Friday, March 8, 2013

Weekend Art Challenge 030813—GoddessMechanic

Weekend Art Challenge
Click through to see this weekend's art by GoddessMechanic and the design requirements for your card submission, due Monday morning. Remember that you may ask for feedback by mid-day Sunday and redesign your submission once after you get it.


(Click to view at full size)
This week, the plane/set is Ekkremes. Actually, it's a theoretical version of Ekkremes featuring giant automatons. I'll leave it to you to decide how large they are, how they work and what their role is, but they need to factor prominently in this version of the world.

Ekkremes is a factory-plane where industrial advancement threatens to choke out the natural world entirely, and that is a response to or has some effect on the mana of the plane. This Ekkremes uses one or more of sunburst, twobrid and/or non-colored mana (your choice), though this how-you-pay-matters mechanic needn't be part of your design.

Ekkremes must remain entirely distinct from Mirrodin, so don't use any Mirran or Phyrexian concepts or mechanics.

Your card can't be colorless and must be either common or a 'staple' uncommon (as opposed to a wacky 'build-around' meant to add variety). You needn't include flavor text, but your card does need to strongly evoke this magepunk/steampunk environment. Bonus points if your card hints at another interesting aspect of Ekkremes.


34 comments:

  1. I liked it when you used to show an example of the art in the card frame. Can you please start doing that again? : )

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  2. Mutual Destruction 2G
    Sorcery (U)
    Target artifact creature fights target artifact creature.

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  3. Final Battle 1W
    Instant (C)
    Tap all attacking and blocking creatures, they don't untap during their controllers' next untap step.

    This looks like it could be a card in any set, but gains more relevance with giant automatons and little workers needed to put them together. You can attack with a bunch of tokens, then use this after blockers are declared to clear the way for your giant the following turn.

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  4. Abandon Arms
    2/W 2/W
    Enchantment (U)
    When ~ enters the battlefield, each player unattaches all equipment from each creature they control.
    Equipment cards can't enter battlefield or be equipped.

    I wasn't really sure how you guys had conceptualized the automatons, but it seemed like things were leaning towards combinations of equipment with subtypes or something to that effect.

    As a bonus, hamfisted Stoneforge Mystic hate! Hurray!

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  5. This is hard. You want it to matter who's driving the robot. But just adding P/T makes it feel more like Equipment or banding.

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  6. Mecha Guardian 2W (Uncommon)
    Artifact Creature - Contraption Golem
    Assembly 2 (~ can't attack, block, or be targeted until it has 2 artifact Auras attached to it.)
    2, Tap another untapped creature you control: Attach an artifact Aura card with converted mana cost 2 or less you own from outside the game to ~.
    2/2

    One Artifact Aura card is in each booster.

    Flamethrower Parts (2/R)
    Enchantment Artifact - Aura
    Enchanted creature has "(2/R): This creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn."

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    Replies
    1. That won't work with Steamflogger Boss! GRAHHHG!

      ;)

      Delete
    2. Yeah, I think we may need to consider the possibility of ditching compatibility with Steamflogger Boss to do Contraptions. (Not that my version is very feasible; I just want it to be a stepping stone.) Some cards like Sarcomite Myr hinted at something but was implemented differently, so I think it should be ok.

      Delete
    3. Came here planning to reference Contraptions for shock value; saw this. Time to think up a plan B. You beat me to it, Chah. ; )

      Delete
    4. I'd like to see your take on Contraptions!

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    5. Nope, sorry. If you use the words Riggers, Contraptions or Assemble, it's got to work with Steamflogger Boss. I don't make these rules, but if your going to design for Steamflogger Bosses mechanics, they have to work with the card your referencing.

      That said, it's not like it changes your card. Just call Artifact Auras "Enhancements" and your assemble ability "Enhanced". Or whatever.

      Delete
    6. Sacromite Myr hinted at a phyrexian future for Mirroden, Steamflogger Boss is really explicit about what happens: Riggers are going to be building double contraptions with haste! That might not ever happen, but Maro's made it clear they aren't using contraptions until it does.

      They've already done one two Artifact planes without needing contraptions, why not a third?

      Delete
    7. This plane really needs something that's fun to do with technology, rather than just cerebral cost-related thigs. Something that doesn't make this Mirrodin 3. "The last two artifact sets didn't have Contraptions" doesn't make sense to me as a reason not to do it here. Sets are supposed to be different.

      Delete
  7. Powersuit Freedomfighter
    7W
    Creature - Human Construct Warrior (C)
    Vigilance
    Sunburst
    4/4

    I think Sunburst would be a nice way to do the common battlecruisers. There could be a cycle of these at common; green has trample (obviously), red has haste, black has lifelink, blue has flying. Maybe change around the base stats, but keep the same idea.

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  8. MadOlaf hit on much the same idea that I had in mind.

    Desolation Giants 6G
    Artifact Creature - Giant Construct (C)
    Sunburst
    3/4
    "Even the automatons were damaged in the strange storm. But it takes more than a mana flare to take out the perfect war machine."

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  9. Amnesty {2}{2/W}
    Instant
    Each player returns to the battlefield all creature cards in his or her graveyard that were put there from the battlefield this turn.
    "Petty wrongs where soon forgiven as the weight of the impending disaster revealed itself."

    I'm assuming that the destruction of the natural world will be a negative thing for the population of this plane who must now put aside there past differences to combat the new threat.

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  10. Manatech Sabotage (Common)
    1U
    Enchantment — Aura
    Enchant artifact
    At the beginning of each upkeep, disassemble enchanted artifact.
    Enchanted artifact has Assemble 2. (Any number of creatures with total power 2 or greater can tap to assemble this card. It can’t attack, block, or have its abilities activated unless its assembled.)

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  11. Mass Malfunction (Common)
    1W
    Instant
    Prevent all damage that would be dealt by artifacts this turn.
    Primal - If you haven't cast an artifact spell this game, you may destroy target artifact.

    Ekkremes to me screams "artifacts vs. the natural world," probably with colored artifacts as well, so I wanted to propose a mechanic that actually encourages people to take a side when drafting. Feedback welcome, of course.

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    Replies
    1. I'd rather reward players for doing something than not doing something, and I'd rather allow more archetypes to exist than fewer, but I have to say that Primal is very interesting. You can build your deck around it and it's easy to track.

      Delete
  12. Shetra Royal Armorguard (Uncommon)
    (2/W) (2/W) (2/W)
    Artifact - Vehicle
    Board 2 (2: attach target creature you control to ~. Board only as a sorcery.)
    Creatures aboard ~ get +1/+1 and have vigilance.
    Shetra's borders have stood firm against the Warp since the first invasion.

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  13. Sap
    2R
    Sorcery - Common
    Artifact creatures can't block this turn.
    ~For the first time, Ranger CXVIII knew what tired meant.~

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  14. Pillaged Mechsuit
    {2/R}{2/R}
    Artifact - Equipment (C)
    ({2/R} can be paid with any two mana or with R. This card's converted mana cost is 4.)
    Equipped creature gets +1/+1 and has haste.
    Equip {2/R}
    "Those Delitans might outnumber us, but they don't realize how scrappy we are."
    --Belgo Tar, resistance leader

    As always, feedback much would be highly appreciated.

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    Replies
    1. Haste tends to be better on equipment with free equip costs like Lightning Greaves, otherwise it's only relevent very late in the game.

      This equipment could just as easily be colorless, is there a way you could add a bonus if players spend red mana on it? Perhaps a loot effect or a small amount of damage.

      Delete
    2. I disagree. Considering Lightning Greaves is the only free-equip haste granter (http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?output=spoiler&method=visual&action=advanced&subtype=+%5b%22Equipment%22%5d&text=+%5bhaste%5d).

      The point of this equipment is that for people in color, it's a very efficient boost. For people not in red, it's an expensive boost, but one that you wouldn't mind paying for late game to make your creature topdecks more relevant.

      That's what I'm shooting for anyway.

      Delete
    3. While it's true it's the only 1 with equip 0, that's more a reflection on how rare it is to have an equipment grant haste. Of the other 7, three have methods of equipping for free, making the haste more relevant, where as most the others were designed for limited environments where the haste was as extra benefit and not the main purpose of the card (e.g Spider Harness was really an extra artifact to trigger metalcraft bonuses).

      That said, it achieves what you wanted, this card favors the player who can cast for 2 or 3 and then equip for 1, so since it has to be common (I missed that bit before when I read the design spec) this is will do fine.

      Delete
    4. Pillaged Mechsuit clearly isn't a high draft pick (or Constructed playable), but it certainly could be a reasonable card to play in Limited if you've got red in your deck. Compared to Strider Harness—a card I wasn't entirely unhappy to play even in a non-metalcraft infect deck—it costs 1 more to play and to equip without red and it costs 1 less to play and the same to equip with red.

      I would consider pushing it a bit more. Development will strengthen weak cards and nerf over-powered cards, but they'll only keep the cards that appeal in the first place (either to the player to play or to the developer for its role in the set).

      Delete
    5. Pushed a bit more:

      Pillaged Mechsuit
      {2/R}{2/R}
      Artifact - Equipment (C)
      ({2/R} can be paid with any two mana or with R. This card's converted mana cost is 4.)
      Equipped creature gets +3/+0 and has haste.
      Equip {2/R}
      "Those Delitans might outnumber us, but they don't realize how scrappy we are."
      --Belgo Tar, resistance leader

      The ability to efficiently trade creatures up should make this a higher pick for red drafters while also staying relevant for off-color drafters.

      Delete
    6. Team Dev Concerns says: Beware of shaming Reckless Charge too severely; he is sensitive.

      To emphasize the "pillaged" quality, perhaps make it so it only grants haste if you paid R to equip? (That is to say, only the red mage knows how to fully operate the mechsuit.)

      Delete
    7. Rarity Police says: This is definitely an uncommon.

      http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?output=spoiler&method=visual&text=+%5bequip%5d+%5b%2b3%2f%2b0%5d

      Delete
    8. Yeah, I just thought of that last night. Sorry for not catching that.

      Delete
  15. Auto-Sync Damping Field 2/W 2/W
    Enchantment (Uncommon)
    Contraptions assembled by riggers your opponents control enter the battlefield tapped.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Instant Infantry - 2 2/R 2/W
    Sorcery (U)
    Put a 1/1 white Worker artifact creature token, a 2/2 red Assembly-Worker artifact creature token and a colorless Parts artifact token onto the battlefield.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Maybe a little late to the party:

    Recyclable Mechs 3
    Artifact Creature - Construct (C)
    Scrap (when this dies, put a number of parts artifact tokens onto the battlefield equal to its power)
    2/2

    ReplyDelete