Welcome to the August CCL! This round is for our three finalists:
doomfish
Subject16
Hemlock
Theme At last, your heroic persona is complete. With costume and catchphrase, vehicle and sidekick, you strike out onto the streets of Bablovia, eager to bring justice to the world. But what you find is only a mundane and dispassionate society. Sure there are explosions, but the goblins volunteered for those jobs and there weren't supposed to be buildings there anyway. None of the League's evil plans ever seem to come to fruition, and who knows what the Agents of S.N.E.A.K. are up to.
As the weeks pass, with no chance to show your righteousness, you grow increasingly frustrated. Why can't the world give you a chance to shine? Where are the adulating cries, the merchandising opportunities? WHY DOESN'T ANYBODY CARE?!
Finally, you come to a liberating realization. If you want to gain fame and leave your mark on the world, you are going to have to take a proactive approach. It's time to show everyone what you're really made of - obscure card types!
Challenge
Create four cards as follows.
A Vanguard card representing your Round 1 Hero turned to a villain.
A Scheme card whose name shows your new villainous philosophy
Mark Poole, Bachelor of Arts2WUB
Legendary Creature - Human Artist Hero (Mythic)
Spells with art by Mark Poole can't be countered. 2: Target spell or permanents color or artists becomes the color or artist of your choice until end of turn.
At the beginning of combat on your turn, roll a six-sided Dice for each permanent you control with art by Mark Poole. For each roll of 4 or higher, put a +1/+1 counter on Mark Poole,Bachelor of Arts. "Kev Walk'outta here."
-> Illustrator: Kev Walker Mark Poole (in that Kev Walker did the original art for but Mark Poole was then invited to alter it with a red sharpie.
2/2
Mark Poole
Character
Whenever a player casts a spell with art not by Mark Poole, that spell's controller loses 1 life unless they pay 1. If they do, you gain 1 life.
Starting Hand Size: -2
Starting Life Total: +2 Abhorred by the consistent failures of Bablovia's factions, Mark realized that they needed tutelage like the Multiverse had never seen before.
"You will learn my ways."
When you set this scheme into motion, choose an opponent. Each other opponent secretly names an artist.
The chosen player can't cast spells with art not by Mark Poole.
At the beginning of the chosen player's end step, each opponent reveals the artist they named. If the chosen player controls different nonland permanents with art by the named artists, abandon this scheme.
Note: In this scenario, if two players name the same artist, then the chosen player needs two cards with art by that artist.
Ectoplasmic Battery
Artifact - Contraption (Mythic - League of Dastardly Doom Symbol)
When you crank Ectoplasmic Battery, target creature you control gets +1/+1 until end of turn. When that creature deals combat damage to a player this turn, disassemble Ghost in a Bottle, then transform it.
~Art by Mark Poole
//
Electrofrazzler UR Creature - Elemental Spirit (Mythic)
Flying, hexproof
At the beginning of combat on your turn, you may move the CRANK! counter to your Contraption deck's next sprocket and crank any number of that sprocket's contraptions. For each Contraption you crank this way, Electrofrazzler gets +2/+2 until end of turn.
4/4
~Art by Mark Poole
Poole's Mark
Conspiracy (Mythic Rare) (Start this game with this conspiracy face up in the command zone.)
Your deck can't have cards with more than one artist except for basic lands, or can't have cards with the same artist except for basic lands.
Each player who has cast a spell this turn can't cast additional spells with different artists. At Villeneuve's fall, Mark Poole's Grand Exhibition began.
NB: The deck limitations means you either have all nonbasic cards with the same artist or none of them, the latter only to factor in playability in limited. It also doesn't apply to Contraption decks either
Neera, Propelled Penguin2GW
Legendary Creature - Bird Artificer Hero (R) [Silver border and Crossbreed Labs watermark]
Reveal Neera, Propelled Penguin as you draft it and note a token you took from a booster pack you opened this draft.
Flying
When Neera, Propelled Penguin enters the battlefield, put a +1/+1 counter on it or create a token that you noted for cards named Neera, Propelled Penguin.
2/2
Neera
Character
You may have creature tokens you control enter the battlefield as a copy of any creature token you control.
Starting Hand Size: +2 | Starting Life Total: +5
Animals are the Better People
Scheme
When you set this scheme in motion, choose one —
• Create a 6/6 green Wurm creature token.
• Create three 1/1 black Bat creature tokens with flying.
A.o.E.-Froster
Artifact - Contraption
Whenever you crank A.o.E.-Froster, creatures don’t untap during their controller’s next untap step.
All are One
Conspiracy (M) (Start the game with this conspiracy face up in the command zone.)
Whenever a nontoken creature would enter the battlefield under your control, exile it instead. Then create a token that’s a copy of a creature card exiled with All are One. "Everyone should be like Fifi!"
-Neera, Propelled Penguin
Multiple instances of lifelink on the same creature are redundant.
Multiple instances of lifelink on the same creature are redundant.
Multiple instances of lifelink on the same creature are redundant.
—Eli Shiffrin, Rules Manager, on a design stacking lifelink instances
McBallard, who Keeps Coming Back for More1RW
Legendary Creature - Human Soldier Hero (m)
Haste, first strike, vigilance, prowess, menace.
Whenever you would create a soldier token, you may instead put McBallard, who Keeps Coming Back for More onto the battlefield from your graveyard or exile instead. "Aren't you dead yet!"
2/2
McBallard
Character
All creatures have haste and prowess.
Stanting Hand Size +3
Starting Life Total -4
No Butt Left Unkicked
Ongoing Scheme (An ongoing scheme remains face up until it's abandoned)
At the beggining of your combat, for each opponent, create a red 2/2 Rascal creature tolen with prowess tapped and attacking that opponent. Exile that token at end of turn.
At your end of turn, if no opponents have been dealt damage this turn, abandon this scheme.
Unionization Assembly
Artifact - Contraption (u)(Explosioneers)
When you crank Unionization Assembly, Create an artifact Rigger token with "This creature's power and toughness are each equal to the number of riggers you control."
Right to Brag
Conspiracy (m) (Start the game with this conspiracy face up in the command zone.)
Whenever a source you control would deal any ammount of damage, it deals that much damage plus one instead.
Whenever a source would deal any ammount of damage to you or to a creature you control, it deals that much damage minus one instead.
These crits are going to be difficult. I've never played Vanguard before and it's been a while since I've played Archenemy either, so I hope that I've got a good grasp of the power level of the variants.
Neera: I like this card a lot. It definitely pushes you to build a deck that wants a lot of tokens but also different types of tokens, like a Brudiclad, Telchor Engineer Commander deck. I don't know if the extra 5 life is warranted particularly, because I feel that might just give you a bit too much of an edge to a very abusable effect. Animals are the Better People: This is a really straightforward scheme, but I feel like you could maybe give it a bit more of an oomph. Trample on the Wurm or the option to make two 2/2 Wolves as well would have really made this scheme stronger, although the trample option might be a bit too good on the early game. It's a neat design and it works well with your hero and your vanguard too (not that draft, archenemy and vanguard are things that we'll ever see together in the same product though). A.o.E.-Froster: This is a pretty interesting ability, especially considering its symmetrical effect, it punishes aggressive players and opens a window for others to hit them in turn, but at the cost of being open themselves. It definitely makes you think about how you're going to attack. I would definitely class it as a stall-level card, and it's a shame there's no rarity for me to evaluate because I can't see this at anything but rare for the sole reason of lowering the chances of someone picking three of these in a draft and getting a lock on the board. All are One: The flavour of this card is pretty cool, and it's actually a really interesting design. It's powerful in a limited environment in that all your creatures can always be your bomb over and over again, but there's also a ceiling to how much you can abuse it because there's only a set number of nontoken creatures you can create (as long as one of them isn't Riftsweeper).
McBallard: Turning all creatures into Monastery Swiftspears makes the game very fast and dangerous, and I might be inclined to say it does so too well. The extra hand size definitely pushes you even more towards and aggressive deck, and the lower life total is a good compromise. I would maybe argue that three extra cards might be a bit too much, but that depends on how well your deck is built around your character. No Butt Left Unkicked: There are some wording issues here in that you're creating attacking tokens outside of the declare attackers step which is an issue. I also feel that the tokens should have been Soldiers so as to better synergize with your Hero. Otherwise I'd say it's a well balanced scheme. Unionization Assembly: I love the name, but to me this feels like a much weaker Rapid Prototyper, especially because it doesn't give the token haste that Reckless One has. It's not the easiest card to design a contraption around, but I feel that there was room for a more interesting design. Right to Brag:As a mythic-level conspiracy, I don't think this does it for me. If you look at Sovereign's Realm or Hymn of the Wilds they both place pretty rough restrictions for an interesting upside. In this case this is pure upside and nothing else, and in a draft-style limited format a conspiracy like this is bound to win you most games through combat math alone. I'm not sure which part I would personally change, but I'd probably keep the damage prevention and have some odd combat-oriented restriction to make sure it isn't too silly.
Best Vanguard: Doomfish Best Scheme: Hemlock Best Contraption: Doomfish Best Conspiracy: Doomfish Second Place: Hemlock First: Doomfish
The Villain Within
Behold the Power of Destruction by Jesper Ejsing
Welcome to the August CCL! This round is for our three finalists:
doomfish
Subject16
Hemlock
Theme
At last, your heroic persona is complete. With costume and catchphrase, vehicle and sidekick, you strike out onto the streets of Bablovia, eager to bring justice to the world. But what you find is only a mundane and dispassionate society. Sure there are explosions, but the goblins volunteered for those jobs and there weren't supposed to be buildings there anyway. None of the League's evil plans ever seem to come to fruition, and who knows what the Agents of S.N.E.A.K. are up to.
As the weeks pass, with no chance to show your righteousness, you grow increasingly frustrated. Why can't the world give you a chance to shine? Where are the adulating cries, the merchandising opportunities? WHY DOESN'T ANYBODY CARE?!
Finally, you come to a liberating realization. If you want to gain fame and leave your mark on the world, you are going to have to take a proactive approach. It's time to show everyone what you're really made of - obscure card types!
Challenge
Schedule
Character
Whenever a player casts a spell with art not by Mark Poole, that spell's controller loses 1 life unless they pay 1. If they do, you gain 1 life.
Starting Hand Size: -2
Starting Life Total: +2
Abhorred by the consistent failures of Bablovia's factions, Mark realized that they needed tutelage like the Multiverse had never seen before.
When you set this scheme into motion, choose an opponent. Each other opponent secretly names an artist.
The chosen player can't cast spells with art not by Mark Poole.
At the beginning of the chosen player's end step, each opponent reveals the artist they named. If the chosen player controls different nonland permanents with art by the named artists, abandon this scheme.
Note: In this scenario, if two players name the same artist, then the chosen player needs two cards with art by that artist.
Artifact - Contraption (Mythic - League of Dastardly Doom Symbol)
When you crank Ectoplasmic Battery, target creature you control gets +1/+1 until end of turn. When that creature deals combat damage to a player this turn, disassemble Ghost in a Bottle, then transform it.
~Art by Mark Poole
//
Electrofrazzler
UR Creature - Elemental Spirit (Mythic)
Flying, hexproof
At the beginning of combat on your turn, you may move the CRANK! counter to your Contraption deck's next sprocket and crank any number of that sprocket's contraptions. For each Contraption you crank this way, Electrofrazzler gets +2/+2 until end of turn.
4/4
~Art by Mark Poole
Conspiracy (Mythic Rare)
(Start this game with this conspiracy face up in the command zone.)
Your deck can't have cards with more than one artist except for basic lands, or can't have cards with the same artist except for basic lands.
Each player who has cast a spell this turn can't cast additional spells with different artists.
At Villeneuve's fall, Mark Poole's Grand Exhibition began.
NB: The deck limitations means you either have all nonbasic cards with the same artist or none of them, the latter only to factor in playability in limited. It also doesn't apply to Contraption decks either
Neera, Propelled Penguin 2GW
Legendary Creature - Bird Artificer Hero (R)
[Silver border and Crossbreed Labs watermark]
Reveal Neera, Propelled Penguin as you draft it and note a token you took from a booster pack you opened this draft.
Flying
When Neera, Propelled Penguin enters the battlefield, put a +1/+1 counter on it or create a token that you noted for cards named Neera, Propelled Penguin.
2/2
Character
You may have creature tokens you control enter the battlefield as a copy of any creature token you control.
Starting Hand Size: +2 | Starting Life Total: +5
Scheme
When you set this scheme in motion, choose one —
• Create a 6/6 green Wurm creature token.
• Create three 1/1 black Bat creature tokens with flying.
Artifact - Contraption
Whenever you crank A.o.E.-Froster, creatures don’t untap during their controller’s next untap step.
Conspiracy (M)
(Start the game with this conspiracy face up in the command zone.)
Whenever a nontoken creature would enter the battlefield under your control, exile it instead. Then create a token that’s a copy of a creature card exiled with All are One.
"Everyone should be like Fifi!"
-Neera, Propelled Penguin
Multiple instances of lifelink on the same creature are redundant.
Multiple instances of lifelink on the same creature are redundant.
—Eli Shiffrin, Rules Manager, on a design stacking lifelink instances
McBallard
Character
All creatures have haste and prowess.
Stanting Hand Size +3
Starting Life Total -4
No Butt Left Unkicked
Ongoing Scheme
(An ongoing scheme remains face up until it's abandoned)
At the beggining of your combat, for each opponent, create a red 2/2 Rascal creature tolen with prowess tapped and attacking that opponent. Exile that token at end of turn.
At your end of turn, if no opponents have been dealt damage this turn, abandon this scheme.
Unionization Assembly
Artifact - Contraption (u)(Explosioneers)
When you crank Unionization Assembly, Create an artifact Rigger token with "This creature's power and toughness are each equal to the number of riggers you control."
Based on random card reckless one
Right to Brag
Conspiracy (m)
(Start the game with this conspiracy face up in the command zone.)
Whenever a source you control would deal any ammount of damage, it deals that much damage plus one instead.
Whenever a source would deal any ammount of damage to you or to a creature you control, it deals that much damage minus one instead.
Animals are the Better People: This is a really straightforward scheme, but I feel like you could maybe give it a bit more of an oomph. Trample on the Wurm or the option to make two 2/2 Wolves as well would have really made this scheme stronger, although the trample option might be a bit too good on the early game. It's a neat design and it works well with your hero and your vanguard too (not that draft, archenemy and vanguard are things that we'll ever see together in the same product though).
A.o.E.-Froster: This is a pretty interesting ability, especially considering its symmetrical effect, it punishes aggressive players and opens a window for others to hit them in turn, but at the cost of being open themselves. It definitely makes you think about how you're going to attack. I would definitely class it as a stall-level card, and it's a shame there's no rarity for me to evaluate because I can't see this at anything but rare for the sole reason of lowering the chances of someone picking three of these in a draft and getting a lock on the board.
All are One: The flavour of this card is pretty cool, and it's actually a really interesting design. It's powerful in a limited environment in that all your creatures can always be your bomb over and over again, but there's also a ceiling to how much you can abuse it because there's only a set number of nontoken creatures you can create (as long as one of them isn't Riftsweeper).
No Butt Left Unkicked: There are some wording issues here in that you're creating attacking tokens outside of the declare attackers step which is an issue. I also feel that the tokens should have been Soldiers so as to better synergize with your Hero. Otherwise I'd say it's a well balanced scheme.
Unionization Assembly: I love the name, but to me this feels like a much weaker Rapid Prototyper, especially because it doesn't give the token haste that Reckless One has. It's not the easiest card to design a contraption around, but I feel that there was room for a more interesting design.
Right to Brag:As a mythic-level conspiracy, I don't think this does it for me. If you look at Sovereign's Realm or Hymn of the Wilds they both place pretty rough restrictions for an interesting upside. In this case this is pure upside and nothing else, and in a draft-style limited format a conspiracy like this is bound to win you most games through combat math alone. I'm not sure which part I would personally change, but I'd probably keep the damage prevention and have some odd combat-oriented restriction to make sure it isn't too silly.
Best Scheme: Hemlock
Best Contraption: Doomfish
Best Conspiracy: Doomfish
Second Place: Hemlock
First: Doomfish
Just to make sure, the poll is up here for public voting on these.