Gruesome Dig2BB
Instant
Return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand. Morbid - If a creature died this turn, instead return that creature to the battlefield.
Sorry for the judging being a little later than I thought it would be. Anyways, here we go. Each card was judged for flavor, design, and general creativity. Each card can be worth 5 points, allowing for a max score possible of 35 for each contestant.
Mechanics
Rebound: What comes around, goes around. With magic, this is equally important, Rebound is back Manastorm: Mages have learned to lean on each other for support, as the mana of one can save the other. Manastorm reduces to cost of casting a spell by 1 for each spell cast this turn
Commons
Punish the Squander2UU
Instant (C)
Manastorm
Counter target spell "With that much mana, you could´ve lit a fire to shelter us for months, good job on the fireworks, though"
-Nayan Dar, Tazeem Survivor
Interesting twist on a counterspell. Strictly better than Cancel though, which we know is the new "standard counterspell". 4/5
Wring Out2B
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant Land
Enchanted land loses all abilities and types
While if fits in with blacks recent anti-land enchantment streak, it's still a 3CMC land denial card, which again, is not par for the current design standards. 4/5
Harazda Supporter4W
Creature - Kor Cleric (C)
Flash
Manastorm
When Harazda Supporter enters the battlefield, prevent all damage that would be dealt to up to two target creatures this turn
2/4
Great common card that not only showcases your keyword. Aggressively costed, but it works out for the best. 4/5
Wails of Panic2R
Sorcery
Rebound
Up to two target creatures can't block this turn The mountains of Kazuul punish mistakes by reveberating your cries of death for eternity
Fair cost, fits in color, and a perfect common method for showcasing a keyword. 5/5
Uncommon
Reservecast1
Sorcery (C) (Reservecast is Colorless)
Rebound
Draw a card if you didn´t cast this from your hand "Hold it tight, now let it go. We want to rely on it, not milk it to death"
-Aldaya, Harabaz Captain
Colorless card draw is dangerous, but I think you really balanced it out. Putting it up at uncommon also helps make it so that you won't be grabbing 4 of these in a draft very easily. 4/5
Forget-Me-Not3G
Enchantment (U) T: Add two mana of any color to your mana pool "Khalni´s heart may be dead, but it beats within its children"
-Loz, Omnath´s Druid
Using the tapping of enchantments from Future Sight. I feel like the cost is a little off, it's pretty easily splashable for an extremely good mana fixer. 3/5
Rare (Mythic)
Azsa, Angel of Beckoning8WG
Legendary Creature - Angel (M)
Manastorm, Manastorm
Flying
When Azsa, Angel of Beckoning enters the battlefield, if you cast it from your hand, gain 10 life, then, you may search your library for up to three basic lands and put them on the battlefield tapped, if you do, shuffle your library "Your prayers heard, your needs quenched, your plane restored"
5/9
I know this is at mythic, but the power level seems pretty high. 3/5
SCORE: 27
Hospitable Abbot - 1W
[U]Creature - Human Cleric Monk[/U]
Retrace (You may cast this card from your graveyard by discarding a land card in addition to paying its other costs.) T: Each player may add W to your mana pool. Aye, the old Abbot was a good fellow, it seemed that nothing could keep him down. Such a great shame that he's gone now.
- Guther, farmer
0/1
Interesting concept of a mana dork, but the retrace just doesn't make sense here. 2/5
Hittian Pathfinder - 3B
[U]Creature - Ogre Scout[/U] T, Sacrifice a land or a creature: Add BBB to your mana pool. Hiil went that way, and Luek went back... neither of them has returned - So, that road is least likely to lead into out doom.
- Qooc, hittian Quartermaster
3/2
Seems a bit too powerful of a ritual effect, especially on that size a body. 3/5
Riddled Researcher - U
[U]Creature - Vedalken Wizard[/U] T, Put a card from your hand to the bottom of your library: Add U to your mana pool. Silly Wizards and their "arcane machinaries" - if they wouldn't want to be plagued by poltergeists, they shouldn't build tourist attractions for them.
- Fol, Dryad Superior
1/1
Breaks the color pie a bit, but I think it's a great way to implement the ability in blue. 5/5
Travler Merchant - 1U
[U]Creature - Dryad[/U] 3U, choose a basic land type: ~ gains the landwalk of that type until end of turn.
Whenever ~ becomes tapped, you may discard any number of island cards. If you do, draw that many cards.
1/1
Creature type is absolutely wrong for blue, and first ability seems tacked on. 2/5
Doom Shade - 5B
[U]Creature - Giant Shade[/U]
Trample
Whenever ~ enters or leaves the battlefield, sacrifice a land. B: ~ gets +1/+1 until end of turn. A town falls silent. Fields wither. None of the townfolk will see the tomorrow.
4/4
Powerful new shade, especially with the trample. But the risk of having an opponent's Go For The Throat turn into a 2CMC Stone Rain balances it. 4/5
Raving Poltergeist - 2R
[U]Creature - Spirit Berserker[/U]
Haste
When ~ enters the battlefield, destroy target artifact. Add X red mana to your mana pool, where X is the converted mana cost of the destroyed artifact. R: ~ gets +1/+0 until end of turn.
1/2
Seems a bit too powerful all for 3CMC. I would boost this up to 4CMC, but I like the design overall. 4/5
Soul Marshal- 1BB
[U]Creature - Shade Soldier[/U]
Whenever a creature enters the battlefield you lose 1 life and add B to your mana pool. B: ~ gets +1/+1 until end of turn.
2/2
Carnival of Souls on a body. This is the rare I would hate seeing. 2/5
SCORE: 22
Thoughtdrainer2B [C]
Creature - Horror
Trample
When Thoughtdrainer enters the battlefield, sacrifice it unless you discard a card. "Come, Wizard. Feed me your petty thoughts and I shall bring you power."
3/4
Aggressive cost for a common in black, but it works. 4/5
Electrogenerator3 [C]
Artifact
Spells you cast cost 1 less to cast. Where the lands grow weary and mana grows scarce, it's useful to have alternative sources of power.
Way to powerful for a common, and way undercosted. 2/5
Worm's FeastG [C]
Sorcery
As an additional cost to cast Worm's Feast, exile a creature or land card from your graveyard.
Add GGG to your mana pool. "Don't worry. Your life will not be purposeless - your corpse will be an excellent meal for my little pets."
-Grysen, Derranged Farmer
Keeping this at sorcery definitely keeps the power in check, very balanced tutor I think. 5/5
Suncatcher2WW [C]
Creature - Bird Druid
Flying, Lifelink
Whenever you gain life, put a Sun counter on Suncatcher.
Remove a Sun counter from Suncatcher: Add W to your mana pool.
2/2
Pretty fairly costed body with an extremely relevant ability. 4/5
Bloodfunnel Monstrocity1B [U]
Artifact Creature - Construct Horror
At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice a creature. Even the most meager of life forms hold untold energy in their bodies.
4/4
Perfectly fits black, aggressively designed, I like it. 5/5
Thought Cultist2BB [U]
Creature - Human Shaman
Exile the top six cards of your library: Add B to your mana pool.
2/3
I feel you could have been a bit more lenient on the cost of the ability. 3/5
SCORE: 23
Mechanics: Convoke, Offering, Delve (Even though these are three returning mechanics, I consider both Delve and Offering new, as they barely scratched the surface of their design spaces. Also, in this set Offering is generic, working on any creature instead of restricted by type.)
Sub Themes: Big creatures, Red ritualing, Pseudo Land Destruction/Lockdown, Mill.
Seed Sower2G
Creature - Human Druid (C)
When ~ enters the battlefield, put two 0/1 green Plant creature tokens onto the battlefield. "My work is futile; the life I begin will end prematurely, consumed by the hungry or twisted to dark ends by the mad. Yet I toil on, for we are nothing without the hope for a brighter tomorrow."
1/3
Full of flavor, costed efficiently, and at an appropriate rarity. I like it. 5/5
Nomster4BB
Creature - Beast (C)
Offering (You may cast this card any time you could cast an instant by sacrificing a creature and paying the difference in mana costs between this and the sacrificed creature. Mana cost includes color.) "Hunger is the force our world is ruled by, why not hail it as the god it is?"
- Zaria, Sorb cult leader
5/5
This could get interesting at common, maybe a bit too powerful for black. 4/5
Desperate Expedition1U
Sorcery (C)
Target player reveals the top 6 cards of his or her library. That player may choose up to one land card revealed this way and put that card on top of his or her library, then put the rest into his or her graveyard. Many have gone mad searching the wastes for a new home, though some say sanity is a small price to pay for survival.
It's land ramp in blue that fits in blue's mentality. Great design. 5/5
Flicker Flare2R
Sorcery (C)
~ deals 3 damage to target creature.
Add RRR to your mana pool. Flickermages have learned to recycle mana, channeling the energy given off by one spell into the next.
An essentially free lighting bolt? A bit too powerful, even with it being a sorcery. 3/5
Land-Bind Enforcer4WW
Creature - Human Wizard (U)
Convoke (Each creature you tap while casting this spell reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that creature's color.)
When ~ enters the battlefield, tap target land. That land doesn't untap during it's controller's untap step. "The people have spoken; you can no longer be allowed to abuse the land that sustains us all."
3/3
Needs some clarification as to how long the effect lasts, but otherwise I like the flavor. 4/5
Rubble-Horn Rhino4GGG
Creature - Rhino (U)
Delve (You may exile any number of cards from your graveyard as you cast this spell. It costs 1 less to cast for each card exiled this way.)
Trample
~ enters the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter for each land card exiled to cast it. On Szarth, the past is not remembered, it is harvested.
4/5
A bit too powerful for an uncommon, even in green. 4/5
Illustrious Reaper3BBB
Creature - Demon
Offering (You may cast this card any time you could cast an instant by sacrificing a creature and paying the difference in mana costs between this and the sacrificed creature. Mana cost includes color.)
Flying
If you sacrificed a creature to cast ~, when it enters the battlefield, other creatures get -X/-X until end of turn, where X is the sacrificed creature's power. "I find your pleas for help pitiful and your tributes insulting; fetch me a true offering before I think twice about sparing your pathetic little lives."
4/4
Perfect way to explore Offering past just aggressively costed creatures. 5/5
Score: 30
Reserve — As long as you control at least three untapped lands… Reserve is an ability word that represents the native Phierese inclination toward thrift. It's intended to create a slow early game followed by a turning point where players hit a mana saturation level that allows them to use their Reserve cards at full power. To preserve the slow opening effect, card draw is only available through Reserve effects. (Reserve is present in GWU.)
Land creatures represent the last few spirits of the earth, shaken from their sleep by pangs of hunger. Manaless land creatures offer 0 CMC opportunities that support Reserve while building table presence.
Spellshapers return in this set, allowing players to pitch high-CMC cards for staple effects.
Oryx Rider1W
Creature — Human Scout Reserve — As long as you control at least three untapped lands, Oryx Rider has first strike.
2/2
Great cost and great way to show off your keyword at common. 5/5
Muck TenderBB
Creature — Zombie Spellshaper
Swampwalk B,T, discard a card: Target land becomes a Swamp in addition to its other types until end of turn.
1/1
Relevant ability, but you could have probably gone more aggressive on the casting cost. 4/5
SummercloakG
Enchantment — Aura
Enchanted creature gets +1/+1. Reserve — As long as you control at least three untapped lands, enchanted creature is unblockable.
Design is good, but unblockable is not normally in green's color pie. 4/5
Open the Earth0 (CI:•)
Sorcery
As an additional cost to cast Open the Earth, sacrifice a land.
Destroy target tapped creature.
Creature removal isn't normally red, but you've made the flavor work out well. 5/5
Ruintiller2W
Creature — Wurm Spellshaper 1W,T, discard a card: Destroy target artifact. These days, the ancient cities are simply enormous hives for the relic wurms.
1/4
A bit confused by the creature type, and artifact destruction that efficient is not in white's pie. 3/5
Earthsinger
Land Creature — Spirit
Exalted, defender If you listen carefully, you can hear the song in the rocks—the death rattle of a dying plane.
0/2
Interesting. No mana ability but grants exalted, I like the balance. 4/5
Forgotten Erandachu
Land
Forgotten Erandachu enters the battlefield tapped. ,T: Put a 1/1 colorless Sand Wurm creature token onto the battlefield. T, sacrifice X Sand Wurms: Add X colorless mana to your mana pool. Baby wurms, plump with mana, are worth more than gold in Phieris.
Love the flavor, but the power level is a bit weak. You probably could have reduced the activation cost by 1 or 2. 4/5
SCORE: 29
Erathu LawmageW
Creature - Human Wizard (C) t, Pay 1 life: Tap target creature. Her magic is used for good, but the lack of mana causes it to have a dark price.
1/1
Standard ability in most sets refreshed a bit for your theme. I like it. 5/5
Tainted Talisman3
Artifact (C) t: Add 1 to your mana pool. Target player loses 1 life.
I don't like how non-interactive this is. 3/5
Sanguine Cultist2B
Creature - Human Cleric (C) t: Sacrifice a creature: Add one mana of the sacrificed creature's colors to your mana pool.
0/1
Like the flavor of the ability, but you probably could have reduced his cost to 2 if not 1. 3/5
Treefall Baloth5G
Creature - Beast (C)
You may sacrifice two untapped forests rather than pay ~'s mana cost.
Trample
4/3
Powerful creature with a risky alternate cost, great design. 5/5
Pulse SyphonB
Sorcery (U)
Target player loses 1 life. Add BB to your mana pool.
Ritual at tutor helps balance this, but overall design just isn't that interesting, especially at uncommon. 3/5
Stonechuck0 O Instant (U)
As an additional cost to cast ~, discard a Mountain card.
~ deals 1 damage to target creature or player.
Very interesting design. At uncommon, you probably could have put the damage up to 2 and been safe. 4/5
Mad Chronologist5U
Creature - Human Wizard (R) t, Put the top twenty cards of your library into your graveyard: Take another turn after this one. Skip the untap step of that turn. Some mages found out how to use their own sanity as a resource. You don't find many sane mages anymore.
3/3
Like the idea, but the cost is just way too high, both in CMC and in activation, especially since the extra turn skips the untap step. 3/5
SCORE: 26
WINNER: MOON-E!!!
Next: Super Heroes, Super Villains, and big Movie Monsters
So after much unfortunate woes last night, I came up short on trading to finish the deck. It seems that the only people in the world who have Mox Opals are other Affinity players, and that no one has any for trade anywhere. As such, I'm trying to figure out if I can still run a decently optimal list or whether it's just not worth it to enter into a tournament where I know I'll be going against a large array of Tier 1 decks. The only other maindeck card I'm missing is a single Tezzeret, AoB, but I'm sure I'll be able to find one to buy/trade for morning of the tournament.
This is the decklist I'm currently trying to make work:
Gravewaste Collection2BB
Enchantment
Whenever an opponent discards a card, you may put a +1/+1 counter on each Zombie you control unless that player pays 3 life.
Zombies with +1/+1 counters on them gain deathtouch. Nothing lost ever goes to waste here.
"Running out of mana" is the most common and most overused plot point by custom set designers. I won't lie, I'm guilty of using it too, but I find it strange how so many people are drawn to the same idea.
I'll be honest, I didn't really look back through many of the previous challenges to see if this had already been done. I just put it as my challenge because I had just had a discussion with a friend how the game has allowed for some insane mana bases and what it would be like if a set came out that didn't promote mana fixing or ramping but rather hindered it.
Eager SquireW
Creature - Human Soldier
When Eager Squire enters the battlefield, you may search your library for an Equipment card with converted mana cost 1 or less. Reveal that card and put it in your hand. Shuffle your library.
1/2
Hellacious Mongoose1GG
Creature - Mongoose
Haste
Whenever a creature blocks or is blocked by Hellacious Mongoose, you may pay R. If you do, Hellacious Mongoose does 2 damage to that creature.
2/2
Transgenic Plaguebearer1UBG
Creature - Zombie Mutant
When Transgenic Plaguebearer enters the battlefield, choose a creature type.
All creatures of the chosen type get -1/-1.
Sacrifice Transgenic Plaguebearer: Choose a creature type. All creatures of the chosen type get -2/-2 until the end of turn.
3/2
Mindscour Devil2UR
Creature - Devil
First strike, haste
At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice Mindscour Devil unless you discard an instant or a sorcery.
5/3
So thinking of entering a tournament this weekend, and wanted an opinion on tayloring the deck to the meta. In terms of maindeck, have people found the Stoneblade support really worth the slots? Or would you rather have the extra (in my case) Frogmites and Master of Etheriums?
Also, what are the current thoughts on Disciple of the Vault? I never really see him too often in decklists, but is he still a way to get the job done?
I'm expecting to face a lot of Delver and Miracles, so any tips would be greatly appreciated.
Mordi, Alley Recruiter3UB
Legendary Creature - Human Rogue
Whenever you would draw a card, you may instead pay 2UB. If you do, gain control of target non-land permanent with a converted mana cost of X or less, where X is the number of non-land permanents you control. Suddenly, his offer seemed a lot more appealing than the day before.
2/2
Next: A blue commander who you wouldn't want to run counterspells in their deck.
Renew The LandXG
Instant
Instead of paying Renew The Land's mana cost, you may return X lands you control to your hand instead.
Untap X lands you control.
Instant
Return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand.
Morbid - If a creature died this turn, instead return that creature to the battlefield.
Mechanics
Rebound: What comes around, goes around. With magic, this is equally important, Rebound is back
Manastorm: Mages have learned to lean on each other for support, as the mana of one can save the other. Manastorm reduces to cost of casting a spell by 1 for each spell cast this turn
Commons
Punish the Squander2UU
Instant (C)
Manastorm
Counter target spell
"With that much mana, you could´ve lit a fire to shelter us for months, good job on the fireworks, though"
-Nayan Dar, Tazeem Survivor
Interesting twist on a counterspell. Strictly better than Cancel though, which we know is the new "standard counterspell". 4/5
Wring Out 2B
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant Land
Enchanted land loses all abilities and types
While if fits in with blacks recent anti-land enchantment streak, it's still a 3CMC land denial card, which again, is not par for the current design standards. 4/5
Harazda Supporter 4W
Creature - Kor Cleric (C)
Flash
Manastorm
When Harazda Supporter enters the battlefield, prevent all damage that would be dealt to up to two target creatures this turn
2/4
Great common card that not only showcases your keyword. Aggressively costed, but it works out for the best. 4/5
Wails of Panic 2R
Sorcery
Rebound
Up to two target creatures can't block this turn
The mountains of Kazuul punish mistakes by reveberating your cries of death for eternity
Fair cost, fits in color, and a perfect common method for showcasing a keyword. 5/5
Uncommon
Reservecast1
Sorcery (C)
(Reservecast is Colorless)
Rebound
Draw a card if you didn´t cast this from your hand
"Hold it tight, now let it go. We want to rely on it, not milk it to death"
-Aldaya, Harabaz Captain
Colorless card draw is dangerous, but I think you really balanced it out. Putting it up at uncommon also helps make it so that you won't be grabbing 4 of these in a draft very easily. 4/5
Forget-Me-Not3G
Enchantment (U)
T: Add two mana of any color to your mana pool
"Khalni´s heart may be dead, but it beats within its children"
-Loz, Omnath´s Druid
Using the tapping of enchantments from Future Sight. I feel like the cost is a little off, it's pretty easily splashable for an extremely good mana fixer. 3/5
Rare (Mythic)
Legendary Creature - Angel (M)
Manastorm, Manastorm
Flying
When Azsa, Angel of Beckoning enters the battlefield, if you cast it from your hand, gain 10 life, then, you may search your library for up to three basic lands and put them on the battlefield tapped, if you do, shuffle your library
"Your prayers heard, your needs quenched, your plane restored"
5/9
I know this is at mythic, but the power level seems pretty high. 3/5
Hospitable Abbot - 1W
[U]Creature - Human Cleric Monk[/U]
Retrace (You may cast this card from your graveyard by discarding a land card in addition to paying its other costs.)
T: Each player may add W to your mana pool.
Aye, the old Abbot was a good fellow, it seemed that nothing could keep him down. Such a great shame that he's gone now.
- Guther, farmer
0/1
Interesting concept of a mana dork, but the retrace just doesn't make sense here. 2/5
Hittian Pathfinder - 3B
[U]Creature - Ogre Scout[/U]
T, Sacrifice a land or a creature: Add BBB to your mana pool.
Hiil went that way, and Luek went back... neither of them has returned - So, that road is least likely to lead into out doom.
- Qooc, hittian Quartermaster
3/2
Seems a bit too powerful of a ritual effect, especially on that size a body. 3/5
Riddled Researcher - U
[U]Creature - Vedalken Wizard[/U]
T, Put a card from your hand to the bottom of your library: Add U to your mana pool.
Silly Wizards and their "arcane machinaries" - if they wouldn't want to be plagued by poltergeists, they shouldn't build tourist attractions for them.
- Fol, Dryad Superior
1/1
Breaks the color pie a bit, but I think it's a great way to implement the ability in blue. 5/5
Travler Merchant - 1U
[U]Creature - Dryad[/U]
3U, choose a basic land type: ~ gains the landwalk of that type until end of turn.
Whenever ~ becomes tapped, you may discard any number of island cards. If you do, draw that many cards.
1/1
Creature type is absolutely wrong for blue, and first ability seems tacked on. 2/5
Doom Shade - 5B
[U]Creature - Giant Shade[/U]
Trample
Whenever ~ enters or leaves the battlefield, sacrifice a land.
B: ~ gets +1/+1 until end of turn.
A town falls silent. Fields wither. None of the townfolk will see the tomorrow.
4/4
Powerful new shade, especially with the trample. But the risk of having an opponent's Go For The Throat turn into a 2CMC Stone Rain balances it. 4/5
Raving Poltergeist - 2R
[U]Creature - Spirit Berserker[/U]
Haste
When ~ enters the battlefield, destroy target artifact. Add X red mana to your mana pool, where X is the converted mana cost of the destroyed artifact.
R: ~ gets +1/+0 until end of turn.
1/2
Seems a bit too powerful all for 3CMC. I would boost this up to 4CMC, but I like the design overall. 4/5
Soul Marshal- 1BB
[U]Creature - Shade Soldier[/U]
Whenever a creature enters the battlefield you lose 1 life and add B to your mana pool.
B: ~ gets +1/+1 until end of turn.
2/2
Carnival of Souls on a body. This is the rare I would hate seeing. 2/5
Creature - Horror
Trample
When Thoughtdrainer enters the battlefield, sacrifice it unless you discard a card.
"Come, Wizard. Feed me your petty thoughts and I shall bring you power."
3/4
Aggressive cost for a common in black, but it works. 4/5
Electrogenerator 3 [C]
Artifact
Spells you cast cost 1 less to cast.
Where the lands grow weary and mana grows scarce, it's useful to have alternative sources of power.
Way to powerful for a common, and way undercosted. 2/5
Worm's Feast G [C]
Sorcery
As an additional cost to cast Worm's Feast, exile a creature or land card from your graveyard.
Add GGG to your mana pool.
"Don't worry. Your life will not be purposeless - your corpse will be an excellent meal for my little pets."
-Grysen, Derranged Farmer
Keeping this at sorcery definitely keeps the power in check, very balanced tutor I think. 5/5
Suncatcher 2WW [C]
Creature - Bird Druid
Flying, Lifelink
Whenever you gain life, put a Sun counter on Suncatcher.
Remove a Sun counter from Suncatcher: Add W to your mana pool.
2/2
Pretty fairly costed body with an extremely relevant ability. 4/5
Artifact Creature - Construct Horror
At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice a creature.
Even the most meager of life forms hold untold energy in their bodies.
4/4
Perfectly fits black, aggressively designed, I like it. 5/5
Thought Cultist 2BB [U]
Creature - Human Shaman
Exile the top six cards of your library: Add B to your mana pool.
2/3
I feel you could have been a bit more lenient on the cost of the ability. 3/5
SCORE: 23
Mechanics: Convoke, Offering, Delve (Even though these are three returning mechanics, I consider both Delve and Offering new, as they barely scratched the surface of their design spaces. Also, in this set Offering is generic, working on any creature instead of restricted by type.)
Sub Themes: Big creatures, Red ritualing, Pseudo Land Destruction/Lockdown, Mill.
Creature - Human Druid (C)
When ~ enters the battlefield, put two 0/1 green Plant creature tokens onto the battlefield.
"My work is futile; the life I begin will end prematurely, consumed by the hungry or twisted to dark ends by the mad. Yet I toil on, for we are nothing without the hope for a brighter tomorrow."
1/3
Full of flavor, costed efficiently, and at an appropriate rarity. I like it. 5/5
Nomster 4BB
Creature - Beast (C)
Offering (You may cast this card any time you could cast an instant by sacrificing a creature and paying the difference in mana costs between this and the sacrificed creature. Mana cost includes color.)
"Hunger is the force our world is ruled by, why not hail it as the god it is?"
- Zaria, Sorb cult leader
5/5
This could get interesting at common, maybe a bit too powerful for black. 4/5
Desperate Expedition 1U
Sorcery (C)
Target player reveals the top 6 cards of his or her library. That player may choose up to one land card revealed this way and put that card on top of his or her library, then put the rest into his or her graveyard.
Many have gone mad searching the wastes for a new home, though some say sanity is a small price to pay for survival.
It's land ramp in blue that fits in blue's mentality. Great design. 5/5
Flicker Flare 2R
Sorcery (C)
~ deals 3 damage to target creature.
Add RRR to your mana pool.
Flickermages have learned to recycle mana, channeling the energy given off by one spell into the next.
An essentially free lighting bolt? A bit too powerful, even with it being a sorcery. 3/5
Creature - Human Wizard (U)
Convoke (Each creature you tap while casting this spell reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that creature's color.)
When ~ enters the battlefield, tap target land. That land doesn't untap during it's controller's untap step.
"The people have spoken; you can no longer be allowed to abuse the land that sustains us all."
3/3
Needs some clarification as to how long the effect lasts, but otherwise I like the flavor. 4/5
Rubble-Horn Rhino 4GGG
Creature - Rhino (U)
Delve (You may exile any number of cards from your graveyard as you cast this spell. It costs 1 less to cast for each card exiled this way.)
Trample
~ enters the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter for each land card exiled to cast it.
On Szarth, the past is not remembered, it is harvested.
4/5
A bit too powerful for an uncommon, even in green. 4/5
Creature - Demon
Offering (You may cast this card any time you could cast an instant by sacrificing a creature and paying the difference in mana costs between this and the sacrificed creature. Mana cost includes color.)
Flying
If you sacrificed a creature to cast ~, when it enters the battlefield, other creatures get -X/-X until end of turn, where X is the sacrificed creature's power.
"I find your pleas for help pitiful and your tributes insulting; fetch me a true offering before I think twice about sparing your pathetic little lives."
4/4
Perfect way to explore Offering past just aggressively costed creatures. 5/5
Land creatures represent the last few spirits of the earth, shaken from their sleep by pangs of hunger. Manaless land creatures offer 0 CMC opportunities that support Reserve while building table presence.
Spellshapers return in this set, allowing players to pitch high-CMC cards for staple effects.
Creature — Human Scout
Reserve — As long as you control at least three untapped lands, Oryx Rider has first strike.
2/2
Great cost and great way to show off your keyword at common. 5/5
Muck Tender BB
Creature — Zombie Spellshaper
Swampwalk
B,T, discard a card: Target land becomes a Swamp in addition to its other types until end of turn.
1/1
Relevant ability, but you could have probably gone more aggressive on the casting cost. 4/5
Summercloak G
Enchantment — Aura
Enchanted creature gets +1/+1.
Reserve — As long as you control at least three untapped lands, enchanted creature is unblockable.
Design is good, but unblockable is not normally in green's color pie. 4/5
Open the Earth 0 (CI:•)
Sorcery
As an additional cost to cast Open the Earth, sacrifice a land.
Destroy target tapped creature.
Creature removal isn't normally red, but you've made the flavor work out well. 5/5
Creature — Wurm Spellshaper
1W,T, discard a card: Destroy target artifact.
These days, the ancient cities are simply enormous hives for the relic wurms.
1/4
A bit confused by the creature type, and artifact destruction that efficient is not in white's pie. 3/5
Earthsinger
Land Creature — Spirit
Exalted, defender
If you listen carefully, you can hear the song in the rocks—the death rattle of a dying plane.
0/2
Interesting. No mana ability but grants exalted, I like the balance. 4/5
Land
Forgotten Erandachu enters the battlefield tapped.
,T: Put a 1/1 colorless Sand Wurm creature token onto the battlefield.
T, sacrifice X Sand Wurms: Add X colorless mana to your mana pool.
Baby wurms, plump with mana, are worth more than gold in Phieris.
Love the flavor, but the power level is a bit weak. You probably could have reduced the activation cost by 1 or 2. 4/5
SCORE: 29
Creature - Human Wizard (C)
t, Pay 1 life: Tap target creature.
Her magic is used for good, but the lack of mana causes it to have a dark price.
1/1
Standard ability in most sets refreshed a bit for your theme. I like it. 5/5
Tainted Talisman 3
Artifact (C)
t: Add 1 to your mana pool. Target player loses 1 life.
I don't like how non-interactive this is. 3/5
Sanguine Cultist 2B
Creature - Human Cleric (C)
t: Sacrifice a creature: Add one mana of the sacrificed creature's colors to your mana pool.
0/1
Like the flavor of the ability, but you probably could have reduced his cost to 2 if not 1. 3/5
Treefall Baloth 5G
Creature - Beast (C)
You may sacrifice two untapped forests rather than pay ~'s mana cost.
Trample
4/3
Powerful creature with a risky alternate cost, great design. 5/5
Sorcery (U)
Target player loses 1 life. Add BB to your mana pool.
Ritual at tutor helps balance this, but overall design just isn't that interesting, especially at uncommon. 3/5
Stonechuck 0
O Instant (U)
As an additional cost to cast ~, discard a Mountain card.
~ deals 1 damage to target creature or player.
Very interesting design. At uncommon, you probably could have put the damage up to 2 and been safe. 4/5
Creature - Human Wizard (R)
t, Put the top twenty cards of your library into your graveyard: Take another turn after this one. Skip the untap step of that turn.
Some mages found out how to use their own sanity as a resource. You don't find many sane mages anymore.
3/3
Like the idea, but the cost is just way too high, both in CMC and in activation, especially since the extra turn skips the untap step. 3/5
SCORE: 26
WINNER: MOON-E!!!
Next: Super Heroes, Super Villains, and big Movie Monsters
This is the decklist I'm currently trying to make work:
4x Vault of Whispers
4x Seat of the Synod
2x Ancient Tomb
4x Darksteel Citadel
Creatures (27):
4x Memnite
4x Ornithopter
4x Arcbound Ravager
4x Etched Champion
4x Disciple of the Vault
3x Stoneforge Mystic
4x Vault Skirge
4x Thoughtcast
Planeswalkers (3):
3x Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas
Artifacts (12):
1x Mox Opal
4x Lotus Petal
1x Umezawa's Jitte
4x Cranial Plating
2x Springleaf Drum
1x Grafdigger's Cage
2x Phyrexian Revoker
1x Tormod's Crypt
1x Nihil Spellbomb
2x Ethersworn Canonist
1x Chalice of the Void
2x Pithing Needle
3x Cabal Therapy
2x Dispatch
Thoughts? Ideas?
Sorcery
As an additional cost to Learn from the Damned, sacrifice 4 creatures.
Take an extra turn after this one.
Legendary Land
T: Add G to your mana pool.
3G, sacrifice Grove of the Cleansed, t: Destroy target enchantment.
Gravewaste Collection 2BB
Enchantment
Whenever an opponent discards a card, you may put a +1/+1 counter on each Zombie you control unless that player pays 3 life.
Zombies with +1/+1 counters on them gain deathtouch.
Nothing lost ever goes to waste here.
I'll be honest, I didn't really look back through many of the previous challenges to see if this had already been done. I just put it as my challenge because I had just had a discussion with a friend how the game has allowed for some insane mana bases and what it would be like if a set came out that didn't promote mana fixing or ramping but rather hindered it.
Creature - Human Soldier
When Eager Squire enters the battlefield, you may search your library for an Equipment card with converted mana cost 1 or less. Reveal that card and put it in your hand. Shuffle your library.
1/2
Creature - Mongoose
Haste
Whenever a creature blocks or is blocked by Hellacious Mongoose, you may pay R. If you do, Hellacious Mongoose does 2 damage to that creature.
2/2
Creature - Zombie Mutant
When Transgenic Plaguebearer enters the battlefield, choose a creature type.
All creatures of the chosen type get -1/-1.
Sacrifice Transgenic Plaguebearer: Choose a creature type. All creatures of the chosen type get -2/-2 until the end of turn.
3/2
Creature - Devil
First strike, haste
At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice Mindscour Devil unless you discard an instant or a sorcery.
5/3
Also, what are the current thoughts on Disciple of the Vault? I never really see him too often in decklists, but is he still a way to get the job done?
I'm expecting to face a lot of Delver and Miracles, so any tips would be greatly appreciated.
Legendary Creature - Human Rogue
Whenever you would draw a card, you may instead pay 2UB. If you do, gain control of target non-land permanent with a converted mana cost of X or less, where X is the number of non-land permanents you control.
Suddenly, his offer seemed a lot more appealing than the day before.
2/2
Next: A blue commander who you wouldn't want to run counterspells in their deck.
Instant
Instead of paying Renew The Land's mana cost, you may return X lands you control to your hand instead.
Untap X lands you control.