MTG Salvation

The gimmick for this set is that there is a constant background music. The various cards can change the volume, pitch, and tempo of the music (all of which start at 10), and/or benefit from the changes. The pie:

White: Raise the pitch, stronger with high pitch. Gain blue abilities with low volume.
Blue: Lower the volume, stronger with low volume. Gain various abilities with low tempo.
Black: Lower the pitch, stronger with low pitch. Gain various abilities with low tempo.
Red: Raise the volume, stronger with high volume. Gain black abilities with low pitch.
Green: Raise the tempo, stronger with high tempo. Gain red abilities with high volume. Gain white abilities with high pitch.
Artifact: Lower the tempo, stronger with low tempo. Gain blue abilities with low volume. Gain black abilities with low pitch.

Sorry, these are a bit rushed. Taking too long of a lunch break as it is.

Quote from Brofaux

I don't quite understand the bonus..

TX2 Repair Droid 3WG
Artifact Creature - Construct Artificer
Flying, Absorb 1
:symtap:: Target artifact creature is indestructible until end of turn
3/3

Drone better.--Ivan Vanko
A fun, simple concept. Seems a bit overpowered, as even by itself it's an amazing wall or decent attacker. Absorb 1 is mostly superfluous when it can make itself indestructible.

Quote from Hanslineman

Well here is the existing Artificer, Master Transmuter.

Here is the Evolved form lol.

Tony: Hammer tech?
Rhodey: Hammer tech.

Quote from Kensei

Mishra, Artificer Savant UBBR
Legendary Creature-Human Artificer
Sacrifice an artifact: Add U,B, or Rto your mana pool. Activate this ability no more than three times each turn.
UBR, Sacrifice two noncreature artifacts: Search your library for an artifact card, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle your library.
4/4

After almost 20 years, you're still taking me to school.
--Tony
Callback to the second-greatest artificer of all time; makes sense. The first ability is pretty weak, with the anti-combo clause. The second is interesting, but overall I'd call the card underwhelming for the mythic rare any Mishra would need to be.

Quote from jwanders

Slobad, Enraged Weaponsmith RR
Legendary Creature—Goblin Artificer
Sacrifice an artifact: Put a spike counter on target equipment and it gains "Equipped creature gets an additional +1/+1".
"And after the Levelers returned, he changed. He became more single minded, his creations focused solely on the pernicious destruction of Memnarch's army. We never heard him laugh again."—Glissa Sunseaker
2/1

Now I realize, well, Tony never really did
come home, did he? He left a part of himself in that cave. Breaks my heart.--Obadiah
Very clever. This would be playable and balanced in Mirrodin block, very grokkable but helping to create unique play situations.

Quote from DeusofCalamity

Master Augmenter 2UR
Creature - Human Artificer (U)
Sacrifice an artifact: Put two +1/+1 counters on target creature.
2/3

"This is just what I need!"
--Tony, using Captain America's shield to prop up his supercollider

Could be reasonably playable in a block with artifact creatures. Doesn't seem particularly inspired.

Quote from Goryus

Leonin Weaponsmith 1W
Creature - Cat Artificer
:symtap:, sacrifice an artifact: put a Sword counter on up to two target creatures. As long as those creatures have a Sword counter, they get +1/+1 and count as being equipped.
1/1

(Dwarven Weaponsmith)
(Leonin Den-Guard" target="blank">Leonin Den-Guard)

Tony Stark has created a sword, but he insists on telling us it's a shield.
--Hammer
I'd have this create actual equipment tokens, seems cleaner. Other than that, a fairly clever, balanced card. Maybe a bit underpowered.

Quote from Megiddo

Faerie Tinkerer 2UUU
Artifact Creature — Faerie Artificer {U}
Flying
When Faerie Tinkerer enters the battlefield, reveal the top three cards of your library. Put each artifact card revealed this way into your graveyard and the rest into your hand.
No prototype is too valuable to trash in his neverending search for perfection.
2/1

art: an angry faerie mechanist smashing several complicated, expensive-looking machines of his own creation.

Pepper: What do you want me to do with this?
Tony: That? Destroy it. Incinerate it.
Pepper: You don't want to keep it?
Tony: Pepper, I've been called many things. Nostalgic is not one of them.

So, if you're playing an artifact-lite deck, it's draw 3 cards plus a 2/1 flier. Possibly a bit underpowered compared to similar sorceries or Sphinx of Lost Truths, but it might sneak into a deck or two and the flavor's quirkily fun.

Quote from The Motley Fool

Archmage of Lat-Nam UUU
Creature- Human Artificer
:symtap:, sacrifice an artifact: Draw a card.
2W, :symtap:: Return target artifact from your graveyard to your hand.
His education began in Lat-Nam, finished in Argive, and began anew upon his return.
1/3

It's good to be back!
--Tony
Reasonably quirky and interesting, even if there's nothing particularly striking about it. Definitely feels like an artificer.

Quote from hoyerhan

Lobo, Scrapheap Looter R
Creature - Goblin Artificer
:symtap:, exile an artifact creature in any graveyard: Lobo, Scrapheap Looter becomes an artifact creature and gains all abilities of the exiled creature. (This does not end at the end of turn).
In the end he was more machine than human - Slobad
1/1

I am Iron Man. The suit and I are one.
--Tony
I'm a sucker for these types of effects. This seems a bit too breakable, given artifact creatures out there like Nullstone Gargoyle or Platinum Angel, and ones with shroud or indestructibility. The flavortext also made me cringe a bit, though no doubt it was tongue-in-cheek.

Quote from Emocakes

Rhodey, Lieutenant Colonel :2mana::symw:
Legendary Creature - Soldier Artificer (M)
If Rhodey is equipped, you may pay and flip it.
2/2
--------------------
War Machine
Legendary Artifact Creature - Golem Soldier
Indestructible, Flying
Whenever War Machine attacks, it deals 2 damage to 2 target creatures.

At the beginning of your upkeep, pay or remove all equipment from War Machine.
4/4

I couldn't resist making War Machine into a card. I don't even care if I lose.

This lone gunslinger act is unnecessary... you don't have to do this alone!
--Rhodey
I'm not sure Rhodey is an artificer. He's definitely a Human, as long as I'm nitpicking typelines. The flip condition needs clarification--I like it best as a triggered ability, but as written it could also mean "As long as...". The card is a bit overpowered, given how easy the flip condition is.

Quote from nope

Kazgnu, Tuktuk Wrecker
Legendary Creature-Goblin Artificer
Whenever ~ or another ally enters the battlfield under your control you may destroy target artifact. If that artifact is put into a graveyard this way, you may have ~ deal damage to target creature or player equal to the number of allies you control, and/or put X scrap counters on ~ where X is equal to that artifacts converted mana cost.

2R remove X scrap counters from ~: Put target artifact card with converted mana cost X or less from a graveyard onto the battlefield under you control.
Kaz had always been a renowned expert at smashing stuff. However it was not until he learned how to put things back together, that he truly became a legend

I'll short your motherboard, turn you into a spice rack.
--Tony
High complexity, typeline issues. Does feel like an artificer, though.

Quote from Cetonis

Argivian Seraph 3WWW
Creature - Angel Artificer (R)
Flying
When Argivian Seraph enters the battlefield, you may return target artifact creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield.
Artifact creatures you contol have absorb 2.
4/4

Senator Stern: Our priority here is to have you turn over the Iron Man weapon to the American people.
Tony: Well, you can forget it. We're safe. America is secure. You want my property - you can't have it! But I did you a big favor. I have successfully privatized world peace.

I like the deck this suggests: a horde of artifact creatures, watched over by a benevolent angel. Fun.

Quote from Life Weaver

Niv-Mizzet, The Voidalmind 4UB
Legendary Artifact Creature - Dragon Artificer
Flying
Whenever you would draw an artifact card, target player sends the top 2 cards of his or her library into the graveyard.
:symtap:: Draw a card.
5/5
Leaving Ravnica, Niv-Mizzet realized he left the Firemind behind and with that the red mana inside his body as well. As his vision began to fade from the wounds the Nephilim had dealt to him, he could see a metallic paradise of mathematical perfection in the distance. The closer he got, the more his body began to become artificial. He could feel the very madness that was caused from a backlash of losing the Firemind eating away at his mind.

(Although Niv-Mizzet on his card isn't a Artificer, he was basically one as he created many mechanical wonders for Ravnica that kept it going)

Sir, I'm gonna have to ask you to exit the doughnut.
--Nick Fury
The first ability needs a drastic rewrite...it uses the illegal "if...would" construction, and needs a reveal. It's also so weak as to be pointless. Overall, not very inspired.

Quote from bloodyspasm

Apprentice Artificer 1U
Creature - Human Artificer (U)
T:Until end of turn, target noncreature artifact becomes a creature with power and toughness equal to it's converted mana cost.
"You are not to leave this room until you can make it stay animated." - Master Artificer
1/2

"Well, that was easy."
--Tony
Shockingly simple. A little too simple for my tastes. It would be fun to play with, though.

Quote from Kev the Walker

Z'lbad, Goblin Tinkerer 1RR
Legendary Artifact Creature - Goblin Artificer (M)
T: Target artifact is indestructible this turn.
Grandeur — Discard another card named ~: Choose target artifact a player controls and target artifact card in that player's graveyard. If both targets are still legal as this ability resolves, that player simultaneously sacrifices the artifact and returns the artifact card to the battlefield.
2/2

"Remember me?"
Tony: Sure don't.
Obscure reference! Very fun concept, marred by the fact that red probably shouldn't get such a great blocker.

jwanders is the winner, although I would've been happy giving the trophy to almost all of these. Well done, everyone.

Quote from GetItWrong

Thanks, blondbearde.

Next challenge: Pick one of the following flavortexts, and build a card with that text. I'll be forgiving on text box size.

Quote from Pronigious

Dread Steed's Bridle 3
Artifact - Equipment
Equip: pay 2 life
Equipped creature gains +1/+1, haste, and can't be blocked except by creatures with flying.
Equipped creature must attack each turn if able.
A horse and a man: above, below:
One has a plan, but both must go.
Mile after mile, above, beneath;
One has a smile, and one has teeth.
Though the man above might say hello,
Expect no love from the beast below.

This all tracks well for me other than "can't be blocked except," where I don't understand the flavor. It seems balanced.

Quote from Artificer Andy

Enthralling Nightmares 1BBB
Enchantment (R)
If a player would draw a card, instead he or she puts the top card of his or her graveyard into his or her hand.

In bed above, or deep asleep,
While greater love lies further deep,
This dream must end, this world must know:
We all depend on the beast below.

Graveyard-order-matters has never been more deprecated, thanks to recent changes in tournament rules. Beyond that, while I like the flavor, this has the potential to be hideously broken, completely locking down your opponent while letting you recur what you want.

Quote from Goryus

Night Terrors 2BB
Enchantment
When Night Terrors enters the battlefield, choose a creature.
As long as that creature is tapped, Night Terrors is a 6/6 black Demon Beast creature with flying and shroud.
In bed above, or deep asleep,
While greater love lies further deep,
This dream must end, this world must know:
We all depend on the beast below.

Clever. I don't think it's playable--it's too much work to go to just for a mildly undercosted finisher. Still, if a deck happened to emerge that it fit into perfectly, it could see play.

Quote from The Motley Fool

Horror of the Blind Eternities 8UUBB
Creature- Elemental Horror
Shroud, flying, intimidate.
Gate: 3UB (2UB: Exile this card. It is now gated. Play this ability whenever you could play a sorcery.)
At the beginning of your upkeep, if Horror of the Blind Eternities is gated and there's a tapped creature on the battlefield, you may draw a card. Then, if there are 10 or more cards in your hand, you may put Horror of the Blind Eternities onto the battlefield.
In bed above, or deep asleep,
While greater love lies further deep,
This dream must end, this world must know:
We all depend on the beast below.
8/12

Flavor concept: A Cthulu-esque horror that resides in the dreams of the creatures of the real world, looking for a way to break out of the Blind Eternities. If an unwary Planeswalker meets its conditions for existence, it summons itself into the waking world.

Fun concept, well-balanced (I think the gate cost could be as low as 1UB). It feels a bit Eldrazi, or it could easily be templated as a suspend card. The connection to the flavortext is somewhat unclear, although I realize the verse is cryptic.

Quote from Brofaux

The Awakener WUBRG
Legendary Creature - Avatar Spirit
At the begging of your upkeep, put a truth counter on ~.
Remove X truth counters from ~, :symtap:: Each player sacrifices X permanents.
Remove 8 truth counters from ~: ~ becomes a 10/10 black demon beast.
3/4
In bed above, or deep asleep,
While greater love lies further deep,
This dream must end, this world must know:
We all depend on the beast below.

Fair enough response to the challenge. Not particularly innovative, and very underpowered for a WUBRG critter.

Quote from Cetonis

Stallion Field 1WW
World Enchantment (U)
All creatures gain "T: Put a steed counter on this creature. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery."
Each creature with a steed counter on it gets +1/+1 and gains Horsemanship.
A horse and a man: above, below:
One has a plan, but both must go.
Mile after mile, above, beneath;
One has a smile, and one has teeth.
Though the man above might say hello,
Expect no love from the beast below.

Obscure mechanic porn! This seems like a clever way to introduce horsemanship in a way that doesn't make it equivalent to unblockability. The downside, of course, is that the card is far too weak to play unless the environment has enough broken World Enchantments to make it valuable as a hoser.

Quote from Megiddo

Cetacean Battlecruiser 5UU
Creature — Whale Dreadnought {R}
Flying
2R,T: Cetacean Battlecruiser deals 2 damage to each creature you don't control.
2G,T: Creatures you control get +2/+2 until end of turn.
5/5

First flavor text used.

If I win: make more creatures that so far have only one creature of that type (suggestion: brushwagg)

Very cool. I'm a sucker both for mirrored abilities and off-color activation costs, and these are very elegantly executed. And yeah, points for referencing the poem's origin.

Quote from Pendle

Role Reversal :1mana::symu::symu:
Uncommon
Instant
Have target attacking creature deal damage equal to its toughness to target blocking creature, until the beginning of the next end step that creature's toughness becomes equal to its power.

A horse and a man: above, below:
One has a plan, but both must go.
Mile after mile, above, beneath;
One has a smile, and one has teeth.
Though the man above might say hello,
Expect no love from the beast below.


I am no wording guru, so I honestly had no idea how to word this. It's supposed to momentarily switch which of a set of two creatures is attacking and which is defending (in simplest terms.)

Make a parasitic sliver. Take that as you read it.

I think you may have a misconception about how creature combat works, judging from your comment. Both attacking and blocking creatures deal damage equal to their power and are killed by damage equal to their toughness. Anyway, the damage plus p/t-switching makes this a red card, and one not worth the headache.

Quote from scarlet_blade12

Slumbering Omen
Creature - Beast Spirit R
Slumbering Omen is white and black.
Morph 3WB
When Slumbering Omen is turned face up, destroy all other creatures. They can't be regenerated.
In bed above, or deep asleep,
While greater love lies further deep,
This dream must end, this world must know:
We all depend on the beast below.
3/3

When I read the flavor text, I immediatly thought Morph.
Also, for the curious, you're pretty much required to play it face-down.

Make a "Mystic" creature card!

That's a fun take on the challenge. And a nasty, nasty card. Mildly innovative, mildly overpowered.

Quote from Kensei

Life and Death 3WBBG
Creature-Elemental Incarnation(M)
Trample
Whenever Life and Death deals combat damage to an opponent, each player loses life equal to the number of creature cards in his or her graveyard.
As long as Life and Death is in your graveyard, defending creatures have lifelink.
6/6
In bed above, or deep asleep,
While greater love lies further deep,
This dream must end, this world must know:
We all depend on the beast below.

There's a lot going on here, I can't say I exactly grok it. The symmetry of both effects, combined with the awkward mana cost, makes it seem underpowered. Timmy won't like the symmetry, and I really don't see combo potential.

Megiddo!

Next challenge:

If I win: make more creatures that so far have only one creature of that type (suggestion: brushwagg)