The trouble is twofold: the WOTC want people to be playing multicolored decks, but also want them to be using basic lands at the same time. As a result, we've accumulated a LOT of useless spells and mechanics over the years (Sunburst, anybody?)
I stand by my submission; the judge can toss me on my hiney if our visions are different.
Fajen, Zas, sorry to have accidentally picked on you ... but you've given me an inspiration for next round's challenge... I'll post it in a couple of days, and I hope you like it.
Changing formats so that this time you only get to vote for one card.
PLUS, just to annoy all you partisan players out there, I'm not going to say who made what card - vote for the card, not the player (or suffer an eternity of bouncing back and forth from thread to thread for your trouble ).
Ancestral Gamble :symr::symr:
Instant
Draw three cards.
At the beginning of your next turns upkeep you lose the game unless you discard three cards at random.
Back Step :3mana::symu::symu:
Sorcery
Remove Back Step from the game.
Untap all permanents you control. Then return all permanents put into your graveyard from play this turn to play. Then return all instants and sorceries put into your graveyard this turn to your hand. After this phase there is an additional battle phase followed by an additional main phase. Creatures you control gain haste until end of turn.
Skip your next two turns. "Many mages are tempted by the chance to go back and fix their mistakes, few realize the future chances they give up by doing so."
Calculated Risk Calculated Risk is red and white.
Calculated Risk can't be the target of spells or abilities while it's anywhere.
You lose the game at the end of this turn.
Suspend 4-:3mana::symr::symw:
As long as Calculated Risk is suspended, players and spells can't be the target of spells or abilities and creatures can't attack.
chronopotence - :symu::symu::symu:
Enchantment
Skip your draw step.
Skip your next turn: Remove the top card of your library from the game face down. Put that card into your hand at the end of your turn. There is no need to actually witness future events to learn any lessons from them.
Curse of the Learned (rare) :3mana::symu::symb:
Enchantment
When Curse of the Learned comes into play, draw ten cards.
When you have no cards in hand, you lose the game.
When Curse of the Learned leaves play, you lose the game. "You wizards and your fancy learning! What happens when your learning is gone? What then?" - Diara, Witch of the Swamp
Deathless Frenzy :2mana::symr::symb:
Enchantment Deathless Frenzy cannot be countered by spells or abilities. At the beginning of your upkeep, put a +1/+1 counter on a creature you control. Creatures you control have haste and attack each turn if able. If a creature you control would go to a graveyard from play, return it to play with a +1/+1 counter on it instead. Whenever you control six or more creatures, you lose the game. Bloodlust has its price.
Fatal Insight :symu::symb::symr:
Sorcery
Reveal a card at random from your hand. If you do, draw a card. Then, if the revealed card had the same name as a card already revealed with Fatal Insight, discard your hand. You may repeat this process until you choose to stop or until you have no cards in hand, whichever comes first. A little-known fact: thinking too much is bad for you.
Final Hour :symw::symw:
Instant
If your life total becomes exactly one at end of turn you win the game, otherwise, Final Hour's owner's opponents gain 5 life. Untill end of turn you can't lose life due to Mana Burn.
Sacrifice A Permenent: Gain control of Final Hour, play this ability while Final Hour is on the Stack, any player may play this ability. Just hold it a bit more!
Fragile Protection :2mana::symw::symw:
Enchantment
At the beginning of your upkeep, distribute two regeneration counters among creatures you control.
Remove a regeneration counter from a creature: Regenerate that creature.
When you control no creatures, you lose the game.
Glimpse to Tomorrow :1mana::symw::symu: Instant
Reveal the top card of your library then reveal your hand. If you have a card that shares a type with the revealed card, put that card into your hand and draw a card. If you don't, target opponent chooses a card in your hand. Discard that card. 'There is such a thing as knowing too much.'
Goblin Swarm :2mana::symr::symr::symr:
Sorcery (R)
Put 2 1/1 red Goblin creature tokens with haste into play for each mountain you control. Destroy all tokens created this way and and all mountains you control at end of turn.
Legacy Bauble
Artifact ~R~
When ~ comes into play, draw a card and lose 2 life.
When ~ leaves play, draw a card and lose 2 life.
Madness :2mana::symu::symu::symb::symb: Enchantment (R)
Draw a card: You lose the game.
Mana Rupture :symr::symr::symr::symr: Enchantment
Remove the top four cards of your library from the game: Add to your mana pool.
At the end of turn remove Mana Rupture from the game. "In the end Jaya was so mad she purred like a cat and rolled like a ball."
Reckless Research :symru::symru::symru: Enchantment
When Reckless Research comes into play you may put your library into your hand.
You cannot play spells.
Vanishing 3 "Throw back the chains of reason to find the true answer!"
Sabotage
Instant
Destroy all creatures target player controls. Sabotage deals X damage to you, where X is the total converted mana cost of the creatures destroyed this way "That went about as well as I could have hoped..."
Subordinate Jurisdiction Enchantment
At the beginning of your upkeep, draw a card.
When a spell controlled by an opponent resolves, sacrifice Subordinate Jurisdiction.
When Subordinate Jurisdiction leaves play, each opponent may draw 3 cards.
Tour the Hellvault
:3mana::symb::symb:
Sorcery
For each black card in your graveyard, lose 2 life and draw a card.
You may put the top 10 cards of your library into your graveyard rather than pay Tour the Hellvault's mana cost. "As well as specifying the minimum consideration the fiends must furnish, be sure to specify a maximum."--Selling your Soul for Dummies, 2nd edition
Wasted Gifts :2mana::symu::symw:
Enchantment
Split Second, Flash
You may play spells as if they had Split Second and Flash.
At the end of your turn, you lose the game unless you have played three or more spells this turn. "Order commands chaos - the light burns brightest in the dark"
Vorthos, Story Lover2GG
Legendary Creature - Human Bard
All creatures that have flavor text get +1/+2.
All spells that have flavor text may not be countered.
Grandeur - Search for a card you own outside of the game that has flavor text and add it to your hand. "Everyone and everything has a story - it's a crime that I will no longer be telling yours..."
2/2
Holy Alliance2WW
Enchantment
When Holy Alliance comes into play, choose a color other than white.
Creatures of the chosen color gain +1/+1.
White creatures gain +1/+1.
EDIT: Also, not many people are submitting renders with their cards...that's an easy 2.5 points that you're losing, so if you can, please submit them, so I don't have to take off stupid points for no render with art.
I don't regard scoring for renders as fair, so I decline to participate in that part of the contest myself.
Mistform Assassin1BB
Creature - Rebel Illusion Assassin BT: Destroy target Illusion unless its controller agrees to permanently change its creature type to one other than 'Illusion". 2BBT: Destroy target card with an expansion symbol not used in current official Magic sets, unless its controller agrees to permanently change that symbol to a plain square. True order means following the rules to the letter.
1/1
I stand by my submission; the judge can toss me on my hiney if our visions are different.
Fajen, Zas, sorry to have accidentally picked on you ... but you've given me an inspiration for next round's challenge... I'll post it in a couple of days, and I hope you like it.
PLUS, just to annoy all you partisan players out there, I'm not going to say who made what card - vote for the card, not the player (or suffer an eternity of bouncing back and forth from thread to thread for your trouble
Ancestral Gamble :symr::symr:
Instant
Draw three cards.
At the beginning of your next turns upkeep you lose the game unless you discard three cards at random.
Back Step :3mana::symu::symu:
Sorcery
Remove Back Step from the game.
Untap all permanents you control. Then return all permanents put into your graveyard from play this turn to play. Then return all instants and sorceries put into your graveyard this turn to your hand. After this phase there is an additional battle phase followed by an additional main phase. Creatures you control gain haste until end of turn.
Skip your next two turns.
"Many mages are tempted by the chance to go back and fix their mistakes, few realize the future chances they give up by doing so."
Calculated Risk
Calculated Risk is red and white.
Calculated Risk can't be the target of spells or abilities while it's anywhere.
You lose the game at the end of this turn.
Suspend 4-:3mana::symr::symw:
As long as Calculated Risk is suspended, players and spells can't be the target of spells or abilities and creatures can't attack.
chronopotence - :symu::symu::symu:
Enchantment
Skip your draw step.
Skip your next turn: Remove the top card of your library from the game face down. Put that card into your hand at the end of your turn.
There is no need to actually witness future events to learn any lessons from them.
Curse of the Learned (rare) :3mana::symu::symb:
Enchantment
When Curse of the Learned comes into play, draw ten cards.
When you have no cards in hand, you lose the game.
When Curse of the Learned leaves play, you lose the game.
"You wizards and your fancy learning! What happens when your learning is gone? What then?" - Diara, Witch of the Swamp
Deathless Frenzy :2mana::symr::symb:
Enchantment
Deathless Frenzy cannot be countered by spells or abilities.
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a +1/+1 counter on a creature you control.
Creatures you control have haste and attack each turn if able.
If a creature you control would go to a graveyard from play, return it to play with a +1/+1 counter on it instead.
Whenever you control six or more creatures, you lose the game.
Bloodlust has its price.
Fatal Insight :symu::symb::symr:
Sorcery
Reveal a card at random from your hand. If you do, draw a card. Then, if the revealed card had the same name as a card already revealed with Fatal Insight, discard your hand. You may repeat this process until you choose to stop or until you have no cards in hand, whichever comes first.
A little-known fact: thinking too much is bad for you.
Final Hour :symw::symw:
Instant
If your life total becomes exactly one at end of turn you win the game, otherwise, Final Hour's owner's opponents gain 5 life. Untill end of turn you can't lose life due to Mana Burn.
Sacrifice A Permenent: Gain control of Final Hour, play this ability while Final Hour is on the Stack, any player may play this ability.
Just hold it a bit more!
Fragile Protection :2mana::symw::symw:
Enchantment
At the beginning of your upkeep, distribute two regeneration counters among creatures you control.
Remove a regeneration counter from a creature: Regenerate that creature.
When you control no creatures, you lose the game.
Glimpse to Tomorrow :1mana::symw::symu:
Instant
Reveal the top card of your library then reveal your hand. If you have a card that shares a type with the revealed card, put that card into your hand and draw a card. If you don't, target opponent chooses a card in your hand. Discard that card.
'There is such a thing as knowing too much.'
Goblin Swarm :2mana::symr::symr::symr:
Sorcery (R)
Put 2 1/1 red Goblin creature tokens with haste into play for each mountain you control. Destroy all tokens created this way and and all mountains you control at end of turn.
Legacy Bauble
Artifact ~R~
When ~ comes into play, draw a card and lose 2 life.
When ~ leaves play, draw a card and lose 2 life.
Madness :2mana::symu::symu::symb::symb:
Enchantment (R)
Draw a card: You lose the game.
Mana Rupture :symr::symr::symr::symr:
Enchantment
Remove the top four cards of your library from the game: Add
At the end of turn remove Mana Rupture from the game.
"In the end Jaya was so mad she purred like a cat and rolled like a ball."
Reckless Research :symru::symru::symru:
Enchantment
When Reckless Research comes into play you may put your library into your hand.
You cannot play spells.
Vanishing 3
"Throw back the chains of reason to find the true answer!"
Sabotage
Instant
Destroy all creatures target player controls. Sabotage deals X damage to you, where X is the total converted mana cost of the creatures destroyed this way
"That went about as well as I could have hoped..."
Subordinate Jurisdiction
Enchantment
At the beginning of your upkeep, draw a card.
When a spell controlled by an opponent resolves, sacrifice Subordinate Jurisdiction.
When Subordinate Jurisdiction leaves play, each opponent may draw 3 cards.
Tour the Hellvault
:3mana::symb::symb:
Sorcery
For each black card in your graveyard, lose 2 life and draw a card.
You may put the top 10 cards of your library into your graveyard rather than pay Tour the Hellvault's mana cost.
"As well as specifying the minimum consideration the fiends must furnish, be sure to specify a maximum."--Selling your Soul for Dummies, 2nd edition
Wasted Gifts :2mana::symu::symw:
Enchantment
Split Second, Flash
You may play spells as if they had Split Second and Flash.
At the end of your turn, you lose the game unless you have played three or more spells this turn.
"Order commands chaos - the light burns brightest in the dark"
Instant
Choose target opponent. Draw X cards, where X is the number of nonbasic lands they control.
Legendary Creature - Human Bard
All creatures that have flavor text get +1/+2.
All spells that have flavor text may not be countered.
Grandeur - Search for a card you own outside of the game that has flavor text and add it to your hand.
"Everyone and everything has a story - it's a crime that I will no longer be telling yours..."
2/2
Enchantment
When Holy Alliance comes into play, choose a color other than white.
Creatures of the chosen color gain +1/+1.
White creatures gain +1/+1.
I don't regard scoring for renders as fair, so I decline to participate in that part of the contest myself.
Land
Suspend 2 - 0
Urza's Construction Site may not be played from your hand.
T: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool.
Creature - Rebel Illusion Assassin
BT: Destroy target Illusion unless its controller agrees to permanently change its creature type to one other than 'Illusion".
2BBT: Destroy target card with an expansion symbol not used in current official Magic sets, unless its controller agrees to permanently change that symbol to a plain square.
True order means following the rules to the letter.
1/1
Sorcery
Bring into play X 1/1 white Cavalry tokens with flanking, where X is 8 minus your current life total.