Arena Hippo 1WUG
Creature - Hippopotamus 2G: Arena Hippo deals damage equal to its power to target creature. That creature deals damage equal to its power to Arena Hippo. That creature's controller gains life equal to damage dealt in this way by Arena Hippo. 2W: Each player puts a 1/1 white Spirit token with flying into play. 2U: Add 1 to your mana pool for each untapped land target player controls, then he or she may untap all other lands he or she controls.
4/4
Cunning Wizard 1UU
Creature - Wizard
There is a second stack. (Players choose which stack their spells and abilities go on. Each stack still resolves top down, but every spell/ability at each "tier" of each stack resolve simultaneously.)
1/3
Genesys - The abilities don't work together as written on the card, because they would happen in that order, and it's been done before, albeit in mono red (re: Grab the Reins) Not too much originality here, just feels like you took Grab the Reins and put it into the template.
Absolutionis - The way the card is written, the second ability would cause a loop that would put infinite copies of the card on the stack. Ignoring that, the abilities are all very original and seem right for their costs on a body.
YuanTi - The first ability is really weak, the second one is alright, I guess, but neither is particularly impressive on a body that's fairly prone to destruction.
KoolKoal - The second ability, while not worthless, will seem so to newer players, and it doesn't seem particularly useful as it will almost always be even in combat. The first ability seems good against agro, but it doesn't seem like this guy will end up in any constructed decks.
Tinivision - White doesn't draw cards, but the green ability is right on. Shame only half of the card "works," because I like the green kicker a lot.
Seryph - This is where originality comes in on cards that have been done before. You took both abilties and added a bit of "redness" to them. Flavorful, and very power-level-savvy. Good stuff here.
LGMHorus - Potentially great, considering UU to turn a creature into an Ophidian could work out, especially since you can do it on your opponent's creatures. The black ability seems okay as well. Seems good to me! The name thing I read about and it A: makes sense and B: makes me wish I'd thought of it first.
Sabbath Fiend - Multicolor helpers are fun! I like the idea that it doesn't have an in-play ability like the existing familiars, but rather an "out of play" ability. I would love to see what you would've done for the rest of the cycle!
Close one this week. It was hard for me to pick first and third out of the top three.
First: Sabbath Fiend - 3pts
Second: Seryph - 2pts
Third: LGMHorus - 1pt
My submission:
(this moves the idea of what aura's can enchant even further than Spellweaver Volute, making it able to enchant two creatures.
This shouldn't be a problem with existing Aura rules: If one of the creatures dies or is an illegal target, it will "fall off" just like regular Auras do, and things that move Auras to a different permanent would just move this to two different creatures rather than just one. Minor reworking of the rules might be necessary but I think it's understandable as it stands.)
Steadfast Bond GW
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant two creatures
Tap a creature enchanted by Steadfast Bond: Put a +1/+1 counter on the other creature enchanted by Steadfast Bond. “Voja and I have fought and grown together for as long as I can remember. As long as he is with me, I know not fear.” -Tolsimir Wolfblood
Truce 2RW
Enchantment
At the beginning of your upkeep, flip Truce.
Creatures can't attack.
//
Mayhem
At the beginning of your upkeep, flip Mayhem.
Creatures can't block. "Well, I can't say I care much for his manners, but at least he's punctual." -Ammon-Ra, Khemrian King
Undying Flame-kin2RR
Creature - Elemental
At the beginning of your upkeep, if Undying Flame-kin is in your graveyard, you may pay 2RR. If you do, return Undying Flame-kin from your graveyard to your hand.
Sacrifice Undying Flame-kin: Deal 2 damage to target creature or player.
2/1
Animate World 4G
Sorcery
All noncreature permanents lose all abilities and become 2/2 colorless creatures until end of turn. Suddenly, the world burst forth in a cacophony of screams.
To be used with Ink-Treader Nephilim, because then when you target it with something, it will affect every permanant rather than any creature. This would be good for, for instance, Threaten (gain control of everything they have instead of only all their creatures).
Oros's Charm BRW
Instant
Choose one - Each player sacrifices a creature, or the next spell you play this turn gains split second, or prevent all damage that would be dealt to blocking creatures this turn.
You're crossing my quotes with each other. Your card not being black is a flavor choice IMHO, YuanTi's shouldn't have a black background because there is no B anywhere in the casting cost - that might be a hard and fast rule rather than a flavor choice.
*smacks self in forehead*
I totally misunderstood what you were saying, because I was thinking "split card that you can choose both" instead of "off color entwine cost." For some reason, my brain was like "dude, of course it's partially black" and I thought your comment was saying "I don't think it's black [flavorwise] at all" not pointing out that, indeed, the card doesn't have any black in its casting cost, so it's just a white spell.
Necros, Gate Back to Life
Legendary Land T: Add B to your mana pool. Necros, Gate Back to Life deals 1 damage to you. B,T: Return target creature card from an opponent's graveyard to play under your control. It gains haste until end of turn. At end of turn, its owner gains control of it. The dead must travel far if they wish to return to the lives they once held.
I may be wrong about that – see what the other judges say.
Well, it is your opinion. I'm pretty sure you can't be really "wrong," as I can see your arguement for it even though in my mind it made perfect sense for it to be black. *shrug*
And I did like the other two rounds better...allowed me a bit more creative space. Then again, I'm not de boss. I just make de cards.
genesys: This seems really forced together, and the mishmash of abilities has little interaction with one another. I can't be sure if it "should" be white or green, but if it's going to be both, it should probably have a bit more flavor in both directions, or just pick one way to go.
spreadingdark: Interesting fact: Removing an opponent's cards in hand by artifacts has been done only twice before:once in general and once with an imprint card, but never on an artifact creature.
Absolutionis: It makes other things artifacts, and then they turn into creatures! Which make more artifacts! And more creatures! And then everything on the board is a 1/1. Which means you'll sit there with a massive amount of 1/1s and nobody will want to attack. The effect is neat but promotes games of who-can-topdeck-better-spells really, really quick, and the round requirements are kinda sketchy.
*EDITED FOR WHAT THE CARD IS SUPPOSED TO DO* moogie: Allowing a spell to be bought back is neat and you did well to find a way to get rid of the fact that it could be extremely degenerate with Ritual-type spells. I like the idea behind it, but the awkward wording and the extremely strong drawback means that nobody besides the most hardcore of Johnnies is going to attempt to use this card. I think it appeals to too narrow of a decktype/audience to work right.
tinvision: Haunt is going to remove the card from the stack, and buyback will return it to your hand. Either one or the other won't work at the same time. That's okay, though, because it means if you don't want to buy it back at least you'll get an additonal effect one time. This is kinda a neat idea, and I like that it's repeatable. Reminds me of Goryo's Vengeance. Flavorful too. Good job.
KoolKoal: It's worded a little funny, and I still think it's way too good in U/G Thresh if you just choose not to buy it back. But it's interesting enough to make it useable but not broken. Cool stuff.
waywardclam: It's either going to win you the game immediately or lose you the game in a turn or two. Cards that are either broken or terrible aren't my cup of tea.
Ananias: It makes for a very interesting idea, except unless they make other cards that do this, there will be only one suspending morph, and the entire element of surprise is completely ruined. Next on the agenda: A potential hasty 7/5 on turn 4 with any mana acceleration. That's very good. And especially very good in blue. The power level is too high, but it's a very cool combination of ideas that could spawn a whole different group of cards.
lgmhorus: Very creative, all-upside fat is hard to design (as Wizards has admitted many times). Design is very nice and flavor makes sense, but uncounterable creature tutoring seems extremely, extremely powerful, however. For only one more mana, you can start fetching combo pieces, like, oh, I don't know, Academy Rector? That ability needs to be balanced more.
Seryph: Capsize was broken enough the first time around. With 6 Islands out, this reads: UU: Return target creature to its owner's hand, and buy this spell back. That's way too degenerate, as it would allow mono blue control to begin bouncing three creatures a turn turn 6. There are very few non-combo decks that can get through that bad of a lock, and all on one card. Way too poweful.
Sabbath_Fiend: It's a powerful card, to be sure, especially in a dredge deck. However, getting him back into your graveyard more than once at least requires some thought. There's no way that this would be skipped over in a current dredge deck, however, and it's too powerful in that regard. The flavor is weird too....a green zombie? I know you were gunning for that, but I'd be more pleased to see a black/green zombie, as it makes perfect sense with the flavor to do so, rather than making it only green. If it's undead, it seems like it needs a little black. Maybe that's just me.
Yuan Ti: I think the art is just fine, and the effect is certainly balanced, but still powerful. A wrath of god that allows you to scry 4 as well for 3WB is very good. The fact that it's in two colors and the creatures can still be regenerated, however, makes me feel strongly that this card is completely printable, and definitely something within the realm of possibility. Definitely a well-crafted card. I like it a lot.
My votes:
1: Yuan Ti - 3 pts.
2: ananias - 2 pts.
3: tinvision - 1 pt.
My card:
Ceta Master2UU
Creature - Wizard RR,T: Target creature gets +X/+0 until end of turn, where X is equal to that creature's power. GG,T: Search your library for a basic land card and put it into play tapped. Shuffle your library afterwards.
2/2
Yes, I cheated on the picture and used Paint. But only because it's way too hard to find a blue-looking person simultaneously casting a red and a green spell.
*note: I didn't put artist credits on the render, but I don't feel like uploading it again. The hand is from an art piece by J. Kiou, and the rest of the picture didn't have an artist credit with it.
Scornful Egotist B
Creature - Minion
Shroud
Whenever another permanent you control is the target of a spell or ability, sacrifice it.
2/2 It doesn't understand its prize status, believing itself to be unconciously powerful rather than protected at all costs.
Death's Bidding 3BB
Enchantment
At the beginning of each opponent's upkeep, if that player has no creature cards in his or her graveyard, he or she sacrifices a creature.
I would've added "and you may draw a card" but somehow it seems powerful enough as a one-sided The Abyss with Leyline of the Void out
Phyrrus, Shinko Bloodmonger 3RR
Legendary Creature - Ogre Demon
When Phyrrus, Shinko Bloodmonger comes into play, search your library for up to three sorcery cards with the word "damage" in their text box and remove them from the game. Then shuffle your library.
Hellbent - X,T: You may play a card with converted mana cost X removed from the game by Phyrrus, Shinko Bloodmonger until end of turn. Play this ability only if you have no cards in hand.
2/2
I think if I had to choose one, it would be Cabal Coffers. Back when Onslaught came out, I was just starting to get into competitive Magic, and the first deck that I made with any semblance of a competitive gameplan was Mono-Black Control. Being able to accelerate into a Visara a turn earlier, flashing back Chainer's Edict with ease, or just making a Nantuko Shade enormous, Coffers was a fantastic "free" mana accelerant that really gave the deck legs. I placed in a JSS (yeah, back when they had those!) and that really kicked off my competitive Magic playing which I've more or less kept after for now 15 years.
Creature - Hippopotamus
2G: Arena Hippo deals damage equal to its power to target creature. That creature deals damage equal to its power to Arena Hippo. That creature's controller gains life equal to damage dealt in this way by Arena Hippo.
2W: Each player puts a 1/1 white Spirit token with flying into play.
2U: Add 1 to your mana pool for each untapped land target player controls, then he or she may untap all other lands he or she controls.
4/4
Next:
Skullcage
Imperial Mask
Unmask
Creature - Wizard
There is a second stack. (Players choose which stack their spells and abilities go on. Each stack still resolves top down, but every spell/ability at each "tier" of each stack resolve simultaneously.)
1/3
Genesys - The abilities don't work together as written on the card, because they would happen in that order, and it's been done before, albeit in mono red (re: Grab the Reins) Not too much originality here, just feels like you took Grab the Reins and put it into the template.
Absolutionis - The way the card is written, the second ability would cause a loop that would put infinite copies of the card on the stack. Ignoring that, the abilities are all very original and seem right for their costs on a body.
YuanTi - The first ability is really weak, the second one is alright, I guess, but neither is particularly impressive on a body that's fairly prone to destruction.
KoolKoal - The second ability, while not worthless, will seem so to newer players, and it doesn't seem particularly useful as it will almost always be even in combat. The first ability seems good against agro, but it doesn't seem like this guy will end up in any constructed decks.
Tinivision - White doesn't draw cards, but the green ability is right on. Shame only half of the card "works," because I like the green kicker a lot.
Seryph - This is where originality comes in on cards that have been done before. You took both abilties and added a bit of "redness" to them. Flavorful, and very power-level-savvy. Good stuff here.
LGMHorus - Potentially great, considering UU to turn a creature into an Ophidian could work out, especially since you can do it on your opponent's creatures. The black ability seems okay as well. Seems good to me! The name thing I read about and it A: makes sense and B: makes me wish I'd thought of it first.
Sabbath Fiend - Multicolor helpers are fun! I like the idea that it doesn't have an in-play ability like the existing familiars, but rather an "out of play" ability. I would love to see what you would've done for the rest of the cycle!
Close one this week. It was hard for me to pick first and third out of the top three.
First: Sabbath Fiend - 3pts
Second: Seryph - 2pts
Third: LGMHorus - 1pt
My submission:
(this moves the idea of what aura's can enchant even further than Spellweaver Volute, making it able to enchant two creatures.
This shouldn't be a problem with existing Aura rules: If one of the creatures dies or is an illegal target, it will "fall off" just like regular Auras do, and things that move Auras to a different permanent would just move this to two different creatures rather than just one. Minor reworking of the rules might be necessary but I think it's understandable as it stands.)
Steadfast Bond GW
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant two creatures
Tap a creature enchanted by Steadfast Bond: Put a +1/+1 counter on the other creature enchanted by Steadfast Bond.
“Voja and I have fought and grown together for as long as I can remember. As long as he is with me, I know not fear.” -Tolsimir Wolfblood
Enchantment
At the beginning of your upkeep, flip Truce.
Creatures can't attack.
//
Mayhem
At the beginning of your upkeep, flip Mayhem.
Creatures can't block.
"Well, I can't say I care much for his manners, but at least he's punctual." -Ammon-Ra, Khemrian King
Creature - Elemental
At the beginning of your upkeep, if Undying Flame-kin is in your graveyard, you may pay 2RR. If you do, return Undying Flame-kin from your graveyard to your hand.
Sacrifice Undying Flame-kin: Deal 2 damage to target creature or player.
2/1
Next:
Battlegrowth
Defiant Vanguard
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
Sorcery
All noncreature permanents lose all abilities and become 2/2 colorless creatures until end of turn.
Suddenly, the world burst forth in a cacophony of screams.
To be used with Ink-Treader Nephilim, because then when you target it with something, it will affect every permanant rather than any creature. This would be good for, for instance, Threaten (gain control of everything they have instead of only all their creatures).
Next - Mesmeric Sliver
Oros's Charm BRW
Instant
Choose one - Each player sacrifices a creature, or the next spell you play this turn gains split second, or prevent all damage that would be dealt to blocking creatures this turn.
*smacks self in forehead*
I totally misunderstood what you were saying, because I was thinking "split card that you can choose both" instead of "off color entwine cost." For some reason, my brain was like "dude, of course it's partially black" and I thought your comment was saying "I don't think it's black [flavorwise] at all" not pointing out that, indeed, the card doesn't have any black in its casting cost, so it's just a white spell.
Forgive me for misinterpreting you!!
Legendary Land
T: Add B to your mana pool. Necros, Gate Back to Life deals 1 damage to you.
B,T: Return target creature card from an opponent's graveyard to play under your control. It gains haste until end of turn. At end of turn, its owner gains control of it.
The dead must travel far if they wish to return to the lives they once held.
Well, it is your opinion. I'm pretty sure you can't be really "wrong," as I can see your arguement for it even though in my mind it made perfect sense for it to be black. *shrug*
And I did like the other two rounds better...allowed me a bit more creative space. Then again, I'm not de boss. I just make de cards.
genesys: This seems really forced together, and the mishmash of abilities has little interaction with one another. I can't be sure if it "should" be white or green, but if it's going to be both, it should probably have a bit more flavor in both directions, or just pick one way to go.
spreadingdark: Interesting fact: Removing an opponent's cards in hand by artifacts has been done only twice before:once in general and once with an imprint card, but never on an artifact creature.
Absolutionis: It makes other things artifacts, and then they turn into creatures! Which make more artifacts! And more creatures! And then everything on the board is a 1/1. Which means you'll sit there with a massive amount of 1/1s and nobody will want to attack. The effect is neat but promotes games of who-can-topdeck-better-spells really, really quick, and the round requirements are kinda sketchy.
*EDITED FOR WHAT THE CARD IS SUPPOSED TO DO* moogie: Allowing a spell to be bought back is neat and you did well to find a way to get rid of the fact that it could be extremely degenerate with Ritual-type spells. I like the idea behind it, but the awkward wording and the extremely strong drawback means that nobody besides the most hardcore of Johnnies is going to attempt to use this card. I think it appeals to too narrow of a decktype/audience to work right.
tinvision: Haunt is going to remove the card from the stack, and buyback will return it to your hand. Either one or the other won't work at the same time. That's okay, though, because it means if you don't want to buy it back at least you'll get an additonal effect one time. This is kinda a neat idea, and I like that it's repeatable. Reminds me of Goryo's Vengeance. Flavorful too. Good job.
KoolKoal: It's worded a little funny, and I still think it's way too good in U/G Thresh if you just choose not to buy it back. But it's interesting enough to make it useable but not broken. Cool stuff.
waywardclam: It's either going to win you the game immediately or lose you the game in a turn or two. Cards that are either broken or terrible aren't my cup of tea.
Ananias: It makes for a very interesting idea, except unless they make other cards that do this, there will be only one suspending morph, and the entire element of surprise is completely ruined. Next on the agenda: A potential hasty 7/5 on turn 4 with any mana acceleration. That's very good. And especially very good in blue. The power level is too high, but it's a very cool combination of ideas that could spawn a whole different group of cards.
lgmhorus: Very creative, all-upside fat is hard to design (as Wizards has admitted many times). Design is very nice and flavor makes sense, but uncounterable creature tutoring seems extremely, extremely powerful, however. For only one more mana, you can start fetching combo pieces, like, oh, I don't know, Academy Rector? That ability needs to be balanced more.
Seryph:
Sabbath_Fiend: It's a powerful card, to be sure, especially in a dredge deck. However, getting him back into your graveyard more than once at least requires some thought. There's no way that this would be skipped over in a current dredge deck, however, and it's too powerful in that regard. The flavor is weird too....a green zombie? I know you were gunning for that, but I'd be more pleased to see a black/green zombie, as it makes perfect sense with the flavor to do so, rather than making it only green. If it's undead, it seems like it needs a little black. Maybe that's just me.
Yuan Ti: I think the art is just fine, and the effect is certainly balanced, but still powerful. A wrath of god that allows you to scry 4 as well for 3WB is very good. The fact that it's in two colors and the creatures can still be regenerated, however, makes me feel strongly that this card is completely printable, and definitely something within the realm of possibility. Definitely a well-crafted card. I like it a lot.
My votes:
1: Yuan Ti - 3 pts.
2: ananias - 2 pts.
3: tinvision - 1 pt.
My card:
Ceta Master 2UU
Creature - Wizard
RR,T: Target creature gets +X/+0 until end of turn, where X is equal to that creature's power.
GG,T: Search your library for a basic land card and put it into play tapped. Shuffle your library afterwards.
2/2
Yes, I cheated on the picture and used Paint. But only because it's way too hard to find a blue-looking person simultaneously casting a red and a green spell.
*note: I didn't put artist credits on the render, but I don't feel like uploading it again. The hand is from an art piece by J. Kiou, and the rest of the picture didn't have an artist credit with it.
B
Creature - Minion
Shroud
Whenever another permanent you control is the target of a spell or ability, sacrifice it.
2/2
It doesn't understand its prize status, believing itself to be unconciously powerful rather than protected at all costs.
Enchantment
At the beginning of each opponent's upkeep, if that player has no creature cards in his or her graveyard, he or she sacrifices a creature.
I would've added "and you may draw a card" but somehow it seems powerful enough as a one-sided The Abyss with Leyline of the Void out
Legendary Creature - Ogre Demon
When Phyrrus, Shinko Bloodmonger comes into play, search your library for up to three sorcery cards with the word "damage" in their text box and remove them from the game. Then shuffle your library.
Hellbent - X,T: You may play a card with converted mana cost X removed from the game by Phyrrus, Shinko Bloodmonger until end of turn. Play this ability only if you have no cards in hand.
2/2