As the sun rises over your third day at Svalverden, you look out at the snow-filled world and begin to think that you might get use to life here. Yes, it’s Freezing with a capital F here, but there are so many new and exciting things to discover, not to mention getting to play with all these outlandish hi-tech toys.
You and the rest of the crew gather around for breakfast. The supplies Wizards sent you are basically combat rations, but yesterday excursion allowed your fellows to bring in some Svalverdenian delicacies. You take your bowl-full of something called “Morjenmusse” and sit down with the rest to eat.
A light conversation develops. You talk about the world you’re in, your adventures from the other day. One of you - you later try to recall who it was but without success - says: “You know what I don’t get? this place is supposed to be the source of all the Christmas tales, so where is…”
He never gets to finish as a loud crash rings through the air. Everybody looks around for the source of the noise, but you don’t need to. From your vantage point, you can clearly see the cracks that form in the icy lake below you.
You can see the huge shadow rising from within, and you gaze in horror as the ice breaks away with another loud crash and something rises from the deep.
It’s big. Too big for your mind to completely comprehend. All you can compute at the moment is its red and white colors. And the horns, and teeth, and claws. One of its many eyes fixes on your camp. It makes a sound. You imagine that’s how an avalanche sounds, if it could speak:
Ho. Ho. Ho.
One of your colleagues, who is a bit more alert than you, aims his Cardmaker 3000 at the monstrosity.
“Time to become a stocking-filler, you Emrakul wannabe!” He shouts, then fires.
The beam hits the monster straight in it’s “face”, but with little effect.
“Don’t be stupid! it’s too big for the Cardmakers!” Yells the Sergeant. “You need to weaken it first”
“Isn’t that from Pokemon?” you ask.
“Does this look like a good time to ask me stupid questions?!” The Sergeant yells back. “Now attack the bloody thing before we’re all dinner!”
All of you look at him dumbfounded. “Attack with what?”, one of you ask.
“Oh, for Elspeth’s sake! you’re designers, aren’t you? Get one of the cards you’ve designed - a creature or something and use the reverse settings on your Cardmakers so you can use it against that thing! Just make sure you don’t summon something too big, or it might try to eat us too! Now get moving, and try not to die!”
You look at your Cardmaker 3000. It does indeed have a small button labeled ‘reverse setting’ right above the trigger. It’s funny you didn’t notice it before.
You look at the gigantic monstrosity looming over. Once again, you have a mission.
Your mission is to design a creature of Svalverden to attack the monster attacking you. It most have joined P/T of no more than 6. Alternatively, you can design an equipment card so that you can gear up and attack it yourself. Choose one or the other (only design one card).
You have until the end of December 14th. Unsuccessful designers will be eaten, and will not move on to the top 8.
Ravenous Fenrir2RG
Creature - Wolf Beast (U)
Haste
Ravenous Fenrir attacks each turn if able.
Whenever Ravenous Fenrir becomes blocked, it gets +2/-2 and gains first strike until end of turn.
3/3
Svalverden Battle Master1WW
Creature - Human Warrior (U)
Whenever Svaleverden Battle Master blocks or becomes blocked, choose one -
• Svaleverden Battle Master gets +2/+0 until end of turn.
• Svaleverden Battle Master gets +0/+2 until end of turn. "The snow teaches us both how to endure and how to push through."
2/3
Ambitious Harpy2BB
Creature - Harpy (R)
Flying
When Ambitious Harpy enters the battlefield, destroy target creature with power 4 or greater. The harpies of Svalverden are known to attack and kill prey much larger than themselves. The reason for this is unknown, as they cannot consume all that they kill.
3/2
Snowblind Buckler2
Snow Artifact - Equipment (U)
Prevent all damage that would be dealt to equipped creature by creatures with greater power.
Equipped creature has "1S, T: Target blocked creature deals damage equal to its power to itself."
Equip 3
Rimefeather Phoenix1RR
Creature - Phoenix (R)
Flying, haste
While you're searching your library, you may cast Rimefeather Phoenix from your library.
When Rimefeather Phoenix dies, shuffle it into its owner's library.
2/2
Flurry Elemental1UU
Creature - Elemental (U)
Flash
Flying
When Flurry Elemental enters the battlefield, creatures your opponents control get -2/-0 until end of turn.
2/1
Prodigal Frostburn1UR
Creature — Human Wizard (U) T: Prodigal Frostburn deals 1 damage to target creature. Tap that creature. It doesn't untap during its controller's next untap step.
1/3
Private Mod Note
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Trophyless guy.
Thought of the Month: I gave up from trying to require the 'i' on my name: SolesticIo
Icicle2
Artifact - Equipment (U)
Equipped creature gets first strike and "Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a creature, tap that creature and it doesn't untap during its controller's next untap step."
Equip S Sharper than it looks. Deadlier than you think.
Hungry VinesG
Creature - Plant (R)
Champion a Forest (When this enters the battlefield, sacrifice it unless you exile another Forest you control. When this leaves the battlefield, that card returns to the battlefield.) 1GG, put a land card you own from exile into your graveyard: Hungry Vines gets +3/+3 until the end of turn.
3/2
I can't believe I missed this thread until today! Oh well, looks like I need to think of something ASAP!
Kirgen Assassin3
Snow Creature — Elemental Assassin (R) ( can be paid with either B or one mana from a snow permanent.)
Deathtouch
When Kirgen Assassin enters the battlefield, if B or G was spent to cast it, you may have it fight target creature an opponent controls.
1/5
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.)
Ragada, Blade of Apostasy 3
Legendary Artifact - Equipment (Mythic)
As long as equipped creature is White, it has "WWW, : Destroy target creature with power 4 or greater."
As long as equipped creature is Black, it has "BBB, : Destroy target creature with power 3 or less." 3 : Equipped creature gets +1/+1 and becomes the color of your choice until end of turn.
Equip 3
In a blur, you fight and dodge the monster, and fire your Cardmaker rays into it whenever you get the chance. Then, suddenly, as several of you fire at once, the thing explodes. Chunky red and white bits are falling from the skies. you duck into cover. When you get back up, you can barely make out the landscape around you. You hear a knocking sound, and you can see the Sergeant posting something to one of the more solid chunks.
"Alright men!", He yells, "This here is a list of everybody, come up here, read it, then look for the six people listed below your name, and find out if they're alive and what's their status! No time to waste, hop to it!"
(Obviously, if you hit the bottom of the list, circle back to the top. Deadline for critique is December 18th. If you can't find the time to post full critiques, please make sure you at least post a top 3)
Icicle2
Artifact - Equipment (U)
Equipped creature gets first strike and "Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a creature, tap that creature and it doesn't untap during its controller's next untap step."
Equip S Sharper than it looks. Deadlier than you think.
First, I love the name! It's a wonderful pun that I expected to pay off differently as I went on reading the card. "Ice" + "cycle": I expected a psuedo-cycling ability if not straight up cycling. The "ice" part is very well represented by freezing (tap and it doesn't untap) the creature, but the "cycle" part is missing. The name set up false expectations for me, but the card is fine otherwise. Mechanically, I particularly appreciate the use of snow mana in the equip cost: you're bleeding the freezing ability into all colors (normally it's just primary blue and secondary white), but at least not all decks will be able to run this, only decks able to produce snow mana will.
Prodigal Frostburn1UR
Creature — Human Wizard (U) T: Prodigal Frostburn deals 1 damage to target creature. Tap that creature. It doesn't untap during its controller's next untap step.
1/3
Another clever use of the freezing ability, and I understand why: it takes care of the attacking monster, so it works mechanically, and it's very flavorful in this frosty world. I love the anchoring here on Prodigal Sorcerer and Prodigal Pyromancer. It also reminds me of Thundermaw Hellkite in a way. Burn is red and freezing blue, and rarity looks also right. I can't find a single flaw in this card. Very good work!
Flurry Elemental1UU
Creature - Elemental (U)
Flash
Flying
When Flurry Elemental enters the battlefield, creatures your opponents control get -2/-0 until end of turn.
2/1
This card is perfectly fine in a vacuum. I'd actually see this very well in Lorwyn as a Faerie, but it's also good as an Elemental. I don't have a lot to say about this card as a single card design. I just don't see this card fitting the round challenge very well: yes, it can weaken the monster but I think we can be relatively sure that that monster has power greater than 2. I thought we had to outright kill it or paralyze it or something like that, something that prevented us from taking any damage from it at least from some time, if not permanently. But maybe I misunderstood the spirit of the challenge, it wouldn't be the first time that something like that happens.
Rimefeather Phoenix1RR
Creature - Phoenix (R)
Flying, haste
While you're searching your library, you may cast Rimefeather Phoenix from your library.
When Rimefeather Phoenix dies, shuffle it into its owner's library.
2/2
This card has the same problem of the previous one, but even worse. This does literally nothing to take care of the monster attacking us, other than blocking it (which mostly any creature can do). It's also strange to see this as a Phoenix, I get that this is supposed to be a Phoenix that comes back from the library rather than the graveyard, and that works mechanically and it's very original, but coming back from the graveyard is an integral part of the flavor of Phoenixes in Magic. Overall, a perfectly fine card mechanically on its own, just doesn't fit the challenge very well and I have some doubts about the flavor.
Ambitious Harpy2BB
Creature - Harpy (R)
Flying
When Ambitious Harpy enters the battlefield, destroy target creature with power 4 or greater. The harpies of Svalverden are known to attack and kill prey much larger than themselves. The reason for this is unknown, as they cannot consume all that they kill.
3/2
Now we're talking about fitting the challenge! We can be pretty sure that the attacking monster has power 4 or greater, so this is certainly effective against it. The flavor is also very good, and the flavor text very well written. I've got nothing else to say about this card, I like it very much as is.
Svalverden Battle Master1WW
Creature - Human Warrior (U)
Whenever Svaleverden Battle Master blocks or becomes blocked, choose one -
• Svaleverden Battle Master gets +2/+0 until end of turn.
• Svaleverden Battle Master gets +0/+2 until end of turn. "The snow teaches us both how to endure and how to push through."
2/3
Mechanically, I like this card very much, it's very elegant and I expect it to play quite well. There is also a nice anchoring to Fortify. The flavor text makes a lot of sense with the card mechanics. The only thing I'm not sure about is how well this fits the challenge, as this does nothing to deal with the attacking monster except blocking it, and that's the same doubt I had about other cards above. It may also be just me misunderstanding the challenge as I've already mentioned, and this wouldn't be the first time it happens.
Top 3 (based on how well I feel the cards fit the challenge)
1st place: glurman
2nd place: Solesticio
3rd place: RickyRister
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.)
Ravenous Fenrir2RG
Creature - Wolf Beast (U)
Haste
Ravenous Fenrir attacks each turn if able.
Whenever Ravenous Fenrir becomes blocked, it gets +2/-2 and gains first strike until end of turn.
3/3
Decent uncommon. Can't really say much about it, although I don't think having a 3/3 body only to dodge stuff like pyroclasm warrants it not simply being a 5/1 first strike haste that attacks each turn if able. Also don't know if it meets the challenge. I considered it "able to destroy something very large" and not "can effectively trade up if they choose to block".
Snowblind Buckler2
Snow Artifact - Equipment (U)
Prevent all damage that would be dealt to equipped creature by creatures with greater power.
Equipped creature has "1S, T: Target blocked creature deals damage equal to its power to itself."
Equip 3
That is an incredibly powerful second ability. Kinda pushes this at uncommon.
Hungry VinesG
Creature - Plant (R)
Champion a Forest (When this enters the battlefield, sacrifice it unless you exile another Forest you control. When this leaves the battlefield, that card returns to the battlefield.) 1GG, put a land card you own from exile into your graveyard: Hungry Vines gets +3/+3 until the end of turn.
3/2
I rather like this card. It's stompy's dream. Kind of fits the challenge, though it could really only reliably kill something with 4 power by blocking.
Ragada, Blade of Apostasy 3
Legendary Artifact - Equipment (Mythic)
As long as equipped creature is White, it has "WWW, : Destroy target creature with power 4 or greater."
As long as equipped creature is Black, it has "BBB, : Destroy target creature with power 3 or less." 3 : Equipped creature gets +1/+1 and becomes the color of your choice until end of turn.
Equip 3
I can't help but feel that I would be upset if this was a mythic I'd opened. It is overcosted for what it does, and the abilities aren't good enough to make me want to play it.
Coldfire Axe5
Artifact - Equipment (R)
Equipped creature gets +6/+3 and gains "2S: This creature gets +3/-3 or -3/+3 until end of turn."
Equip 4
That's a big axe all right. Can give your little dork +9/+0, which is ridiculous if it has evasion. I think the prohibitive mana cost allows for something this powerful though.
Coldfire Axe5
Artifact - Equipment (R)
Equipped creature gets +6/+3 and gains "2S: This creature gets +3/-3 or -3/+3 until end of turn."
Equip 4
On the card: I like that this can work quite fine without snow mana, while you can still use snow mana to push it. While the effect is quite dramatic, it takes time and mana to get it to +9/+0. This is costly and big and something many would definitely want to play. It will also take quite good care of that monster
Ragada, Blade of Apostasy 3
Legendary Artifact - Equipment (Mythic)
As long as equipped creature is White, it has "WWW, : Destroy target creature with power 4 or greater."
As long as equipped creature is Black, it has "BBB, : Destroy target creature with power 3 or less." 3 : Equipped creature gets +1/+1 and becomes the color of your choice until end of turn.
Equip 3
On the card: This is quite mana intensive. The triple colored costs don't seem to help in making this playable. by the time you killed your first creature you spent 9 mana, and that's only if you have it equipped on a creature of the appropiate color. Of course, repeatable removal is indeed a very powerful effect and should be costly, but I think that in your attempt to balance it you made it a bit unreliable and complicated. In the other hand, this can be a very useful equipment in a monocolored deck: repeatable removal and even a bit of pump but this is far from what you'd expect of a mythic. I don't know, it confuses me, makes me feel like some kind of "split-equipment" rather than a whole set working well.
I can't believe I missed this thread until today! Oh well, looks like I need to think of something ASAP!
Kirgen Assassin3
Snow Creature — Elemental Assassin (R) ( can be paid with either B or one mana from a snow permanent.)
Deathtouch
When Kirgen Assassin enters the battlefield, if B or G was spent to cast it, you may have it fight target creature an opponent controls.
1/5
On the card: I think the high cost here is quite justified. This might be a too reliable source of creature removal for G, but at five mana and at rare I think we can say it's quite safe. I can see this as a potentially annoying blocker, as the high toughness can make this guy survive many blocks, and that's probably what I like the less about it. We had a chat quite some time ago about how hybrid mana pushed the boundaries of the color pie and I think this comes to work in that vein, even when black does not fight and green doesn't kill creatures easily.
Snowblind Buckler2
Snow Artifact - Equipment (U)
Prevent all damage that would be dealt to equipped creature by creatures with greater power.
Equipped creature has "1S, T: Target blocked creature deals damage equal to its power to itself."
Equip 3
On the card: This can turn any creature with higher toughness into a merciless killing machine. I think this is quite focused in deterring attacks, and that's not bad. What I don't like is that this doesn't prevent the damage the equipped creature deals, which could have balanced this by giving attackers a chance of survival if they had greater toughness too.
One idea: Poison-Tipped Spear4
Artifact - Equipment (R)
Equipped creature gets +1/+0 and has first strike and deathtouch.
Equip 4
On the card: I've been dealing with first strikers with deathtouch and they are quite an annoyance, but there's a lot of mana involved to get this to work (and the need of a creature). Certainly printable, but rather generic and not very exciting.
Ravenous Fenrir2RG
Creature - Wolf Beast (U)
Haste
Ravenous Fenrir attacks each turn if able.
Whenever Ravenous Fenrir becomes blocked, it gets +2/-2 and gains first strike until end of turn.
3/3
On the card: This pressures the defending player into taking three damage or facing quite a dangerous block. I like that you have to attack each turn to balance the haste and the third ability.
theazurespirit: This is a good incorporation of the Panglacial Wurm ability into Phoenix flavor. I like it. That said, the term "Rime" has a specific flavor usage in Coldsnap that this card doesn't echo and the Phoenix doesn't feel icy. Maybe some flavor would clear things up.
glurman: Destroying creatures with high powers is a niche specifically carved out for white as opposed to black, which if its not killing indiscriminately and decides references power, looks for power equal to or less. I think this fits the theme of challenge well in terms of design, but really should be white and flavored differently.
Hemlock: This is a really neat design space for champion (the exiled card as a resource part anyway), one I've also worked with. An interesting balanced card for spike. The championing a land seems out of flavor for the ability though, and this card doesn't feel like its from an icy plane.
Moss_Elemental: Powerful but dull. At least in terms of creativity. Gameplay wise It would evoke high emotions. Does it border on Unfun? I think the cost is close enough to warrant trying it out. Flavor is also bland, especially for an ice plane.
Todris052: Neat. I like how it still fits the 6 total P/T requirements regardless of it's effect. Effects are mono red, but otherwise It's a solid card.
void_nothing: A bit strong for an uncommon. Encourages stalled board states. I'm not sure I get the flavor either.
1st: theazurespirit
2nd: Todris052
3rd: Hemlock
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As the sun rises over your third day at Svalverden, you look out at the snow-filled world and begin to think that you might get use to life here. Yes, it’s Freezing with a capital F here, but there are so many new and exciting things to discover, not to mention getting to play with all these outlandish hi-tech toys.
You and the rest of the crew gather around for breakfast. The supplies Wizards sent you are basically combat rations, but yesterday excursion allowed your fellows to bring in some Svalverdenian delicacies. You take your bowl-full of something called “Morjenmusse” and sit down with the rest to eat.
A light conversation develops. You talk about the world you’re in, your adventures from the other day. One of you - you later try to recall who it was but without success - says: “You know what I don’t get? this place is supposed to be the source of all the Christmas tales, so where is…”
He never gets to finish as a loud crash rings through the air. Everybody looks around for the source of the noise, but you don’t need to. From your vantage point, you can clearly see the cracks that form in the icy lake below you.
You can see the huge shadow rising from within, and you gaze in horror as the ice breaks away with another loud crash and something rises from the deep.
It’s big. Too big for your mind to completely comprehend. All you can compute at the moment is its red and white colors. And the horns, and teeth, and claws. One of its many eyes fixes on your camp. It makes a sound. You imagine that’s how an avalanche sounds, if it could speak:
Ho. Ho. Ho.
One of your colleagues, who is a bit more alert than you, aims his Cardmaker 3000 at the monstrosity.
“Time to become a stocking-filler, you Emrakul wannabe!” He shouts, then fires.
The beam hits the monster straight in it’s “face”, but with little effect.
“Don’t be stupid! it’s too big for the Cardmakers!” Yells the Sergeant. “You need to weaken it first”
“Isn’t that from Pokemon?” you ask.
“Does this look like a good time to ask me stupid questions?!” The Sergeant yells back. “Now attack the bloody thing before we’re all dinner!”
All of you look at him dumbfounded. “Attack with what?”, one of you ask.
“Oh, for Elspeth’s sake! you’re designers, aren’t you? Get one of the cards you’ve designed - a creature or something and use the reverse settings on your Cardmakers so you can use it against that thing! Just make sure you don’t summon something too big, or it might try to eat us too! Now get moving, and try not to die!”
You look at your Cardmaker 3000. It does indeed have a small button labeled ‘reverse setting’ right above the trigger. It’s funny you didn’t notice it before.
You look at the gigantic monstrosity looming over. Once again, you have a mission.
Your mission is to design a creature of Svalverden to attack the monster attacking you. It most have joined P/T of no more than 6. Alternatively, you can design an equipment card so that you can gear up and attack it yourself. Choose one or the other (only design one card).
You have until the end of December 14th. Unsuccessful designers will be eaten, and will not move on to the top 8.
Good luck!
Image credit: Porbital @ Deviantart
Host, December 2015: A Winter Wonderland? - R1|R2|R3|Top 8|Semifinals|Finals|Poll
Host, CCL April 2014: A Game of Fate - Signup|R1|R2|R3|Top 8|Semifinal|Finals|Poll
Host, CCL December 2012: Spy Games - Signup|R1|R2|R3|Top 8|Semifinals|Finals|Poll
Host, CCL November 2010: The Perfect Crime - Signup|R1|R2|R3|Top 8|Semifinals|Finals|Poll
Host, CCL August 2009: A Commander's Journey: Signups|R1|R2|R3|Top 8|Semifinals|Finals|Poll
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Creature - Wolf Beast (U)
Haste
Ravenous Fenrir attacks each turn if able.
Whenever Ravenous Fenrir becomes blocked, it gets +2/-2 and gains first strike until end of turn.
3/3
Creature - Human Warrior (U)
Whenever Svaleverden Battle Master blocks or becomes blocked, choose one -
• Svaleverden Battle Master gets +2/+0 until end of turn.
• Svaleverden Battle Master gets +0/+2 until end of turn.
"The snow teaches us both how to endure and how to push through."
2/3
Creature - Harpy (R)
Flying
When Ambitious Harpy enters the battlefield, destroy target creature with power 4 or greater.
The harpies of Svalverden are known to attack and kill prey much larger than themselves. The reason for this is unknown, as they cannot consume all that they kill.
3/2
Poison-Tipped Spear 4
Artifact - Equipment (R)
Equipped creature gets +1/+0 and has first strike and deathtouch.
Equip 4
Snow Artifact - Equipment (U)
Prevent all damage that would be dealt to equipped creature by creatures with greater power.
Equipped creature has "1S, T: Target blocked creature deals damage equal to its power to itself."
Equip 3
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
Creature - Phoenix (R)
Flying, haste
While you're searching your library, you may cast Rimefeather Phoenix from your library.
When Rimefeather Phoenix dies, shuffle it into its owner's library.
2/2
Creature - Elemental (U)
Flash
Flying
When Flurry Elemental enters the battlefield, creatures your opponents control get -2/-0 until end of turn.
2/1
Choose one of these judge of creation:
Make Strionic Resonator shine!
You can not grasp the true form of Ashiok's attack!
Creature — Human Wizard (U)
T: Prodigal Frostburn deals 1 damage to target creature. Tap that creature. It doesn't untap during its controller's next untap step.
1/3
Thought of the Month:
I gave up from trying to require the 'i' on my name: SolesticIo
Artifact - Equipment (U)
Equipped creature gets first strike and "Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a creature, tap that creature and it doesn't untap during its controller's next untap step."
Equip S
Sharper than it looks. Deadlier than you think.
Creature - Plant (R)
Champion a Forest (When this enters the battlefield, sacrifice it unless you exile another Forest you control. When this leaves the battlefield, that card returns to the battlefield.)
1GG, put a land card you own from exile into your graveyard: Hungry Vines gets +3/+3 until the end of turn.
3/2
Host, December 2015: A Winter Wonderland? - R1|R2|R3|Top 8|Semifinals|Finals|Poll
Host, CCL April 2014: A Game of Fate - Signup|R1|R2|R3|Top 8|Semifinal|Finals|Poll
Host, CCL December 2012: Spy Games - Signup|R1|R2|R3|Top 8|Semifinals|Finals|Poll
Host, CCL November 2010: The Perfect Crime - Signup|R1|R2|R3|Top 8|Semifinals|Finals|Poll
Host, CCL August 2009: A Commander's Journey: Signups|R1|R2|R3|Top 8|Semifinals|Finals|Poll
I've got tons of art from the web. Want art for a render? PM me! Want to create your own collection? Start here!
Kirgen Assassin 3
Snow Creature — Elemental Assassin (R)
( can be paid with either B or one mana from a snow permanent.)
Deathtouch
When Kirgen Assassin enters the battlefield, if B or G was spent to cast it, you may have it fight target creature an opponent controls.
1/5
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.)
Legendary Artifact - Equipment (Mythic)
As long as equipped creature is White, it has "WWW, : Destroy target creature with power 4 or greater."
As long as equipped creature is Black, it has "BBB, : Destroy target creature with power 3 or less."
3 : Equipped creature gets +1/+1 and becomes the color of your choice until end of turn.
Equip 3
Artifact - Equipment (R)
Equipped creature gets +6/+3 and gains "2S: This creature gets +3/-3 or -3/+3 until end of turn."
Equip 4
You got 99 attackers but I'm blocking with 1.
The Winner is Judge | 7
This Winner is Also Judge | 6
Club Flamingo | Lots
"Alright men!", He yells, "This here is a list of everybody, come up here, read it, then look for the six people listed below your name, and find out if they're alive and what's their status! No time to waste, hop to it!"
You get up and limp towards the list:
RickyRister
Solesticio
IcariiFA
theazurespirit
glurman
Hemlock
Moss_Elemental
Todris052
void_nothing
netn10
Ninja Caterpie
bravelion83
Ink-Treader
Time to look for the rest, you guess.
(Obviously, if you hit the bottom of the list, circle back to the top. Deadline for critique is December 18th. If you can't find the time to post full critiques, please make sure you at least post a top 3)
Host, December 2015: A Winter Wonderland? - R1|R2|R3|Top 8|Semifinals|Finals|Poll
Host, CCL April 2014: A Game of Fate - Signup|R1|R2|R3|Top 8|Semifinal|Finals|Poll
Host, CCL December 2012: Spy Games - Signup|R1|R2|R3|Top 8|Semifinals|Finals|Poll
Host, CCL November 2010: The Perfect Crime - Signup|R1|R2|R3|Top 8|Semifinals|Finals|Poll
Host, CCL August 2009: A Commander's Journey: Signups|R1|R2|R3|Top 8|Semifinals|Finals|Poll
I've got tons of art from the web. Want art for a render? PM me! Want to create your own collection? Start here!
First, I love the name! It's a wonderful pun that I expected to pay off differently as I went on reading the card. "Ice" + "cycle": I expected a psuedo-cycling ability if not straight up cycling. The "ice" part is very well represented by freezing (tap and it doesn't untap) the creature, but the "cycle" part is missing. The name set up false expectations for me, but the card is fine otherwise. Mechanically, I particularly appreciate the use of snow mana in the equip cost: you're bleeding the freezing ability into all colors (normally it's just primary blue and secondary white), but at least not all decks will be able to run this, only decks able to produce snow mana will.
Another clever use of the freezing ability, and I understand why: it takes care of the attacking monster, so it works mechanically, and it's very flavorful in this frosty world. I love the anchoring here on Prodigal Sorcerer and Prodigal Pyromancer. It also reminds me of Thundermaw Hellkite in a way. Burn is red and freezing blue, and rarity looks also right. I can't find a single flaw in this card. Very good work!
This card is perfectly fine in a vacuum. I'd actually see this very well in Lorwyn as a Faerie, but it's also good as an Elemental. I don't have a lot to say about this card as a single card design. I just don't see this card fitting the round challenge very well: yes, it can weaken the monster but I think we can be relatively sure that that monster has power greater than 2. I thought we had to outright kill it or paralyze it or something like that, something that prevented us from taking any damage from it at least from some time, if not permanently. But maybe I misunderstood the spirit of the challenge, it wouldn't be the first time that something like that happens.
This card has the same problem of the previous one, but even worse. This does literally nothing to take care of the monster attacking us, other than blocking it (which mostly any creature can do). It's also strange to see this as a Phoenix, I get that this is supposed to be a Phoenix that comes back from the library rather than the graveyard, and that works mechanically and it's very original, but coming back from the graveyard is an integral part of the flavor of Phoenixes in Magic. Overall, a perfectly fine card mechanically on its own, just doesn't fit the challenge very well and I have some doubts about the flavor.
Now we're talking about fitting the challenge! We can be pretty sure that the attacking monster has power 4 or greater, so this is certainly effective against it. The flavor is also very good, and the flavor text very well written. I've got nothing else to say about this card, I like it very much as is.
Mechanically, I like this card very much, it's very elegant and I expect it to play quite well. There is also a nice anchoring to Fortify. The flavor text makes a lot of sense with the card mechanics. The only thing I'm not sure about is how well this fits the challenge, as this does nothing to deal with the attacking monster except blocking it, and that's the same doubt I had about other cards above. It may also be just me misunderstanding the challenge as I've already mentioned, and this wouldn't be the first time it happens.
Top 3 (based on how well I feel the cards fit the challenge)
1st place: glurman
2nd place: Solesticio
3rd place: RickyRister
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.)
Decent uncommon. Can't really say much about it, although I don't think having a 3/3 body only to dodge stuff like pyroclasm warrants it not simply being a 5/1 first strike haste that attacks each turn if able. Also don't know if it meets the challenge. I considered it "able to destroy something very large" and not "can effectively trade up if they choose to block".
This thing will definitely kill whatever it touches. I still think this may be too strong despite the high cost to get it out/equipped.
That is an incredibly powerful second ability. Kinda pushes this at uncommon.
I rather like this card. It's stompy's dream. Kind of fits the challenge, though it could really only reliably kill something with 4 power by blocking.
I can't help but feel that I would be upset if this was a mythic I'd opened. It is overcosted for what it does, and the abilities aren't good enough to make me want to play it.
That's a big axe all right. Can give your little dork +9/+0, which is ridiculous if it has evasion. I think the prohibitive mana cost allows for something this powerful though.
2) Todris052
3) Ninja Caterpie
On the card: I like that this can work quite fine without snow mana, while you can still use snow mana to push it. While the effect is quite dramatic, it takes time and mana to get it to +9/+0. This is costly and big and something many would definitely want to play. It will also take quite good care of that monster
On the card: This is quite mana intensive. The triple colored costs don't seem to help in making this playable. by the time you killed your first creature you spent 9 mana, and that's only if you have it equipped on a creature of the appropiate color. Of course, repeatable removal is indeed a very powerful effect and should be costly, but I think that in your attempt to balance it you made it a bit unreliable and complicated. In the other hand, this can be a very useful equipment in a monocolored deck: repeatable removal and even a bit of pump but this is far from what you'd expect of a mythic. I don't know, it confuses me, makes me feel like some kind of "split-equipment" rather than a whole set working well.
On the card: I think the high cost here is quite justified. This might be a too reliable source of creature removal for G, but at five mana and at rare I think we can say it's quite safe. I can see this as a potentially annoying blocker, as the high toughness can make this guy survive many blocks, and that's probably what I like the less about it. We had a chat quite some time ago about how hybrid mana pushed the boundaries of the color pie and I think this comes to work in that vein, even when black does not fight and green doesn't kill creatures easily.
On the card: This can turn any creature with higher toughness into a merciless killing machine. I think this is quite focused in deterring attacks, and that's not bad. What I don't like is that this doesn't prevent the damage the equipped creature deals, which could have balanced this by giving attackers a chance of survival if they had greater toughness too.
On the card: I've been dealing with first strikers with deathtouch and they are quite an annoyance, but there's a lot of mana involved to get this to work (and the need of a creature). Certainly printable, but rather generic and not very exciting.
On the card: This pressures the defending player into taking three damage or facing quite a dangerous block. I like that you have to attack each turn to balance the haste and the third ability.
2. Todris
3. bravelion
glurman: Destroying creatures with high powers is a niche specifically carved out for white as opposed to black, which if its not killing indiscriminately and decides references power, looks for power equal to or less. I think this fits the theme of challenge well in terms of design, but really should be white and flavored differently.
Hemlock: This is a really neat design space for champion (the exiled card as a resource part anyway), one I've also worked with. An interesting balanced card for spike. The championing a land seems out of flavor for the ability though, and this card doesn't feel like its from an icy plane.
Moss_Elemental: Powerful but dull. At least in terms of creativity. Gameplay wise It would evoke high emotions. Does it border on Unfun? I think the cost is close enough to warrant trying it out. Flavor is also bland, especially for an ice plane.
Todris052: Neat. I like how it still fits the 6 total P/T requirements regardless of it's effect. Effects are mono red, but otherwise It's a solid card.
void_nothing: A bit strong for an uncommon. Encourages stalled board states. I'm not sure I get the flavor either.
2nd: Todris052
3rd: Hemlock