Friday, March 13, 2015

Weekend Art Challenge 031315—Blaze Wingdragon

Weekend Art Challenge
Greetings, artisans! Click through to see this weekend's art and the design requirements for your single card submission, due Monday morning. Every submission warrants feedback, and everyone is encouraged to give feedback. You may use that feedback to revise your submission any number of times, though only the version rendered will be included in the review, if someone volunteers to render the cards.


Design a card for this art that's common or uncommon, and appeals to Johnny with 4 lines of rules text or less.

103 comments:

  1. Isthar One-Winged RWBB
    Legendary Creature - Angel
    Defender
    Whenever a source you control deals damage to you or a permanent you control it deals twice that much damage to target creature you don't control or to target opponent.
    2/5
    "I cut my Angelwing to gain to cut down all of theirs"

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Johnny is not going to like a mana cost of RWBB.

      Delete
    2. The text is a little too complex, and it's also supposed to be a common or uncommon

      Delete
    3. The doubling of damage seems ridiculous at uncommon. A redirection effect might simplify this mechanic (and save on word space)

      Delete
    4. Turning all your painlands into Shocks seems highly dangerous, even with the awkward mana cost.

      Delete
  2. Spiteful Deception UW
    Enchantment- Uncommon
    Whenever an opponent discards a card, you may draw a card.
    Whenever an opponent draws a card, you may discard a card from your hand.
    "Ask yourself what hurts more; the betrayal or the inability to understand why?"

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Did you mean for this to be Black Blue? This doesn't feel White to me.

      Delete
    2. Yes, black blue. Lack of sleep is getting the better of me.

      Delete
    3. In the madness, dredge, flashback block, I'd buy it. Otherwise the second ability reads like trinket text

      Delete
    4. I like it, because of the parallel to the first ability. Card is for Johnny after all. One with Nothing was in the "having 7 cards in hand matters" set, and even it found a use.

      Delete
  3. One-Winged Aria 1U
    Enchantment - Aura

    Enchant Creature

    Whenever enchanted creature deals damage to an opponent, draw a card.

    Discard a card: Enchanted creature gains flying until the end of the turn.

    ------------

    I'm gonna go ahead and declare "Enchant Creature" doesn't count as a line, because back in my day... *grumble grumble*. Anyway, this is, to my eye, the perfect Johnny card because it makes cohesive sense by itself, but it also secretly gives you something very exploitable: A free discard outlet. How will Johnny use that? Well that is really up to him/her!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Curiosity with built in evasion. Cuts out the middle man. I like it.

      Delete
    2. Very clean! This isn't already a card?!?

      Delete
  4. Pilgrim of Shadows WB
    Creature - Human Cleric
    Auras that target CARDNAME have delve and flash.
    1/3

    Someone reassure me that this doesn't need "may be cast as though".

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm pretty sure it is "as though"; see Hungering Yeti, Dragon Drip, or Yeva for reference.

      Delete
    2. I'm unsure how delve is relevant to the card.

      The issue is that you need the card to have flash while it's in the hand so you can put it on the stack in the first place, but you don't want it to have flash anywhere else (which is why the "as though" wording is used; Mystical Teachings makes things weird).

      Seems like what you want is Rootwater Shaman spliced onto Ghitu Fire et al:
      You may cast Aura cards as though they had flash if you target CARDNAME with them.
      Aura spells targeting CARDNAME have delve.
      This is five lines with no name substituted.

      Delete
    3. Good point jenesis. Would this template help with the size restriction:

      Aura cards that target CARDNAME may be cast as though they had flash.

      Delete
    4. Do you want this to count opponents' Auras as well?

      Delete
    5. I like the possibility of it turning on an (expensive, removal) aura your opponent controls as a minor but possible drawback. Thanks for the help with the wording, everybody.

      Would this be more fun without the flash component?

      Delete
  5. Wisdom of the Ancients U
    Sorcery (U)
    Look at the top X cards of your library, where X is the number of creature cards in your graveyard. Put one of those cards in your hand and the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nice! Didn't expect a spell but it fits the art well, and had a simple spell which might be really useful in the right deck.

      I'm very cautious of too good search effects but this has a fair hoop to get through so it's probably fine.

      Delete
    2. Mechanically clean and printable. Cost would need to be higher I presume.

      Delete
    3. I think cost would greatly depend on when/where this sees print. I can make an argument for 1U, which wouldn't be a huge deal for this considering its late game appeal.

      Delete
  6. Mad with Power
    2RR
    Enchantment - Uncommon
    R, Discard a card: Exile the top card of your library. You may cast it this turn.

    I fully expect this to be broken beyond belief.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This is brilliant. And no, I don't think it's broken. In fact I really want to try it with no mana cost, and with "play" instead of "cast".

      Delete
    2. "you can't cast spells from your hand" is an option to balance the zero mana activation

      Delete
    3. Outpost Siege, Chandra et al are rare because they generate card advantage over time. This card is more like a highly restricted version of rummaging, so I think it's fine to drop it a rarity for the same CMC.

      Delete
    4. Here's a good way to evaluate this design: if it just said "Discard a card: draw a card" it would clearly be broken because you would just rummage through your whole deck looking for whatever you wanted. Making it exile-draw limits you to one rummage per draw step, plus however many cards you have in hand when you cast it-- and that's assuming that you're willing and able to play every card you exile. At that point we're basically describing Chandra or Outpost Siege without the card advantage, as Jenesis said. So this is nowhere near broken, even without the activation cost.

      Delete
    5. This reminds me of Compulsion from Torment, an Uncommon. It was good but not broken, so I think this is fine.

      Delete
    6. Whoops, I meant "play." Thanks for the catch lpaulsen.

      Mad with Power
      2RR
      Enchantment - Uncommon
      R, Discard a card: Exile the top card of your library. You may play it this turn.

      I was worried that the "R: discard a card" half was going to be the busted half - Mind over Matter, for example, was utterly degenerate.

      I am still skeptical that there's no Legacy combo deck that abuses this to hell and back but I'm glad you guys are so confident!

      Delete
  7. Divine Envoy 1{W}
    Creature - Angel (U)
    Flying
    Angel Spells you control cost {X} less to cast, where X is Divine Envoy's power.
    1/3

    Angels are kind of a Timmy type, as is cost reduction, but tribal seems very Johnny, and the power-based effect provides something for Johnny to build on.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Simic Angel
    3GU
    Creature — Human Bird Mutant
    Flying, flying, vigilance
    This is how they're made, right?
    4/4

    Render: http://i.imgur.com/OOeOZz6.jpg

    I know that the lighting on the art isn't quite right, but I think all the pieces together make a very nice card for Johnny.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What's the double flying supposed to do?

      Delete
    2. Wow, bravo! It's been quite a long time since I've seen an amateur design that really struck me the way your Simic Angel does.

      I agree the colors/lighting aren't WotC-stereotypical for a blue-green card, but other than that, you've found the perfect blend of intelligence, fluency, and humor -- and all within a splashy, sure-to-be-loved-by-Johnny uncommon.

      Delete
    3. I'm with Evan Jones on this one. Does any card exist in Magic right now, and not in a hypothetical future set containing this card, where double flying is relevant? And why double flying but not double vigilance? (Double vigilance actually makes sense in GU because it's secondary in green and IIRC tertiary in blue.)

      Delete
    4. Also with Evan. I don't know of any evergreen keyword that stacks or any card that would care about multiple instances of it. You could go with "Reach, flying" which is at least conceivably relevant.

      Delete
    5. Not a commentary on the card, but an earnest question: In a world with printed redundant keywords, do you suppose there would need to be templating changes to accommodate beginners (similar to the templates used when referencing a goblin CREATURE gaining +1/+1)?

      ie: target creature loses all instances of flying

      Delete
    6. I ask because "creatures with two or more instances of first strike have double strike." seems really fun. This could be cycled out to include flying.

      "Creatures with two or more instances of flying can't be blocke by creatures with reach" or some such.

      Delete
    7. I don't personally have any interest in exploring space that narrow. This strikes me as design space that is intellectually interesting and not fun to play, which is the most tempting and worst design space.

      I'd be all for printing this particular design in Future Sight 2 though. It invokes the "What the...?" reaction without actually breaking anything. In that set, though, I'd probably make it a common 2/2 Flier Flier for 1UU though.

      Delete
    8. I share the above sentiments - the card doesn't really make sense to me - although I do want to add that I think the type line is hilarious and A+.

      Delete
    9. This reminded me of a time I was teaching some younger players about Magic beyond their Portal set. One of them asked me "If I give my flying creature flying again, does he get to fly over flying creatures too?"

      The problem I can see with stacking abilities is where to draw the line. Can you have double trample? Haste Haste? Super Deathtouch?

      Delete
    10. The flavour is delightful, but I don't see anything for Johnny here apart from the flavour.

      Delete
  9. Keeper of the Sun-3BW
    Creature-harpy(uncommon)
    Whenever you search your library, if you control four white permanents, each player loses two life.
    3/3

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The white requirement feels entirely out of place. White doesn't have harpies, search libraries (as well as black, anyway), or cause mutual life loss; why isn't this a monoblack card?

      Delete
    2. It was white for thematic and flavor purposes. It also was supposed to say "each opponent." That being said I don't mind making the changes.

      Delete
    3. Stealer of the sun-3BB
      Creature-Harpy(uncommon)
      Whenever you search your library each opponent loses two life.
      3/3

      Delete
  10. Caller of Crows 3BB
    Creature - Human Wizard (U)
    Flying
    Whenever you sacrifice a nontoken creature, put a 1/1 black Bird creature token with flying onto the battlefield.
    2/3
    She offers her victims to the flock, their screams delicious in her ears.

    The flavortext shrinks the text enough to make this 4 lines in my MSE, although I don't have the M15 frames yet. Let me know if it doesn't fit and I'll change it.

    Feedback appreciated as always.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There have been other cards like this that trigger off of straight-up death (e.g. Field of the Souls and Golgari Germination), but triggering on sacrifice is a cool twist. Given the narrower condition and higher mana cost, it's possible we'd want a little more payoff (*two* Birds maybe?). This is wonderfully Johnny.

      Not sold on how this fits the art-- I'd expect to see more evidence of things dying and birds flocking.

      Delete
    2. Triggering on sacrifice has been done a few times: Dragon Appeasement, Furnace Celebration, and Savra.

      It is really disappointing to trigger on sacrifice and have the reward be a creature you can't sacrifice!

      Delete
    3. Ipaulsen - I was also considering two Birds, but I felt like it'd be oppressive, even at 5. Certainly could be. Or I could just make it cheaper. Honestly, I'm fine either way. Let's make it

      4BB
      two Birds

      Tommy - I'm worried if you can sac the creature you got, there would be too many dangerous combos. I might be wrong but I prefer this way.

      Delete
    4. I'm not saying you should be able to sac them, I'm saying a creature you can't sac is the wrong reward for saccing a creature.

      Delete
    5. You can sac creatures you get-- you just won't get the bonus for them.

      Delete
    6. At 4BB and two birds this seems pretty fun. Definitely appeals to Johnny.

      Delete
  11. Unfettered Mythseeker 1WB
    Creature - Human Cleric (U)
    Flying
    Unfettered Mythseeker gets +1/-1 for each Aura attached to it.
    2/2
    Flavor text:
    “It is better to fall than to never fly.”

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm with Jenesis here-- +1/-1 isn't mono-white. WU, WB, and WR are all plausible.

      Delete
    2. Oh! I missed the -1 part. Interesting.

      Delete
    3. Wondering if this has more "Johnnytastic" punch at +2/-2?

      Delete
    4. I kind of like this as +2/-2. Its strong, but open to the 2-for-1 blowouts (not to mention negative auras).

      Delete
  12. Half-Souled Seeker (uncommon)
    Creature - Angel
    2WB
    Other creatures you control named CARDNAME have +3/+3, flying, first strike, deathtouch, and lifelink.
    3/3

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Doesn't this want to be in the color with Clones?

      Delete
    2. Brilliant. Getting 2+ of these is living the dream in Limited.

      Good call making it white (which has a history of caring about multiples). And I'm sold on it being WB on the flavor alone.

      Templating nitpick: "get +3/+3 and have...". Also, deathtouch is basically trinket text here-- I'd remove it.

      Delete
    3. "Half-Souled" is a sweet concept, but the base stats/abilities versus the upgraded version feel unrelated. Maybe a 0/4 that grants +4/+0 and flying or start with defender and lose it.

      Really digging this BFF mechanic!

      Delete
    4. Also you probably know this, but this is the same schtick as Brothers Yamazaki.

      Delete
    5. Sweet! This fits the art and the "one winged" part very well. I agree with Mike about the +4/+0 and I think the first strike/deathtouch thing is too much. a 6/6 flyer will kill pretty much everything anyway.

      Delete
  13. Wanton Desire R
    Enchantment- Aura (unc)
    Enchant creature
    Enchanted creature has haste.
    3R: Untap and gain control of enchanted creature until end of turn.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nice! Worth nothing that if you have 6RR to continually sink into this you can control the creature pretty much forever. If you crop it really close to the figure's torso it looks nice in the red frame too.

      Delete
    2. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    3. I really wish Blogspot would let us just edit comments.

      See Threaten for established templating, adds a word but doesn't add a line. Act of Treason is more recent, does what you want it to do with inspired creatures, but unfortunately does add a line.

      Delete
    4. Ha! It looks like they cheated with Catch//Release!

      standing firm on my initial wording because I'll never turn my back on goatnapper or assquatch

      Delete
  14. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Corrupted Eleon 3B
    Creature - Eleon (Uncommon)
    Wither, flying
    Permanents your opponents control with counters have "At the beginning of your upkeep, you lose 1 life."
    1/4

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Interesting that it counts all permanents. Much more potential than Kulrath Knight for shenanigans.

      What's an Eleon?

      Delete
  16. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  17. This would be in a return to Theros, assuming Devotion is a returning mechanic.

    Temple Singer 1U (UNC)
    Creature - Siren
    1/2
    Flying
    Each U and B in the mana costs of permanents you control is U/B instead.
    Phenax was first to be worshiped in Meletis after Nyxfall, because everyone values secrets.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Lost Forever 2B
    Sorcery (R)
    Target player exiles all cards in his or her graveyard, then loses 1 life for each card exiled this way.

    Not sure about the templating.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Templating is fine. And the design is indeed interesting. There's some tension between "mill you in order to kill you" and "mill you out" proper, but I'd happily try this out alongside Jace's Phantasm.

      Delete
    2. I have a hard time imagining this isn't totally broken.

      Delete
    3. Yeah, you're right-- this is a straight-up Lava Axe or better in most situations, possibly a lot better if you're building around it. Probably needs to cost another mana or two.

      Delete
    4. This is a massive upgrade on Suffer the Past. Also, challenge specified common or uncommon.

      Delete
    5. Actually this was supposed to be an Uncommon, but for some reason I wrote Rare. The mana cost might indeed be a little low, maybe 3BB?

      Delete
  19. Reprint:

    Fallen Angel 3BB
    Creature- Angel (Uncommon)
    3/3
    Flying
    Sacrifice a creature: CARDNAME gets +2/+1 until end of turn.


    Actual design:

    Sunsnatcher 2BR
    Creature- Harpy (Uncommon)
    3/3
    Flying
    Pay 1 life: Add B or R to your mana pool.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Edit: Treasonous Ogre was getting a little too jealous of Sunsnatcher, so I'll up the cost to 3BR. Nothing else about the card changes.

      Delete
  20. Arcinus Wings 1U
    Enchantment- Aura (U)
    Enchant creature
    Enchanted creature has flying.
    2U: Exchange this Aura with an Aura card in your hand.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think design-wise this is a terrible card to exist, in just the same way as Stoneforge Mystic, because it bars future designers from printing exciting expensive auras.

      Delete
    2. (Granted it already exists, because this is a functional reprint, but they should know better.)

      Delete
  21. Lesser Half 1W
    Creature - Angel (U)
    Flying
    W, Sacrifice CARDNAME: Return target creature with power 2 or less from your graveyard to the battlefield.
    1/2

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The above is my main suggestion (and can work on its own), but here's an answer to: where's the other half?

      Greater Half 2W
      Creature - Angel (C)
      Flyinge, vigilance
      When CARDNAME enters the battlefield from a graveyard, you may sacrifice it. If you do, search your library for a card named Crystalline Angel and put it onto the battlefield.
      2/1

      Crystalline Angel 2WW
      Creature - Angel (R)
      Flying, vigilance, lifelink
      When CARDNAME dies, return target creature with converted mana cost 2 or less from your graveyard to the battlefield.
      3/3

      When making a cycle like this, do you think it's better to explicitly call out the card names or leave it open to work with other cards?

      Delete
    2. Having to kill the same evasive lifelinking creature four times in a row does not sound like fun gameplay.

      Why is "Greater Half" the smaller and weaker card?

      Delete
    3. Mike - I think it technically works the first way, but that is better templating.
      Jenesis - Hmm... do you think just removing lifelink and adding an activation cost makes this better?

      The Greater Half being about the same size and wordier (at common) is probably a larger issue, but I think Lesser Half is too complex (the Gravedigger infinite blockers thing) for common.

      Here's take 2:

      Lesser Half 1W
      Creature - Angel (C)
      Flying
      W, Sacrifice CARDNAME: Return another target creature with power 2 or less from your graveyard to the battlefield.
      1/1

      Greater Half 2W
      Creature - Angel (U)
      Flyinge, vigilance
      When CARDNAME enters the battlefield from a graveyard, you may pay 2W and sacrifice it. If you do, search your library for a card named Crystalline Angel and put it onto the battlefield.
      2/2

      Crystalline Angel 3WW
      Creature - Angel (R)
      Flying, vigilance
      When CARDNAME dies, you may pay 3WW. If you do, return another target Angel creature card from your graveyard to your hand.
      3/3

      Delete
  22. I'll take care of the renders this week. If you want the art cropped with most of the wing hidden, just mention in your comments.

    ReplyDelete
  23. 2W
    Daughter of Angels (Uncommon)
    Creature - Human Angel
    Flying
    You may have Daughter of Angels enter the battlefield as a copy of target angel, except it’s still 2/2.
    2/2

    I had to take slight liberties with the templating :( Really it should be "any angel creature on the battlefield you control") But I think "copy of target angel" works in the rules and has the same effect 99.5% of the time.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Generally "cloning" doesn't target. Saves you a word, right?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Flying is probably unnecessary since the Angel it's copying will have flying as well.

      Delete
    2. Agreed. The template should probably be "as a copy of any Angel creature".

      Delete
    3. I don't think specifying "Angel" is the way to make Johnny happy. I think I'd suggest making it an 0/1 but not restrict the creature type quite so strongly.

      Delete
    4. Since there won't always be another angel, but this always wants to start as an angel, I would keep flying there.

      Delete
  25. Inspired by Jules' Tesla post.

    Pursuit of the Sun 1W
    Enchantment - Aura (Uncommon)
    Enchant creature
    As you cast Pursuit of the Sun, study enchantments. (You may exile an enchantment card from your graveyard as part of your research.)
    Enchanted creature gains flying and lifelink and gets +1/+1 for each enchantment card in your research.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My last card wasn't really a Johnny card, not sure this attempt is either:
      Scholar of Life 2U
      Creature - Human Wizard (Uncommon)
      Whenever Scholar of Life attacks, study creatures. (You may exile a creature card from your graveyard as part of your research.)
      Scholar of Life has protection from creatures with power less than the number of creatures you’ve studied.
      3/1

      Delete
    2. Oh no it has to be 4 lines or less!

      Delete
    3. Just the first ability on its own could be some sort of common? We might not print it in a real set, but it's definitely in Johnny territory when the payoff needs to be on other cards.

      Delete