspend ability was stolen with a massive cost reduction. (2/3) Flavor: For once, there are consequences for speaking the unspeakable. A line of flavor text would have pushed this a little further along the Vorthos track.
Polish (3/3) Quality: No issues here. (2/2) *Main Challenge: "You lose the game" text employed? Yes. (2/2) Subchallenges: CMC 0 < X < 5? Yes. No instance of "battlefield", "end", or "upkeep"? Yes.
Total: 19/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
Insanity InsightUUUU
Sorcery (M)
Draw seven cards, then discard any number of cards. Delirium — Then you lose the game unless there are four or more card types among cards in your graveyard. “What most people would call madness, others would call genius.”
—Ludevic, necro-alchemist
Design - (2/3) Appeal: Spike appreciates the risk/reward this represents as well as the skill required to use it well. Jenny likes the deckbuilding possibilites as well as the potential combos. Timmy isn't a huge fan. (3/3) Elegance: Easy enough to understand.
Development - (3/3) Viability: Definitely blue, definitely mythic. (2.5/3) Balance: The closest direct comparison I can think of is Overflowing Insight. Does the risk of instantly losing balance the 3 less CMC? Maybe, maybe not. At mythic this is basically not a problem for limited. In a well tuned constructed deck, this is unlikely to be used turn 4. More likely this is going to be used to dig for a win condition much later in the game and unless there's some dedicated graveyard hate, that downside isn't going to mean much to a properly made deck. On the other hand, if Rest in Peace is in the format, it has the potential to be a dead card.
Creativity - (3/3) Uniqueness: It always bugged me that red and blue get basically the same version of Wheel of Fortune. Blue should get something closer to looting than rummaging which is exactly what your card delivers. (3/3) Flavor: One of the better cards flavored as dangerous forbidden knowledge I've seen. If you're not "enlightnened" enough to understand what you learn, you won't survive. Plus I'm a sucker for alliterative card names.
Polish - (2.5/3) Quality: Best I can tell, the word "then" doesn't need to be in the Delirium ability. It's its own effect, not a continuation of the sentence. (2/2) *Main Challenge: Yes. (2/2) Subchallenges: Both clear.
Total: 23/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
Unspeakable VisionsU
Instant (m)
Suspend 4 - U
Whenever a time counter is removed from Unspeakable Visions while it's exiled, draw a card.
Target player draws four cards. You lose the game.
Design - (1.5/3) Appeal: A clear Johnny card if I ever saw one. Tammy wants nothing to do with it. Spike might consider it, but the risk will usually outweigh the reward for them. (2.5/3) Elegance: Clean and easy to read and understand. Suspend maybe could have used reminder text, but if it's a set mechanic that can be left off a mythic to save space.
Development - (3/3) Viability: It's blue, it's mythic and it fits in the rules. All good. (3/3) Balance: The obvious parallel is Ancestral Recall or maybe Ancestral Vision. Making a card that's potentially stronger than one of the Power 9 is one heck of a power move, even when it comes with one heck of a downside. However, the downside makes it useless as a draw spell under most conditions, likely taking it from "absolutely ba-roken" to "fringe playable in a mill deck." Maybe it's breakable, but I don't see it being consistent enough to cause major problems.
Creativity - (3/3) Uniqueness: To date, there are 5 cards that have effects while suspended. All part of a cycle of creatures. There's also never been a card lets you draw 4 cards for 1 mana at instant speed. It definitely leaves an impression. (3/3) Flavor: Kind of interesting that we got two draw spells flavored as forbidden knowledge, but I guess the challenges encouraged that. The name hearkens back to Ancestral Visions a little bit, but has its own twist on it. Flavor text might have been a nice touch, but I'm a firm believer that it's not mandatory when the card speaks for itself.
Polish - (2.5/3) Quality: There shouldn't be any spaces around the dash between the 4 and the U. (It should also be an em dash, but MtGSalvation is finicky about special characters sometimes.) (2/2) *Main Challenge: Clear. (2/2) Subchallenges: Both clear.
Total: 22.5/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
Judging complete for now, but I'm going to go back over with fresh eyes tomorrow. Interesting how similar the two submissions are.
Startling how similar these cards are given the challenge and subchallenges didn't call for a blue card, or a draw spell...
Design (2/3) Appeal: A big Jxnny/Spike card for sure. Txmmy doesn't want to dump the cards they drew for cheap, they want to play them. (2.5/3) Elegance: A bit multi-part for a normally simple effect, but still not too complicated.
Development (3/3) Viability: Absolutely blue (and requiring quadruple blue feels good here). Absolutely mythic. Delirium was primarily a BG mechanic but showed up in every color. (3/3) Balance: Four mana to draw seven cards is very cheap but you have to build around this card to get the full seven, and actually to survive casting it at all.
Creativity (1.5/3) Uniqueness: Basically an Overflowing Insight variant with a drawback, but a fairly creative drawback, and there's some neat lenticularity with "discard any number" and madness and the like. (3/3) Flavor: Name is a little silly but the Ludevic quote seals the deal for me.
Design (2/3) Appeal: Jxnny has plenty of ways to shrug off a measly "lose the game" one-shot effect as well as ways to force an opponent to cast this card. Spike has fringe uses for the suspended mode. Bit too high-risk for Txmmy who'll just stick to Braingeyser variants. (2/3) Elegance: Suspend is a complicated mechanic and adding a second triggered ability on top of it adds to the complexity, and "Target player draws four cards. You lose the game." is a silly-looking piece of text.
Development (3/3) Viability: Yes to blue and yes to mythic. (2.5/3) Balance: Deducting a half-point not because the card is particularly objectionable on power level but because it's swingy. A one-mana enchantment that's almost impossible to remove and that reads "At the beginning of your upkeep, draw a card" is potent, but putting the player on a four-turn clock is severe.
Creativity (2.5/3) Uniqueness: The card contains a number of unusual ideas (although it's all about draw at its heart). (2.5/3) Flavor: Could have used flavor text imho.
Polish (3/3) Quality: Fine. (2/2) *Main Challenge: Done. (2/2) Subchallenges: Done (although upkeep appears in the text of the suspend keyword, it's not in the card's rules text).
Welcome to the Final(?) MCC for MTG Salvation. Due to the desire to make sure this contest concludes before the current CCC&G moderator migrates elsewhere, there are only three rounds. Contestants will have five days to design, and judges will be given four days to complete scoring. We will do our best to adhere to this schedule. For the potentially last Round of MCC at MTGS, we now face the knowledge that the end comes for us all.
Round 3 Challenge: Design a card that employs the exact rules text "you lose the game".
Subchallenge 1: The CMC is greater than 0 but less than 5.
Subchallenge 2: None of the following words appear anywhere in the rules text of the card: "upkeep", "battlefield", or "end".
As needed.
Judging Deadline is the 30th of June, 2019 at 23:59 EDT.
Design
(X/3) Appeal:
Do the different player psychographics (Timmy/Johhny/Spike) have a use for the card?
(X/3) Elegance:
Is the card easily understandable at a glance? Do all the flavor and mechanics combined as a whole make sense?
Development
(X/3) Viability:
How well does the card fit into the color wheel? Does it break or bend the rules of the game? Is it the appropriate rarity?
(X/3) Balance:
Does the card have a power level appropriate for contemporary constructed/limited environments without breaking them? Does it play well in casual and multiplayer formats? Does it create or fit into a deck/archetype? Does it create an oppressive environment?
Creativity
(X/3) Uniqueness:
Has a card like this ever been printed before? Does it use new mechanics, ideas, or design space? Does it combine old ideas in a new way? Overall, does it feel “fresh”?
(X/3) Flavor:
Does the name seem realistic for a card? Does the flavor text sound professional? Do all the flavor elements synch together to please Vorthos players?
Polish
(X/3) Quality:
Points deducted for incorrect spelling, grammar, and templating.
(X/2) *Main Challenge:
Was the main challenge satisfied? Was it approached in a unique or interesting way? Does the card fit the intent of the challenge?
(X/2) Subchallenges:
One point awarded per satisfied subchallenge condition.
Total: /25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
Judges
Eventide Sojourner
void_nothing
The_Hittite
Contestants
bravelion83
Hemlock
IcariiFA
Good luck to the Finalists.
Sorcery (M)
Draw seven cards, then discard any number of cards.
Delirium — Then you lose the game unless there are four or more card types among cards in your graveyard.
“What most people would call madness, others would call genius.”
—Ludevic, necro-alchemist
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.)
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
Instant (m)
Suspend 4 - U
Whenever a time counter is removed from Unspeakable Visions while it's exiled, draw a card.
Target player draws four cards. You lose the game.
Design
(3/3) Appeal: It says "Draw seven cards" for 4. Everyone wants to draw cards.
(3/3) Elegance: No explanation needed.
Development
(3/3) Viability: Blue looting is about as on color as it gets. When something mentions losing or winning the game, it should probably be at Mythic (outside of reprints).
(2/3) Balance: Four Blue mana is a very restrictive casting cost, and there are only five cards in the game that employ it (including casual racism). In a Limited environment, this would be a sad pick, as the Delirium restriction would be much more difficult to reliably hit, even with the built in assist from the discard. In Constructed, the casting cost is still difficult, but might work in the right control builds... if it wasn't a Sorcery.
Creativity
(2/3) Uniqueness: Outside of Overflowing Insight, there isn't a card that just draws seven cards for a player without something else occurring or being required.
(1/3) Flavor: "Insanity" makes me think of Rakdos and/or random effects. Of the three cards that use it in their name, two involve discard. Having a different word accompany "insight" might have added more depth.
Polish
(2.75/3) Quality: Lose the Delirium ability word. It actually makes it more confusing, as Delirium often added an additional or stronger effect when meeting the condition, like with Threshold. Like many cards in War, the flavor of the ability comes across without directly stating it.
(2/2) *Main Challenge: "You lose the game" text employed? Yes.
(2/2) Subchallenges: CMC 0 < X < 5? Yes. No instance of "battlefield", "end", or "upkeep"? Yes.
Total: 20.75/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
Design
(1.5/3) Appeal: Spike is looking to break this. Johnny is skeptical. Timmy is crying.
(3/3) Elegance: Easy to understand the "what", if confusing to comprehend the "why".
Development
(3/3) Viability: Blue card draw. Sort of more powerful than Ancestral Recall? Absolutely Mythic.
(1/3) Balance: Cast straight, this appears to make very little sense in traditional Magic, especially Limited. Suspended, I see the clock you're putting yourself on to try and squeak out the win, but Clockspinning effects are still going to be wanted here. In Archenemy, I can see a point to this card being used to give the rest of your team options if you are about to die anyway.
Creativity
(1.5/3) Uniqueness: Aeon Chronicler is disgruntled that its Suspend ability was stolen with a massive cost reduction.
(2/3) Flavor: For once, there are consequences for speaking the unspeakable. A line of flavor text would have pushed this a little further along the Vorthos track.
Polish
(3/3) Quality: No issues here.
(2/2) *Main Challenge: "You lose the game" text employed? Yes.
(2/2) Subchallenges: CMC 0 < X < 5? Yes. No instance of "battlefield", "end", or "upkeep"? Yes.
Total: 19/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
Scores
bravelion83: 20.75/25
Hemlock: 19/25
Design -
(2/3) Appeal: Spike appreciates the risk/reward this represents as well as the skill required to use it well. Jenny likes the deckbuilding possibilites as well as the potential combos. Timmy isn't a huge fan.
(3/3) Elegance: Easy enough to understand.
Development -
(3/3) Viability: Definitely blue, definitely mythic.
(2.5/3) Balance: The closest direct comparison I can think of is Overflowing Insight. Does the risk of instantly losing balance the 3 less CMC? Maybe, maybe not. At mythic this is basically not a problem for limited. In a well tuned constructed deck, this is unlikely to be used turn 4. More likely this is going to be used to dig for a win condition much later in the game and unless there's some dedicated graveyard hate, that downside isn't going to mean much to a properly made deck. On the other hand, if Rest in Peace is in the format, it has the potential to be a dead card.
Creativity -
(3/3) Uniqueness: It always bugged me that red and blue get basically the same version of Wheel of Fortune. Blue should get something closer to looting than rummaging which is exactly what your card delivers.
(3/3) Flavor: One of the better cards flavored as dangerous forbidden knowledge I've seen. If you're not "enlightnened" enough to understand what you learn, you won't survive. Plus I'm a sucker for alliterative card names.
Polish -
(2.5/3) Quality: Best I can tell, the word "then" doesn't need to be in the Delirium ability. It's its own effect, not a continuation of the sentence.
(2/2) *Main Challenge: Yes.
(2/2) Subchallenges: Both clear.
Total: 23/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
Design -
(1.5/3) Appeal: A clear Johnny card if I ever saw one. Tammy wants nothing to do with it. Spike might consider it, but the risk will usually outweigh the reward for them.
(2.5/3) Elegance: Clean and easy to read and understand. Suspend maybe could have used reminder text, but if it's a set mechanic that can be left off a mythic to save space.
Development -
(3/3) Viability: It's blue, it's mythic and it fits in the rules. All good.
(3/3) Balance: The obvious parallel is Ancestral Recall or maybe Ancestral Vision. Making a card that's potentially stronger than one of the Power 9 is one heck of a power move, even when it comes with one heck of a downside. However, the downside makes it useless as a draw spell under most conditions, likely taking it from "absolutely ba-roken" to "fringe playable in a mill deck." Maybe it's breakable, but I don't see it being consistent enough to cause major problems.
Creativity -
(3/3) Uniqueness: To date, there are 5 cards that have effects while suspended. All part of a cycle of creatures. There's also never been a card lets you draw 4 cards for 1 mana at instant speed. It definitely leaves an impression.
(3/3) Flavor: Kind of interesting that we got two draw spells flavored as forbidden knowledge, but I guess the challenges encouraged that. The name hearkens back to Ancestral Visions a little bit, but has its own twist on it. Flavor text might have been a nice touch, but I'm a firm believer that it's not mandatory when the card speaks for itself.
Polish -
(2.5/3) Quality: There shouldn't be any spaces around the dash between the 4 and the U. (It should also be an em dash, but MtGSalvation is finicky about special characters sometimes.)
(2/2) *Main Challenge: Clear.
(2/2) Subchallenges: Both clear.
Total: 22.5/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
Judging complete for now, but I'm going to go back over with fresh eyes tomorrow. Interesting how similar the two submissions are.
(2/3) Appeal: A big Jxnny/Spike card for sure. Txmmy doesn't want to dump the cards they drew for cheap, they want to play them.
(2.5/3) Elegance: A bit multi-part for a normally simple effect, but still not too complicated.
Development
(3/3) Viability: Absolutely blue (and requiring quadruple blue feels good here). Absolutely mythic. Delirium was primarily a BG mechanic but showed up in every color.
(3/3) Balance: Four mana to draw seven cards is very cheap but you have to build around this card to get the full seven, and actually to survive casting it at all.
Creativity
(1.5/3) Uniqueness: Basically an Overflowing Insight variant with a drawback, but a fairly creative drawback, and there's some neat lenticularity with "discard any number" and madness and the like.
(3/3) Flavor: Name is a little silly but the Ludevic quote seals the deal for me.
Polish
(3/3) Quality: Looking good.
(2/2) *Main Challenge: Done.
(2/2) Subchallenges: And done.
Total: 22/25
(2/3) Appeal: Jxnny has plenty of ways to shrug off a measly "lose the game" one-shot effect as well as ways to force an opponent to cast this card. Spike has fringe uses for the suspended mode. Bit too high-risk for Txmmy who'll just stick to Braingeyser variants.
(2/3) Elegance: Suspend is a complicated mechanic and adding a second triggered ability on top of it adds to the complexity, and "Target player draws four cards. You lose the game." is a silly-looking piece of text.
Development
(3/3) Viability: Yes to blue and yes to mythic.
(2.5/3) Balance: Deducting a half-point not because the card is particularly objectionable on power level but because it's swingy. A one-mana enchantment that's almost impossible to remove and that reads "At the beginning of your upkeep, draw a card" is potent, but putting the player on a four-turn clock is severe.
Creativity
(2.5/3) Uniqueness: The card contains a number of unusual ideas (although it's all about draw at its heart).
(2.5/3) Flavor: Could have used flavor text imho.
Polish
(3/3) Quality: Fine.
(2/2) *Main Challenge: Done.
(2/2) Subchallenges: Done (although upkeep appears in the text of the suspend keyword, it's not in the card's rules text).
Total: 21.5/25
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝