Perhaps the reason that worse cards keep beating better cards is because players are taking other factors into account, and perhaps this trend, rather than suddenly stopping for no reason, will continue, and this week's card-vote won't be close at all?
I've never seen Paladin-en-Vec in a Casual deck, but the Champion is definitely popular with the crowd. Personally, when I vote my defining quality is not 'spike' or 'casual,' but usually 'budget.' I own two Champions and zero Paladins, so it gets my vote easy.
As you play CARDNAME, name a card.
Remove all spells with the chosen name which are on the stack from the game.
Spells with the chosen name can't be played. (This effect does not end at end of turn.)
Look! I just several-upped Cranial Extraction for one more mana! I even countered uncounterable-spells! I'm a mad-genius!
Another idea I've just stolen:
2WUU
Creature
You may play CARDNAME whenever you could play an instant. When CARDNAME comes into play, counter target spell.
Whenever you play a Blue spell, you may return CARDNAME to its owner's hand.
Whenever you play a White spell, oh, I dunno, gain 2 life.
The art is commissioned specifically for the JSS pamphlet that the DCI mails out. It's pro'lly just based on some Ravnica style-guide stuff. There's no secret or anything, it's just a promotional image like the Frog-Monster on the graft poster for Dissension.
Isn't it a problem that the artifact lacks a guilded activation? I thought it was confirmed that there were just the three signets and the three rare guild-facts in Dissension, which would suggest that there should be a WU in one of those activation costs...
I've never seen Paladin-en-Vec in a Casual deck, but the Champion is definitely popular with the crowd. Personally, when I vote my defining quality is not 'spike' or 'casual,' but usually 'budget.' I own two Champions and zero Paladins, so it gets my vote easy.
Instant
As you play CARDNAME, name a card.
Remove all spells with the chosen name which are on the stack from the game.
Spells with the chosen name can't be played. (This effect does not end at end of turn.)
Look! I just several-upped Cranial Extraction for one more mana! I even countered uncounterable-spells! I'm a mad-genius!
Another idea I've just stolen:
2WUU
Creature
You may play CARDNAME whenever you could play an instant. When CARDNAME comes into play, counter target spell.
Whenever you play a Blue spell, you may return CARDNAME to its owner's hand.
Whenever you play a White spell, oh, I dunno, gain 2 life.
One can dream, can't I?