IcariiFA - I'm having a hard time evaluating this one. I can't get if this is powerful in single player or fine. One hit can be enough to run away exponentially, which is for sure a concern. Nevertheless, I like the idea here.
Ink-Treader - 0 is a lot! A lot cheaper I mean...Poor player, seems hard to win after this one. But the idea is good! I'd definitely put a symbolic cost like 2, or U/B/R, or...
glurman - This looks a lot like Surge, which is fine but not super innovative. The problem is that it doesn't require a setup like Surge does, and can be broken (you can damage yourself), which can be a problem for other cards with this mechanic. Btw, I think it should be "was dealt damage"
theazurespirit - This fits the challenge quite well, but the difference between 2 and 3/4 players is huge for this card. I think this card would work well as mono black, the white and blue seem a bit forced, and their abilities are passable as black.
RaikouRider - From any graveyard? Was this on purpose? I like the idea, and the balance seems fine, except for that line (also makes it weird to select one creature for players). Also reminds me of Exhume.
bravelion83 - Brilliant. Simple, elegant, and spot on.
People didn't miss it, I'm positive it was just me and my busy schedule. I'm pretty sure you can't do anything about the CF tag (being pink and so short is easy to miss, at least for me). Maybe just inverting the title order? The status ("Round 1", "Voting", "Round 2") appears in the end as of now, and when I'm skimming the thread titles, all I see is the same long pattern ("[CF] KCC February - Keyword Creator's Contest"), which is probably the reason I ignored them.
(In fact, I wondered why this wasn't moving eheh! Glad I noticed in time)
Pendelhaven's Anthem1G
Enchantment (R)
1/1 creatures you control get +1/+2. A sound so subtle but yet so beautiful, a song so harmless but yet so powerful.
Sowing Seeds1G
Enchantment (U)
Discard a card: Put a 1/1 green Saproling token onto the battlefield. Activate this ability only during your turn and once each turn. Sowing is as useless as training an army...if you do it wrong.
It was quite hard to find 3 cards that I could fix without changing them completely. Some were just good, others just too flawed, and I really wanted to respect the creators' ideas and flavor, along with the source challenge.
In the 1st round we were asked to create an iconic creature. Forestguy came up with a quite interesting design, but that needed some tweaking.
Flying
When Basic Tutor enters the battlefield, Search your library for a card with converted mana cost equal to or less than the number of basic lands you control, Add it to your hand then shuffle your library.
"First the basics ..."
2/2
Nightshade Demon2BB
Creature - Demon (R)
Flying
When Nightshade Demon enters the battlefield, if you cast it from your hand, you may search your library for a card with converted mana cost less than or equal to the number of Swamps you control, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library. Your void of knowledge is as dark as my mind.
3/3
In the 3rd round, we needed to create a hybrid design, that would fit both colors as a mono-colored card. Koopa did a good job on this one, but there were some concerns regarding 0 mana creatures.
Blundering Mastodon(G/W)
Creature - Elephant (U)
When Blundering Mastodon enters the battlefield, return a creature you control to its owner's hand. "As graceful as a mastodon" - Abzan saying for "A disaster on legs".
3/3
Blundering Mastodon(G/W)
Creature - Elephant (U)
When Blundering Mastodon enters the battlefield, return a green or white creature you control to its owner's hand. "As graceful as a mastodon" - Abzan saying for "A disaster on legs".
3/3
Finally, in one of the toughest rounds ever, we had to design a bleed and a break card. Asrama designed one of my favorite breaks, but most players detected a major flaw I missed as well: it's almost impossible to get rid of this (Dovescape too, but at least it's much cheaper). I also felt that red should leave creatures alone, so I added two clauses instead of one.
Break:
Immolate the Æther2RRR
Enchantment (R)
Whenever a player casts a spell, counter it. Immolate the Æther deals damage equal to that spell's converted mana cost to target creature or player of that spell's controller choice. Raya could feel the rage bubbling within her. "What will we do now?", asked Attama. "Burn it", came the answer. "Burn it all".
It should be pretty obvious: Red does not get to counter spells. Much like other red pie-breaking cards like Final Fortune, and Form of the Dragon, the flavor allows it do something that it otherwise wouldn't. Countering here isn't about control or preventing your opponent from achieving their goals, but rather turning the spells into pure energy that fans greater and greater flames.
Immolate the Æther1RRR
Enchantment (R)
Whenever a player casts a noncreature spell, if it doesn't target Immolate the Æther, counter it. Immolate the Æther deals damage equal to that spell's converted mana cost to target creature or player of that spell's controller choice. Raya could feel the rage bubbling within her. "What will we do now?", asked Attama. "Burn it", came the answer. "Burn it all".
I wasn't aware of this tbh. I assumed Doombringer had done his judging and put Koopa in 3rd :x It's awkward to have a player out because his critiques were a bit short.
Ceaseless Spider1BG
Creature - Zombie Spider Mutant (U)
Reach
Ceaseless Spider enters the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it for each creature with flying in your graveyard.
You may cast Ceaseless Spider from your graveyard as long as an opponent controls a creature with flying.
1/2
C: Interesting design, although hard to evaluate in vaccuum. How many slaves is there gonna be? Or is it just a subtype to be added? Nevertheless, the flavor is there. Except for the building part, it probably doesn't make much sense to build "creatures", for instance.
P: I can see this set will be a mess with layers and so on. So many creatures changing control, I don't think it's feasible. Still, the flavor is there, although the second ability is not very useful (at least in offensive - you can never attack with those creatures), and the third ability is weird, because it seems you're, indirectly, slaving others' creatures (I think the idea is that they 'join' your side/cause, but still...)
Overall: The cards capture the characters' ideas pretty well, despite some flaws in their design.
C: Unless I'm missing something, we know nothing about Garathar...Which wasn't the point I believe. But the design is good, and creates an interesting deckbuilding tension, for a powerful effect.
P: We know more about Rin, but not enought to understand what he does or why he does it. The card itself seems a mixture of Koth, Xenagos, Domri and Nissa. Yeah, all RG Pws, which is probably the main reason. +1 is fine, but -1 is weird. Nissa does it much better, Domri does it better (up, not down). The emblem is strong for sure, nothing to say.
Overall: Rin is somewhat dull, but the creature is nice. I just wish you had spent more time developping the characters instead of the plane.
Decompose X - COST [i](COST, Exile this card from your graveyard: Put X 1/1 black and green Wurm tokens onto the battlefield.)[/i]
Flourishing Nature2G
Sorcery (C)
Search your library for a basic land card and put it onto the battlefield. Then shuffle your library.
Decompose 3 - 4GG [i](4GG, Exile this card from your graveyard: Put three 1/1 black and green Wurm tokens onto the battlefield.)[/i]
Gray Bear1G
Creature - Bear (U)
Trample
Decompose 2 - 1G [i](1G, Exile this card from your graveyard: Put two 1/1 black and green Wurm tokens onto the battlefield.)
2/2
Circle of Life3BG
Enchantment (R)
Each creature cards in your graveyard have decompose X, where X is its power. The decompose cost is equal to its mana cost.
I never found Abzan to be too terrible. Game 1 I'd give us the slight edge on the play, and after SB we're fine. What does your sideboard look like?
I don't play the deck for a while now, but I always felt we're playing the same deck with weaker removal and creatures (e.g., their Dromoka's Command was always better than ours). My sb back then looked like many here, some assortment of Surges's, EvoLeap, Dragonslayer, Silkwrap, etc.
Ink-Treader - 0 is a lot! A lot cheaper I mean...Poor player, seems hard to win after this one. But the idea is good! I'd definitely put a symbolic cost like 2, or U/B/R, or...
glurman - This looks a lot like Surge, which is fine but not super innovative. The problem is that it doesn't require a setup like Surge does, and can be broken (you can damage yourself), which can be a problem for other cards with this mechanic. Btw, I think it should be "was dealt damage"
theazurespirit - This fits the challenge quite well, but the difference between 2 and 3/4 players is huge for this card. I think this card would work well as mono black, the white and blue seem a bit forced, and their abilities are passable as black.
RaikouRider - From any graveyard? Was this on purpose? I like the idea, and the balance seems fine, except for that line (also makes it weird to select one creature for players). Also reminds me of Exhume.
bravelion83 - Brilliant. Simple, elegant, and spot on.
1. Bravelion83
2. IcariiFA
3. Ink-Treader
(In fact, I wondered why this wasn't moving eheh! Glad I noticed in time)
Enchantment (R)
1/1 creatures you control get +1/+2.
A sound so subtle but yet so beautiful, a song so harmless but yet so powerful.
Sowing Seeds 1G
Enchantment (U)
Discard a card: Put a 1/1 green Saproling token onto the battlefield. Activate this ability only during your turn and once each turn.
Sowing is as useless as training an army...if you do it wrong.
(can we get a 3-letter tag instead of just CF - what does it stand for btw?)
In the 1st round we were asked to create an iconic creature. Forestguy came up with a quite interesting design, but that needed some tweaking.
Nightshade Demon 2BB
Creature - Demon (R)
Flying
When Nightshade Demon enters the battlefield, if you cast it from your hand, you may search your library for a card with converted mana cost less than or equal to the number of Swamps you control, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library.
Your void of knowledge is as dark as my mind.
3/3
In the 3rd round, we needed to create a hybrid design, that would fit both colors as a mono-colored card. Koopa did a good job on this one, but there were some concerns regarding 0 mana creatures.
Blundering Mastodon (G/W)
Creature - Elephant (U)
When Blundering Mastodon enters the battlefield, return a green or white creature you control to its owner's hand.
"As graceful as a mastodon" - Abzan saying for "A disaster on legs".
3/3
Finally, in one of the toughest rounds ever, we had to design a bleed and a break card. Asrama designed one of my favorite breaks, but most players detected a major flaw I missed as well: it's almost impossible to get rid of this (Dovescape too, but at least it's much cheaper). I also felt that red should leave creatures alone, so I added two clauses instead of one.
Immolate the Æther 1RRR
Enchantment (R)
Whenever a player casts a noncreature spell, if it doesn't target Immolate the Æther, counter it. Immolate the Æther deals damage equal to that spell's converted mana cost to target creature or player of that spell's controller choice.
Raya could feel the rage bubbling within her. "What will we do now?", asked Attama. "Burn it", came the answer. "Burn it all".
Instant (U)
Target player draws two cards.
Target player draws a card.
Great minds think alike.
Creature - Zombie Spider Mutant (U)
Reach
Ceaseless Spider enters the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it for each creature with flying in your graveyard.
You may cast Ceaseless Spider from your graveyard as long as an opponent controls a creature with flying.
1/2
C: Interesting design, although hard to evaluate in vaccuum. How many slaves is there gonna be? Or is it just a subtype to be added? Nevertheless, the flavor is there. Except for the building part, it probably doesn't make much sense to build "creatures", for instance.
P: I can see this set will be a mess with layers and so on. So many creatures changing control, I don't think it's feasible. Still, the flavor is there, although the second ability is not very useful (at least in offensive - you can never attack with those creatures), and the third ability is weird, because it seems you're, indirectly, slaving others' creatures (I think the idea is that they 'join' your side/cause, but still...)
Overall: The cards capture the characters' ideas pretty well, despite some flaws in their design.
C: Unless I'm missing something, we know nothing about Garathar...Which wasn't the point I believe. But the design is good, and creates an interesting deckbuilding tension, for a powerful effect.
P: We know more about Rin, but not enought to understand what he does or why he does it. The card itself seems a mixture of Koth, Xenagos, Domri and Nissa. Yeah, all RG Pws, which is probably the main reason. +1 is fine, but -1 is weird. Nissa does it much better, Domri does it better (up, not down). The emblem is strong for sure, nothing to say.
Overall: Rin is somewhat dull, but the creature is nice. I just wish you had spent more time developping the characters instead of the plane.
1. Koopa
2. Flatline
Flourishing Nature 2G
Sorcery (C)
Search your library for a basic land card and put it onto the battlefield. Then shuffle your library.
Decompose 3 - 4GG [i](4GG, Exile this card from your graveyard: Put three 1/1 black and green Wurm tokens onto the battlefield.)[/i]
Gray Bear 1G
Creature - Bear (U)
Trample
Decompose 2 - 1G [i](1G, Exile this card from your graveyard: Put two 1/1 black and green Wurm tokens onto the battlefield.)
2/2
Circle of Life 3BG
Enchantment (R)
Each creature cards in your graveyard have decompose X, where X is its power. The decompose cost is equal to its mana cost.
- either everyone is tied
(A->B,C;
B->C,A;
C->A,B)
- the 'winner' picks who plays the finals with him
(A->C,B;
B->C,A;
C->?, ?).
Will you be judging as well, or we just move as it is and see what happens?
4 Sphinx's Tutelage
3 Oath of Jace
4 Magmatic Insight
4 Tormenting Voice
4 Treasure Cruise
1 Painful Truths
2 Languish
2 Crux of Fate
3 Fiery Impulse
2 Murderous Cut
2 Duress
2 Chandra, Flamecaller
2 Smoldering Marsh
1 Sunken Hollow
4 Polluted Delta
4 Bloodstained Mire
1 Wooded Foothills
1 Flooded Strand
1 Prairie Stream
1 Canopy Vista
1 Swamp
2 Mountain
2 Island
Don't mind the white lands, the idea is to have a transformational sb and have 4 Mentors in the sb.
I don't play the deck for a while now, but I always felt we're playing the same deck with weaker removal and creatures (e.g., their Dromoka's Command was always better than ours). My sb back then looked like many here, some assortment of Surges's, EvoLeap, Dragonslayer, Silkwrap, etc.