After the success of the Dack Fayden comics wizards have decided to produce another comic set with a brand new planeswalker as its leading figure. To this end you have been tasked to decide the promo cards for those comics - which will inevitable help creative design their planeswalker.
Issue 5: The Walker emerges
The comic sales are slumping. So much so that Wizards have spent some of their vast millions (WotC have piles of money lying around right?) on market research to find the problem. Turns out no one was reading the comics and the only reason the meagre sales aren't worse is that your promo cards have gained a niche fanbase. Looks like your walker has it's fans but we need a new way to profit from them.
Cue Karma; the new mutliplayer set from Wizards which will make Summer 2020 (I can't remember where we are timewise but this seems far enough into the future) the most exciting summer for magic players since Magic: the Gathering III - Bolas Revenge began the greatest Summer film since The Dark Knight. Devolopement is concerned a set built around kismet cards which punish players in cruel and ironic ways may not the cashcow they had hoped. Since you managed to save the comics your job is to now save the multiplayer set by providing the long awaited planeswalker card and a companion spell.
These will be released in a supplementary (read non standard legal) product. It does not necessarily have to be a product geared for multiplayer. In the same product will be a common or uncommon signature spell. Have fun!
Round 5: Design two cards which will both act as promos for the comic:
Design the planeswalker card. It will be in a supplementary product and thus legal in vintage/legacy but not standard or modern.
Design a signature card for the planewalker. This card should be either common or uncommon and a non-planeswalker spell. The name of planeswalker should be in the card title.
Clarifications:
None yet
Entry Deadline: 23:59 ET (GMT-5) 31/5/14 Judging Deadline: 23:59 ET (GMT-5) 02/6/14
Arctarus, Nature's Champion3GG
Planeswalker - Arctarus (M)
[+1]: Tap any number of untapped creatures you control. You gain 2 life for each creature tapped this way.
[-3]: Creatures you control get +2/+2 until end of turn. Untap those creatures.
[-8]: You get an emblem with "At the beginning of each upkeep, untap all creatures and lands you control."
[4]
Arctarus's CompanionGG
Creature - Elf Warrior (U)
At the beginning of each upkeep, untap Arctarus's Companion.
1/3
Lucian, Bastion of Hope2WW
Planeswalker - Lucian {M}
[+1]: Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt to attacking creatures you control this turn.
[-2]: Put two +1/+1 counters on each creature you control with converted mana cost 3 or less.
[-8]: You get an emblem with "At the beginning of your upkeep, you may return target permanent card with converted mana cost 3 or less from your graveyard to the battlefield."
Starting Loyalty: 3
Lucian's Blessing1W
Enchantment {U}
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature has protection from creatures with higher converted mana cost than enchanted creature.
Sheena Slaine1WU
Planeswalker - Sheena (M)
[+1] Put a 1/1 blue and white Bird creature token with flying onto the battlefield under your control.
[-1] You gain 3 life and draw a card.
[-6] Put all creatures you don’t control without flying or islandwalk on the bottom of their owner’s libraries.
[2]
Sheena's Guile1U
Instant (U)
Counter target spell unless its controller returns a creature he or she controls to its owner's hand. "You learn a lot of things at sea. Some of them are big life lessons, and some of them are little tricks that get you out of tight spots."
SelesnyaNewLife: The 'walker is very piratey. As is the spell. Both of them seem pretty well-balanced and flavorful.
Moss_Elemental: Interesting mechanical play, though I'm not sure how much a green player wants to be constantly tapping his own creatures. The spell is neat, interesting pseudo-vigilance and lots of combo potential. I think the lack of a flavor text hurts it a bit, though.
Doombringer: Always good to see something that helps out your weenies. The ultimate feels like it could cost less, though, especially since it does nothing the turn you pop it. Decent spell too, though again, could have used some flavor text.
Lucian, Bastion of Hope: Definitely a must for any weenie deck. Lucian's Blessing: I think it should cost a little higher.
SelesnyaNewLife
Tristam, Shoreline Conqueror: First ability should begin with the words "you may". Ultimate ability is definitely a game ender. Tristam's Orders: It's okay.
GG Crono
Sheena Slaine: It's okay. Sheena's Guile: Early in the game, this would be better than Counterspell
Tristam, Shoreline Conqueror: First ability isn't worded correctly but is fine otherwise. 2nd ability is good but not too broken. Ultimate is gonna be brutal to play against but usually not worth it rather than just keep racing with unblockables most of the time. Tristam's Orders: Versatile if unexciting charm/command variant. Feels very generic.
GG Crono
Sheena Slaine: Can I just say undercosted... Feels very pushed for a 3 mana walker. However this would be fine if the abilities except for the ultimate didn't feel so generic. Sheena's Guile: I would like this if it was a punisher type card but this is just a straight up counterspell for cheaper if they don't have another creature. If this just fizzled if they had no creatures this would be far more interesting (maybe even plausible at U)
Moss_Elemental
Arctarus, Nature's Champion: 1st ability is nice. 2nd ability is powerful but fine. I'm not sure if I like that it untaps meaning you either waste the untap or the P/T buff in most situations. I really love the ultimate though and really fits with the rest of the character. Arctarus's Companion:I love all the subtle interactions this has with the companion. Definitely feels the most connected of all of these entries.
Issue 5: The Walker emerges
The comic sales are slumping. So much so that Wizards have spent some of their vast millions (WotC have piles of money lying around right?) on market research to find the problem. Turns out no one was reading the comics and the only reason the meagre sales aren't worse is that your promo cards have gained a niche fanbase. Looks like your walker has it's fans but we need a new way to profit from them.
Cue Karma; the new mutliplayer set from Wizards which will make Summer 2020 (I can't remember where we are timewise but this seems far enough into the future) the most exciting summer for magic players since Magic: the Gathering III - Bolas Revenge began the greatest Summer film since The Dark Knight. Devolopement is concerned a set built around kismet cards which punish players in cruel and ironic ways may not the cashcow they had hoped. Since you managed to save the comics your job is to now save the multiplayer set by providing the long awaited planeswalker card and a companion spell.
These will be released in a supplementary (read non standard legal) product. It does not necessarily have to be a product geared for multiplayer. In the same product will be a common or uncommon signature spell. Have fun!
Round 5: Design two cards which will both act as promos for the comic:
Design the planeswalker card. It will be in a supplementary product and thus legal in vintage/legacy but not standard or modern.
Design a signature card for the planewalker. This card should be either common or uncommon and a non-planeswalker spell. The name of planeswalker should be in the card title.
Clarifications:
Entry Deadline: 23:59 ET (GMT-5) 31/5/14
Judging Deadline: 23:59 ET (GMT-5) 02/6/14
Participants
Droombringer: 7pts
GGCrono: 5 pts
Moss_Elemental: 6 pts
SelesnyaNewLife: 6 pts
CCL Scoring
At this point the best two go through. The heat is on.
Planeswalker - Arctarus (M)
[+1]: Tap any number of untapped creatures you control. You gain 2 life for each creature tapped this way.
[-3]: Creatures you control get +2/+2 until end of turn. Untap those creatures.
[-8]: You get an emblem with "At the beginning of each upkeep, untap all creatures and lands you control."
[4]
Creature - Elf Warrior (U)
At the beginning of each upkeep, untap Arctarus's Companion.
1/3
Lucian, Bastion of Hope 2WW
Planeswalker - Lucian {M}
[+1]: Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt to attacking creatures you control this turn.
[-2]: Put two +1/+1 counters on each creature you control with converted mana cost 3 or less.
[-8]: You get an emblem with "At the beginning of your upkeep, you may return target permanent card with converted mana cost 3 or less from your graveyard to the battlefield."
Starting Loyalty: 3
Enchantment {U}
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature has protection from creatures with higher converted mana cost than enchanted creature.
Are you designing commons? Check out my primer on NWO.
Interested in making a custom set? Check out my Set skeleton and archetype primer.
I also write articles about getting started with custom card creation.
Go and PLAYTEST your designs, you will learn more in a single playtests than a dozen discussions.
My custom sets:
Dreamscape
Coins of Mercalis [COMPLETE]
Exodus of Zendikar - ON HOLD
Planeswalker - Sheena (M)
[+1] Put a 1/1 blue and white Bird creature token with flying onto the battlefield under your control.
[-1] You gain 3 life and draw a card.
[-6] Put all creatures you don’t control without flying or islandwalk on the bottom of their owner’s libraries.
[2]
Instant (U)
Counter target spell unless its controller returns a creature he or she controls to its owner's hand.
"You learn a lot of things at sea. Some of them are big life lessons, and some of them are little tricks that get you out of tight spots."
Moss_Elemental: Interesting mechanical play, though I'm not sure how much a green player wants to be constantly tapping his own creatures. The spell is neat, interesting pseudo-vigilance and lots of combo potential. I think the lack of a flavor text hurts it a bit, though.
Doombringer: Always good to see something that helps out your weenies. The ultimate feels like it could cost less, though, especially since it does nothing the turn you pop it. Decent spell too, though again, could have used some flavor text.
Top 3:
1. SelesnyaNewLife
2. Moss_Elemental
3. Doombringer
Lucian's Blessing: I think it should cost a little higher.
Tristam's Orders: It's okay.
Sheena's Guile: Early in the game, this would be better than Counterspell
Top 3
2. GG Crono
3. SelesnyaNewLife
This was hard.
SelesnyaNewLife
Tristam's Orders: Versatile if unexciting charm/command variant. Feels very generic.
Sheena's Guile: I would like this if it was a punisher type card but this is just a straight up counterspell for cheaper if they don't have another creature. If this just fizzled if they had no creatures this would be far more interesting (maybe even plausible at U)
Arctarus's Companion:I love all the subtle interactions this has with the companion. Definitely feels the most connected of all of these entries.
2: SelesnyaNewLife
1: Moss_Elemental
Are you designing commons? Check out my primer on NWO.
Interested in making a custom set? Check out my Set skeleton and archetype primer.
I also write articles about getting started with custom card creation.
Go and PLAYTEST your designs, you will learn more in a single playtests than a dozen discussions.
My custom sets:
Dreamscape
Coins of Mercalis [COMPLETE]
Exodus of Zendikar - ON HOLD
Droombringer: 7pts
GGCrono: 5 pts
Moss_Elemental: 6 pts
SelesnyaNewLife: 6 pts
So that should be a final three which means I have to adapt my plans slightly. Final rounf up shortly.