Final Challenge:
If you saw MaRo's last State of Design column, you probably noticed his teasers at the end. So I've been looking around for some of his old teasers and decided to make them your final challenge. Each of you will be designing six cards and each of you will have a different list of teasers:
- A 4/4 than can be blocked by ten 2/2 creatures and not be destroyed. (Ogre Enforcer)
- A card with the word "Necro" in its title (Necrologia)
- A common card with the word "indestructible" (Shield of the Oversoul)
- A 1/1 creature that can become 2/3 under the right conditions. (Skyshroud Elite)
- A creature whose rules text includes the phrase "you win the game." (Felidar Sovereign)
- A card that introduces a brand new zone (AWOL)
- An enchantment that costs 2UUUU (Mind Over Matter)
- A 6/6 flying trampler for six mana (Firestorm Hellkite)
- A creature that can sacrifice itself to make a planeswalker go to the graveyard. (Vampire Hexmage)
- A card with the word "squirrel" in its text (Swarmyard)
- A legendary Octopus (Lorthos, the Tidemaker)
- A card that introduces a brand new zone (AWOL)
You'll notice the 6th card is the same challenge for both.
Submission Deadline: September 12th, 12AM Eastern Critique Deadline: N/A
Raikou Rider
Snow Creature – Penguin
The Card Creation League is a monthly contest in which players compete over seven rounds. Each month has an overall theme and/or story, determined by that month's host.
Each round, the host will assign a card creation task to the players. This task may vary between teams or players.
The first three rounds are open to everyone who joined in the sign-up thread, which will be posted near the end of the previous month. After these rounds, the Top 8 players will move on to three elimination rounds to determine a winner.
Rounds usually last three to four days for submissions and about two days for critiques, but the host has final say in making the schedule.
For the first three rounds, players are divided into teams. Four teams is standard, but there may be more or less depending on the number of players. Each team will review another team's cards during the critique period of that round.
Each player must submit a Top 3 ranking for the team he or she critiques at the end of each round. Each 1st place is worth 3 points, 2nd place 2 points, and 3rd place 1 point.
Additionally, each player can receive 2 bonus points per round. One point is awarded for posting a Top 3, and one point for providing critiques for that team's cards.
Suggested areas to critique include creativity, balance, printability, and relation to the overall theme or that player's previous cards.
Players who do not post a card or a Top 3 will be put on "probation." Top 3 violations for a round can be removed by posting or PMing the host with your Top 3 before the end of the next round. Any player that would receive a second violation is disqualified from further competition that month.
At the end of the first three rounds, the Top 8 players will be selected by points (usually the top 2 from each team). In the case of ties, there may be more than 8 players advancing. The suggested scoring method is for each player to critique all remaining players in the same Top 3 style as the first three rounds, with the top half advancing each round, so Top 8, then Top 4, then Finals.
The final round is determined by public poll.
Prior to Top 8, players have a chance of getting a total of 100 points toward their score each Scoring Round. Scores for each Round are determined by the following equation:
Total points of Player A in round N = 100 * X/Y, where:
X = Total number of Scoring Points (Judge Points + Additional Points from Top 3 & Critiques)
Y = Total number of Possible Points (3 * Number of Judges + Additional Points)
3 points are given for a First Place Top 3 finish, 2 points for a Second Place, and 1 point for a Third Place. 1 additional point is awarded if a Top 3 is submitted. 1 additional point is awarded if Critiques are given for all entries to be judged.
This way the grading is more streamlined in the fact that all rounds prior to Top 8 are graded equally, and there is no handicap for any team that has fewer judges.
Each player accumulates points from each Scoring Round until the end of Round 3.
Fluidity2UUUU
Enchantment [R]
Whenever you cast a blue spell, choose one — Untap a number of Islands and/or blue permanents you control equal to that spell's converted mana cost; or reveal cards from the top of your library until you reveal a blue card and put the revealed cards into your hand. The thoughts of a great mind flow seamlessly from one to the next.
A 6/6 flying trampler for six mana:
Skyspore Drakenaught4UG
Creature - Drake Mutant [R]
Flying, trample
Creatures with one or fewer creature types lose flying. "We were worried our test subject would be difficult to spot among the wild drakes in the sky. We were wrong."
—Dursleyn, Simic Scientist
6/6
A creature that can sacrifice itself to make a planeswalker go to the graveyard:
Muraganda HuntsmasherRR
Creature - Human Shaman Warrior [R]
Haste
Sacrifice Muraganda Huntsmasher: Destroy target nonland permanent with an ability that was activated this turn. Muragandan culture was decidedly primitive, and the nine tribes would stop at nothing to keep it that way.
2/2
A card with the word squirrel in its text:
SpreadXGG
Sorcery [U]
Put X 1/1 green Squirrel creature tokens onto the battlefield.
//////FUSE/////// Harvest1GG
Sorcery [U]
Tap any number of untapped green creatures you control. Draw a card for each creature tapped this way.
A legendary Octopus:
Oktokorr, Seaforged Monster8
Legendary Artifact Creature - Octopus [R]
Spells and abilities that target Oktokorr cost your opponents an additional 8 to cast and activate. (2/U)(2/U)(2/U)(2/U),Q: Destroy target permanent. It isn't the sea that swallows sailors whole.
8/8
A card that introduces a brand new zone:
The Dream Zone: The dream zone functions as a second battlefield, except that spells, abilities, and permanents not in the dream zone ignore the dream zone, and vice versa. Creatures in the dream zone can still attack players or planeswalkers in the dream zone, block creatures in the dream zone, and activate abilities targeting other permanents in the dream zone. Essentially, the dream zone lets you fight a war on two fronts against the same opponent. The dream zone is basically phasing meets shadow.
Nightleaper Frightmare2BB
Dream Creature - Nightmare Horse (R) (Dream permanents enter the dream zone as they resolve.)
Creatures your opponents control get -1/-1. BB: Move Nightleaper Frightmare between the dream zone and the battlefield. Activate this ability only as a sorcery.
2/2
I'm no rules expert so I can't make a rules subsection for the dream zone, so suffice it to be repeated and summarized: Permanents in the dream zone treat spells and battlefield-permanents as though they don't exist, and vice versa. The dream zone is wrath-proof. Presumably there could also be dream spells that affect the dream zone instead of the battlefield.
- A 4/4 than can be blocked by ten 2/2 creatures and not be destroyed.
Phalanx of Eos4WW
Creature - Human Soldier {R}
Vigilance, indestructible
Phalanx of Eos can block any number of creatures. Asha knows every one of her devoted would give their lives for her. In return, she makes sure they don't have to. 4/4
- A card with the word "Necro" in its title
NecropactBBB
Enchantment {R}
You can't draw cards except with Necropact.
At the beginning of your upkeep, draw a card.
Pay 1 life for each card you've drawn this turn: Draw a card. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.
- A common card with the word "indestructible"
Moment of Divinity2W
Instant {C}
Target permanent gains indestructible until end of turn. (Effects that say "destroy" don't destroy that permanent. A creature with indestructible can't be destroyed by lethal damage.)
Draw a card. Heliod gave Zarata the gift of godhood for a second. A second was all it took to save her life.
- A 1/1 creature that can become 2/3 under the right conditions.
Oboro SurveyorU
Creature - Moonfolk Scout {C}
Flying
As long as you have seven or more cards in hand, Oboro Surveyor gets +1/+2. The eyes of Oboro are ever-vigilant for both mortal and immortal intruders. 1/1
- A creature whose rules text includes the phrase "you win the game."
Anise, Maiden of Dawn1GW
Legendary Creature - Human Druid {R}
Whenever you cast an enchantment spell, draw a card.
At the beginning of your upkeep, if seven or more Auras are attached to Anise, Maiden of Dawn, you win the game. The youngest of the Dawn clan, Anise doesn't let her childly stature and lack of experience prevent her from supporting her fellow clansmen. 1/1
- A card that introduces a brand new zone
I will be adding the rules for the communal zone into my post at some point before the deadline. In short, the communal zone functions as a second "hand" that is shared by all players in the game.
EDIT: Rules snippet posted. There's probably more to come as I think of more cases.
Great Minds Think Alike2UU
Enchantment {R}
Whenever a player draws a card, that player puts the top card of his or her library into the communal zone.
Spells cast from the communal zone cost W, U, B, R, or G less to cast. This effect only reduces the amount of colored mana paid.
409. Communal
409.1. The communal zone is a zone shared by all players.
409.2. The communal zone is a public zone.
409.3. Cards in the communal zone can be played by all players (cast as spells or played as land, following all other restrictions), and activated abilities that function while in a player's hand can be activated from the communal zone. However, cards in the communal zone are not considered to actually be in the players' hands.
409.4. If a card would be moved from a player's hand to the battlefield, a player can move a card from the communal zone to the battlefield instead, so long as all other restrictions are met. (For instance, if a player activates the ability of Quicksilver Amulet, that player can choose a creature card from the communal zone to put onto the battlefield instead.)
409.5. If a card would be moved from a player's hand to a library or graveyard, a player can move a card from the communal zone to its owner's library or graveyard instead, so long as all other restrictions are met. (For instance, if a player casts Distress, that player can choose a nonland card in the communal zone instead.)
409.6. If a cost or effect instructs a player to move all cards from a player's hand to another zone(s), all cards in the communal zone are moved to that zone(s).
409.7. If an effect causes multiple players to simultaneously move card(s) from the communal zone to another zone(s), the active player chooses which card(s) he or she will move to which zone(s), then the other players choose card(s) in turn order. Once all choices are made, all cards are moved according to the choices made by the players.
Top 8 - This is it
If you saw MaRo's last State of Design column, you probably noticed his teasers at the end. So I've been looking around for some of his old teasers and decided to make them your final challenge. Each of you will be designing six cards and each of you will have a different list of teasers:
- A card with the word "Necro" in its title (Necrologia)
- A common card with the word "indestructible" (Shield of the Oversoul)
- A 1/1 creature that can become 2/3 under the right conditions. (Skyshroud Elite)
- A creature whose rules text includes the phrase "you win the game." (Felidar Sovereign)
- A card that introduces a brand new zone (AWOL)
- A 6/6 flying trampler for six mana (Firestorm Hellkite)
- A creature that can sacrifice itself to make a planeswalker go to the graveyard. (Vampire Hexmage)
- A card with the word "squirrel" in its text (Swarmyard)
- A legendary Octopus (Lorthos, the Tidemaker)
- A card that introduces a brand new zone (AWOL)
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Top 8
Top 4
Critique Deadline: N/A
Snow Creature – Penguin
Y = Total number of Possible Points (3 * Number of Judges + Additional Points)
Good luck to you both.
Emille, Seven-Sting Dancer Shalin Nariya
An enchantment that costs 2UUUU:
Fluidity 2UUUU
Enchantment [R]
Whenever you cast a blue spell, choose one — Untap a number of Islands and/or blue permanents you control equal to that spell's converted mana cost; or reveal cards from the top of your library until you reveal a blue card and put the revealed cards into your hand.
The thoughts of a great mind flow seamlessly from one to the next.
A 6/6 flying trampler for six mana:
Skyspore Drakenaught 4UG
Creature - Drake Mutant [R]
Flying, trample
Creatures with one or fewer creature types lose flying.
"We were worried our test subject would be difficult to spot among the wild drakes in the sky. We were wrong."
—Dursleyn, Simic Scientist
6/6
A creature that can sacrifice itself to make a planeswalker go to the graveyard:
Muraganda Huntsmasher RR
Creature - Human Shaman Warrior [R]
Haste
Sacrifice Muraganda Huntsmasher: Destroy target nonland permanent with an ability that was activated this turn.
Muragandan culture was decidedly primitive, and the nine tribes would stop at nothing to keep it that way.
2/2
A card with the word squirrel in its text:
Spread XGG
Sorcery [U]
Put X 1/1 green Squirrel creature tokens onto the battlefield.
//////FUSE///////
Harvest 1GG
Sorcery [U]
Tap any number of untapped green creatures you control. Draw a card for each creature tapped this way.
A legendary Octopus:
Oktokorr, Seaforged Monster 8
Legendary Artifact Creature - Octopus [R]
Spells and abilities that target Oktokorr cost your opponents an additional 8 to cast and activate.
(2/U)(2/U)(2/U)(2/U),Q: Destroy target permanent.
It isn't the sea that swallows sailors whole.
8/8
A card that introduces a brand new zone:
The Dream Zone: The dream zone functions as a second battlefield, except that spells, abilities, and permanents not in the dream zone ignore the dream zone, and vice versa. Creatures in the dream zone can still attack players or planeswalkers in the dream zone, block creatures in the dream zone, and activate abilities targeting other permanents in the dream zone. Essentially, the dream zone lets you fight a war on two fronts against the same opponent. The dream zone is basically phasing meets shadow.
Nightleaper Frightmare 2BB
Dream Creature - Nightmare Horse (R)
(Dream permanents enter the dream zone as they resolve.)
Creatures your opponents control get -1/-1.
BB: Move Nightleaper Frightmare between the dream zone and the battlefield. Activate this ability only as a sorcery.
2/2
I'm no rules expert so I can't make a rules subsection for the dream zone, so suffice it to be repeated and summarized: Permanents in the dream zone treat spells and battlefield-permanents as though they don't exist, and vice versa. The dream zone is wrath-proof. Presumably there could also be dream spells that affect the dream zone instead of the battlefield.
Oops. Fixed.
- A 4/4 than can be blocked by ten 2/2 creatures and not be destroyed.
Phalanx of Eos 4WW
Creature - Human Soldier {R}
Vigilance, indestructible
Phalanx of Eos can block any number of creatures.
Asha knows every one of her devoted would give their lives for her. In return, she makes sure they don't have to.
4/4
- A card with the word "Necro" in its title
Necropact BBB
Enchantment {R}
You can't draw cards except with Necropact.
At the beginning of your upkeep, draw a card.
Pay 1 life for each card you've drawn this turn: Draw a card. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.
- A common card with the word "indestructible"
Moment of Divinity 2W
Instant {C}
Target permanent gains indestructible until end of turn. (Effects that say "destroy" don't destroy that permanent. A creature with indestructible can't be destroyed by lethal damage.)
Draw a card.
Heliod gave Zarata the gift of godhood for a second. A second was all it took to save her life.
- A 1/1 creature that can become 2/3 under the right conditions.
Oboro Surveyor U
Creature - Moonfolk Scout {C}
Flying
As long as you have seven or more cards in hand, Oboro Surveyor gets +1/+2.
The eyes of Oboro are ever-vigilant for both mortal and immortal intruders.
1/1
- A creature whose rules text includes the phrase "you win the game."
Anise, Maiden of Dawn 1GW
Legendary Creature - Human Druid {R}
Whenever you cast an enchantment spell, draw a card.
At the beginning of your upkeep, if seven or more Auras are attached to Anise, Maiden of Dawn, you win the game.
The youngest of the Dawn clan, Anise doesn't let her childly stature and lack of experience prevent her from supporting her fellow clansmen.
1/1
- A card that introduces a brand new zone
I will be adding the rules for the communal zone into my post at some point before the deadline. In short, the communal zone functions as a second "hand" that is shared by all players in the game.
EDIT: Rules snippet posted. There's probably more to come as I think of more cases.
Great Minds Think Alike 2UU
Enchantment {R}
Whenever a player draws a card, that player puts the top card of his or her library into the communal zone.
Spells cast from the communal zone cost W, U, B, R, or G less to cast. This effect only reduces the amount of colored mana paid.
409. Communal
409.1. The communal zone is a zone shared by all players.
409.2. The communal zone is a public zone.
409.3. Cards in the communal zone can be played by all players (cast as spells or played as land, following all other restrictions), and activated abilities that function while in a player's hand can be activated from the communal zone. However, cards in the communal zone are not considered to actually be in the players' hands.
409.4. If a card would be moved from a player's hand to the battlefield, a player can move a card from the communal zone to the battlefield instead, so long as all other restrictions are met. (For instance, if a player activates the ability of Quicksilver Amulet, that player can choose a creature card from the communal zone to put onto the battlefield instead.)
409.5. If a card would be moved from a player's hand to a library or graveyard, a player can move a card from the communal zone to its owner's library or graveyard instead, so long as all other restrictions are met. (For instance, if a player casts Distress, that player can choose a nonland card in the communal zone instead.)
409.6. If a cost or effect instructs a player to move all cards from a player's hand to another zone(s), all cards in the communal zone are moved to that zone(s).
409.7. If an effect causes multiple players to simultaneously move card(s) from the communal zone to another zone(s), the active player chooses which card(s) he or she will move to which zone(s), then the other players choose card(s) in turn order. Once all choices are made, all cards are moved according to the choices made by the players.
Emille, Seven-Sting Dancer Shalin Nariya
Thanks for spiderboy4 of High~Light_Studios for the kick ass avatar.
Thanks for DarkNightCavalier of HotPS for the exceptional signature.
If you look at the first post, I just added the cards each teaser was describing.