I want to preface this by saying that I never do this, and I'm sorry, but this time I have to disagree with some of the judgments as I feel the points (and the motivations) given are, in my opinion, a little unjust. This is not supposed to be an attack in any sort of way, I just want to know the reasoning behind the scores in the hope that maybe (or maybe not), they can be changed.
Let's start with my card:
Ila, Guardian Project Overseer1GG
Legendary Creature — Elf Wizard Mutant (MR)
The first creature you cast each turn enters the battlefield with an additional +1/+1 counter on it. 1U: Target creature with a counter on it can't be blocked this turn. "I respect the Utopian ideas, but results speak louder than a million words."
2/4
These are the parts of the judging I disagree with:
(2/3) Viability: Green has always rewarded you for playing creatures, and Rashmi, Eternities Crafter shows us that you can get rewards for casting a spell on your turn. In terms of rarity I can understand how this card might be too powerful a card for limited environments, but I feel that doesn’t really have the "wow factor” you usually see in mythic rares.
Therearealotofmythics with zero to none "wow factor", which derives from taking into account limited gameplay and the status of the character in the story. Most legendary creatures are mythic by default, and I took limited into account, which is something that you did too. Nonetheless, I don't understand the 2, if everything checks out. I admit that at one point this card was a rare, but the fact that it buffs creatures cast on opponent's turns and allows you to push damage if you untap with them, paired with the fact that this very cheap card allows for inevitability if not removed are the factors behind its rarity.
(2/3) Balance: In limited and in constructed this card is a bomb. Even if you’re not playing blue, a three mana 2/4 body is difficult to remove in the early game and this card only helps you establish a stronger board against your opponent. It’s still weak to a lot of removal and requires a specific style of play to take full advantage of, so as an opponent there are ways you can work around it. Now its interactions with +1/+1 counters do good things in a block with riot and adapt (and I like that the activated ability works with any kind of counter, not just +1/+1 counters), but the first ability does conflict with the mechanics behind adapt, as you are then no longer able to activate those abilities and that’s a shame I feel.
While I agree with the fact that this card has a bit of a clash with Adapt (and more about it will be explained in the Flavor section), the important thing to take into account is that most of the creatures with Adapt receive a bonus when a counter is placed on them (like Sharktocrab, Benthic Biomancer or Scuttlegator), and this allows you to skip the "paying mana" part of Adapt entirely while making creatures with Adapt 1 enter the battlefield already adapted. This card also needs support to win, as it's not even remotely broken, while at the same time it gives you a way to win, provided you can supply the creatures and the mana. I don't understand the reasoning behind a 2.
(2/3) Uniqueness: The first ability bears resemblance to Rashmi and Zameck Guildmage/Bloodspore Thrinax so it isn’t pushing the design space in a new direction especially, but as an ability it’s never existed yet. Likewise for the second ability being a pseudo combination of Herald of Secret Streams and Thassa, God of the Sea. Doesn’t do anything we haven’t seen before, but it does do it in a different way.
After 25000 and counting MtG cards printed nowadays, it's hard to find something that doesn't resemble something that's already been done before, especially without sacrificing elegance and clarity. Nevertheless, there is not a single card existing to this day that shares even a line of text with this card and acts like this card, which I think should account for a higher score.
(2/3) Flavor: Ila doesn’t appear on any flavor text I’ve seen, and I don’t have access to the Art of Ravnica book so I can’t check if their name appears in it, but as a card title it’s too long I feel. As a Simic card in RNA/WAR, “Ila, Project Overseer” feels a little better and still leaves little doubt as to which project they lead considering the peppering of the Guardian Project in various flavor texts. It’s also a shame that it isn’t obvious what kind of mutant creature Ila is. Skatewing Spy shows us that Mutant is an acceptable type, but the clue in which animal is hybridized with is in that card’s name. I would have liked to see a creature type that was a little more Simic. The flavor text feels a little off to me, but that’s a personal thing more than likely.
Let me preface this by saying that I totally respect your opinion here, as the Flavor category is the most subject to personal taste (and the designers can't rely on art to fully convey some things about their cards), so here I'll just explain more in depth the flavor I gave to this card, clarifying some stuff at the same time. Ila doesn't appear nowhere because she doesn't exist. It's a legendary I created for WAR that represents the intestine fighting going on in each guild, with her and another character symbolizing the two ends of the Simic philosophy: the Utopians and the Adaptionists. The Adaptionists are incline to action, while the Utopians are more isolationists, hence the flavor text and the "You gotta Adapt NOW!" ability, as there's evidently a war incoming. While the name might be a tad long, I disagree with just cutting the "Guardian" from "Guardian Project", as it's been heavily hinted that it's kind of a big deal for the Simic (and, I think, for all of Ravnica, since they'll probably be the solution to the whole "Eternals army" thing), and I think you should always be direct with the audience (unless you purposely don't want to, of course). Besides, Project Overseer sounds a bit too generic as a name. The Mutant creature type is because of flavor reasons as, according to the official lore, Vannifar mutated all the scientists who work on the Guardian Project, that's why it has the Mutant subtype.
Once again, I don't want this to be interpreted as an attack on the judge's rulings, it's just that there are things I disagree with and I would like some clarity.
Ila, Guardian Project Overseer1GG
Legendary Creature — Elf Wizard Mutant (MR)
The first creature you cast each turn enters the battlefield with an additional +1/+1 counter on it. 1U: Target creature with a counter on it can't be blocked this turn. "I respect the Utopian ideas, but results speak louder than a million words."
2/4
Your question may be a better fit for Custom Card Rulings, rather than in Magic Rulings, as no Magic card at the time of this writing has the same effect as the ability of the hypothetical card you give.
Your hypothetical card's ability expresses a replacement effect that changes how a permanent enters the battlefield (C.R. 614.12; see also C.R. 614.1c-d). Note also that, "[t]o determine which replacement effects apply and how they apply" as a permanent enters the battlefield, "check the characteristics of the permanent as it would exist on the battlefield, taking into account[, among other things,] continuous effects from the permanent's own static abilities that would apply to it once it's on the battlefield" (which isn't the case for your hypothetical card's ability, however, as its replacement effect is dealt with before the relevant permanent enters the battlefield [C.R. 400.6]).
Thank you for your answer. So, if I've understood correctly, the card gives the counter to the first creature spell but it doesn't give it to itself, right?
Edit: Thanks Void for moving this in the appropriate forum
Cardname
Creature
The first creature you cast each turn enters the battlefield with an additional +1/+1 counter.
2/2
Would the effect put a +1/+1 counter on the first creature you cast each turn? Would also this card put a counter on itself if it's the first creature you cast? Thank you in advance for your answers.
Gruul Ragestoker1RG
Creature — Viashino Shaman (U)
Riot (This creature enters the battlefield with your choice of a +1/+1 counter or haste.)
Other creatures you control with riot have riot. "Rage! Let your screams be covered only by the sound of destruction! Rage! For Ilharg's return draws near!"
3/2
Just a quick question: would this card pass the second subchallenge? (The subchallenge is that your card counts devotion towards three two or more colours)
Stoner here. My account got deleted or something. Here's my entries.
Caolán, Steadfast Cenn2WW
Legendary Creature - Kithkin Soldier (MR)
Whenever an opponent casts a noncreature spell, create X 1/1 white Kithkin Soldier creature tokens, where X is that spell's converted mana cost. 1(G/U)W: Until end of turn, Kithkin your team controls get +2/+2 and gain "Whenever this creature deals combat dsmage to sn opponent, draw a card.". Activate this ability only once each turn and only if you control six or more Kithkin. Through light or darkness, a cenn's job never ends.
3/3
This round's entry:
Caolán, Ascended Cenn1GWU
Legendary Planeswalker — Caolán (MR)
0: Put a loyalty counter on Caolán, Ascended Cenn for each token you control.
-X: Create X 1/1 white Kithkin Soldier creature tokens. You gain X life and draw X cards.
-3: You get an emblem with: "If an effect would create one or more tokens under your control, it creates that many plus one instead."
Caolán, Ascended Cenn can be your commander.
3
Stoner here. My account got wrecked. Here's my submission.
Conclave Coronet(G/W)(G/W)(G/W)
Enchantment - Aura (R)
Hexproof, indestructible
Enchant creature token
Enchanted creature gets +2/+2 and has hexproof, indestructible and vigilance. "The strongest resolve often comes from the humblest."
—Emmara
Let's start with my card:
These are the parts of the judging I disagree with:
There are a lot of mythics with zero to none "wow factor", which derives from taking into account limited gameplay and the status of the character in the story. Most legendary creatures are mythic by default, and I took limited into account, which is something that you did too. Nonetheless, I don't understand the 2, if everything checks out. I admit that at one point this card was a rare, but the fact that it buffs creatures cast on opponent's turns and allows you to push damage if you untap with them, paired with the fact that this very cheap card allows for inevitability if not removed are the factors behind its rarity.
While I agree with the fact that this card has a bit of a clash with Adapt (and more about it will be explained in the Flavor section), the important thing to take into account is that most of the creatures with Adapt receive a bonus when a counter is placed on them (like Sharktocrab, Benthic Biomancer or Scuttlegator), and this allows you to skip the "paying mana" part of Adapt entirely while making creatures with Adapt 1 enter the battlefield already adapted. This card also needs support to win, as it's not even remotely broken, while at the same time it gives you a way to win, provided you can supply the creatures and the mana. I don't understand the reasoning behind a 2.
After 25000 and counting MtG cards printed nowadays, it's hard to find something that doesn't resemble something that's already been done before, especially without sacrificing elegance and clarity. Nevertheless, there is not a single card existing to this day that shares even a line of text with this card and acts like this card, which I think should account for a higher score.
Let me preface this by saying that I totally respect your opinion here, as the Flavor category is the most subject to personal taste (and the designers can't rely on art to fully convey some things about their cards), so here I'll just explain more in depth the flavor I gave to this card, clarifying some stuff at the same time. Ila doesn't appear nowhere because she doesn't exist. It's a legendary I created for WAR that represents the intestine fighting going on in each guild, with her and another character symbolizing the two ends of the Simic philosophy: the Utopians and the Adaptionists. The Adaptionists are incline to action, while the Utopians are more isolationists, hence the flavor text and the "You gotta Adapt NOW!" ability, as there's evidently a war incoming. While the name might be a tad long, I disagree with just cutting the "Guardian" from "Guardian Project", as it's been heavily hinted that it's kind of a big deal for the Simic (and, I think, for all of Ravnica, since they'll probably be the solution to the whole "Eternals army" thing), and I think you should always be direct with the audience (unless you purposely don't want to, of course). Besides, Project Overseer sounds a bit too generic as a name. The Mutant creature type is because of flavor reasons as, according to the official lore, Vannifar mutated all the scientists who work on the Guardian Project, that's why it has the Mutant subtype.
Once again, I don't want this to be interpreted as an attack on the judge's rulings, it's just that there are things I disagree with and I would like some clarity.
edit: Grammar.
Legendary Creature — Elf Wizard Mutant (MR)
The first creature you cast each turn enters the battlefield with an additional +1/+1 counter on it.
1U: Target creature with a counter on it can't be blocked this turn.
"I respect the Utopian ideas, but results speak louder than a million words."
2/4
Thank you for your answer. So, if I've understood correctly, the card gives the counter to the first creature spell but it doesn't give it to itself, right?
Edit: Thanks Void for moving this in the appropriate forum
Would this card work?
Cardname
Creature
The first creature you cast each turn enters the battlefield with an additional +1/+1 counter.
2/2
Would the effect put a +1/+1 counter on the first creature you cast each turn? Would also this card put a counter on itself if it's the first creature you cast? Thank you in advance for your answers.
Creature — Viashino Shaman (U)
Riot (This creature enters the battlefield with your choice of a +1/+1 counter or haste.)
Other creatures you control with riot have riot.
"Rage! Let your screams be covered only by the sound of destruction! Rage! For Ilharg's return draws near!"
3/2
threetwo or more colours)EDIT: Two instead of three.
Enchantment (R)
Whenever you cast an enchantment spell, draw a card.
At the beginning of your upkeep, choose one —
Caolán, Steadfast Cenn 2WW
Legendary Creature - Kithkin Soldier (MR)
Whenever an opponent casts a noncreature spell, create X 1/1 white Kithkin Soldier creature tokens, where X is that spell's converted mana cost.
1(G/U)W: Until end of turn, Kithkin your team controls get +2/+2 and gain "Whenever this creature deals combat dsmage to sn opponent, draw a card.". Activate this ability only once each turn and only if you control six or more Kithkin.
Through light or darkness, a cenn's job never ends.
3/3
This round's entry:
Caolán, Ascended Cenn 1GWU
Legendary Planeswalker — Caolán (MR)
0: Put a loyalty counter on Caolán, Ascended Cenn for each token you control.
-X: Create X 1/1 white Kithkin Soldier creature tokens. You gain X life and draw X cards.
-3: You get an emblem with: "If an effect would create one or more tokens under your control, it creates that many plus one instead."
Caolán, Ascended Cenn can be your commander.
3
Conclave Coronet (G/W)(G/W)(G/W)
Enchantment - Aura (R)
Hexproof, indestructible
Enchant creature token
Enchanted creature gets +2/+2 and has hexproof, indestructible and vigilance.
"The strongest resolve often comes from the humblest."
—Emmara
User was: StonerOfKruphix