Friday, May 15, 2015

Weekend Art Challenge 051515—red izak

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 with this art that features exactly two lines of text that are very similar to each other. Bonus points for poetic design.

81 comments:

  1. Narcissus' Lament [3UU]
    Sorcery [rare]
    Put a creature token onto the battlefield that's a copy of target creature.
    Another target creature becomes a copy of another target creature. (This effect lasts indefinitely.)

    Can't template so I hope this is "two lines of text". (I'm presuming reminder text doesn't count.)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Repeated use of "Another" is confusing. How I'm reading it: the token is a copy of Creature A, then Creature B becomes a copy of Creature C. Assuming you control all creatures, you'll be left with two Creature A's, two Creature C's, and net zero card advantage.

      Delete
  2. Duality Dragons
    3WWBB
    Sorcery - Mythic Rare
    Put a 5/5 white legendary Dragon creature token with flying and lifelink named Ryuyin onto the battlefield.
    Put a 5/5 black legendary Dragon creature token with flying and deathtouch named Ryuyang onto the battlefield.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I really like the concept you have here. I wonder if the colors could be changed, since the dominant colors of the art are blue and green.

      Delete
    2. Totally agree - I was going off a more zoomed in look at the dragons, but all my first designs were blue/green lands. :)

      Delete
    3. Broodmate on steroids! Amusing that the second copy of Double Dragon is much worse than the second Broodmate.

      Delete
    4. Somewhat odd that lifelink is the "white" ability in this pairing when black has it too.

      Delete
    5. Evan - I was going off of cards like Vault of the Archangel, Basilisk Collar and Wurmcoil Engine, but white's ability could easily be Vigilance instead

      Delete
    6. I like "life"link and "death"touch because they invoke the dual and opposite aspects of Yin and Yang. The names of the dragons should be reversed, though.

      Delete
    7. What if an opponent got the black token?

      Pro-white and pro-white on opposing sides of the battlefield...

      Delete
  3. Can I clarify, should "line" mean it has to fit on one line on the card, or just that it's a short sentence?

    Can I clarify, if this a creature it would probably have flying. Should there be an exception to allow flying in addition to other rules text, or assume that has to be covered by one of the two lines (which is definitely plausible, but restricts the possibilities a lot)?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Greater Reflection
    5UU
    Sorcery
    Put a token that's a copy of target creature OTB.
    Put a token that's a copy of target creature OTB.

    I will probably add an entry I like more later, but here's a provisional one in the meantime if I don't :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm not sure if this is your intent, but this lets you copy the best creature twice. It seems more interesting to me if the second line is "a different target creature"

      Delete
  5. Mirrormere
    4GGUU
    Sorcery - Rare
    For each creature you control put a token on to the battlefield that is a copy of that creature.
    For each land you control put a token on to the battlefield that is a copy of that land.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Clone Legion spliced onto Boundless Realms? Even with the restriction I'm thinking this needs to be priced out of reasonable Standard casting costs.

      Delete
    2. Note it is the bad half of Clone Legion.

      Delete
    3. Love the name and the flavor. Balance is a legitimate concern, but at 8 mana I think you're OK.

      Delete
  6. Go Fish 2UG
    Instant - (U)
    Draw a card for each creature you control.
    Discard a card for each non-Bird creature you control

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LOL. Awesome.

      Delete
    2. Fans of Kangee, Aerie Keeper EDH are going to be sad at the green in this cost.

      Delete
    3. That's probably plenty of reason to make this UW as long as that agrees with the birds in the set it is in. I went with Green because of Shamanic Revelation being the most recent precedent but UW can also certainly do this.

      Delete
  7. The creature in the art having wings certainly throws a monkey wrench in a lot of creature designs.

    "Flying
    EFFECT 1
    EFFECT 2.

    D'oh!"

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Infiltrator Drake (RARE)
      2UU
      Creature - Drake
      3/2
      Flying
      When NAME enters the battlefield, target opponent gains control of it.
      When NAME leaves the battlefield, target opponent gains control of a creature you control.
      “Always read the fine print on a used familiar.”
      —Jace Beleren

      There's a lot going on with this design, but the idea is "I will gladly give you this small evasive creature now for a creature of my choosing later."
      It's very abusable with repeatable bounce and/or blink effects, but you still need those effects and in the case of bounce, the mana to recast it each turn. Also, it's risky. If your opponent kills it, or bounces it, or blinks it when the ETB trigger is on the stack, you'll have to give them one of your other creatures.
      Ultimately, the opponent has a lot of control over when it will leave the battlefield, it's probably a bulk rare. But it could create a few unforgettable moments.

      Delete
    2. "Leaves the battlefield" is much more abusable than "dies". Do you want to run the risk of being broken with the likes of cloudshift, unsummon, Kiki-jikki, mimic vat, etc?

      Delete
    3. Well, I don't want to invite that conversation, and it's not the point of design, and I wouldn't have used the "leaves play" wording if I wasn't thinking about the challenge. So why don't I just change it?

      Infiltrator Drake (RARE)
      2UU
      Creature - Drake
      3/2
      Flying
      When NAME enters the battlefield, target opponent gains control of it.
      When NAME dies, target opponent gains control of a creature you control.
      “Always read the fine print on a used familiar.”
      —Jace Beleren

      Delete
  8. Pondskimmer Drake 3UU (Uncommon)
    Creature - Drake
    CARDNAME has flying as long as it's attacking.
    CARDNAME has hexproof as long as it's not attacking.
    2/3

    The "low flying" text is meant as a to the Welkin Tern/Cloud Spirit "high flying" ability. She's a little baby drake, she has to get a running start to take off!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The modal hexproof is worded that way for symmetry, but it's a little bit stronger than the standard wording which is unfortunate.

      Thoughts?:

      Ringskip Drake 3UU (Uncommon)
      Creature - Drake
      CARDNAME has flying as long as it's tapped.
      CARDNAME has hexproof as long as it's untapped.
      2/3

      Delete
    2. I think that Ascended Lawmage's existence says that this can easily be the former, and probably even the former at 2UU rather than 3UU.

      I rather like the flavor of the former as well.

      Delete
    3. I really like this design in either form-- though my preference is for the first version. I agree with R that it could probably cost 2UU,

      Delete
    4. 2/3 seems "full grown" to me. Can this go lower? Or maybe it's a mother protecting her clutch?

      Delete
  9. Realm of Prosperity (rare)
    1G
    Enchantment
    Whenever a creature enters the battlefield under your control, put a +1/+1 counter on it.
    Whenever a planeswalker enters the battlefield under your control, put an additional loyalty counter on it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Even just the first line is already a really interesting card!

      It seems to me like it might be White, since it is basically a funny anthem? On the other hand maybe we benefit from putting the funny anthem in a color that isn't the color that gets regular anthems?

      Delete
    2. It's better than an anthem because the counters stay if the enchantment goes away. It's worse than an anthem because it doesn't affect the creatures that were already on the battlefield when you cast it.

      Not sure if the card as a whole is better or worse, but that definitely makes it feel different. I'd compare it to something akin to Oran-Rief, the Vastwood.

      Delete
    3. Let's make these abilities static. That way your opponent can't kill your new friends in response to the trigger. (On planeswalkers this is particularly pernicious, because the trigger goes on the stack before you get a chance to use their + abilities, possibly creating a moment of weakness.)

      Realm of Prosperity (rare)
      1G
      Enchantment
      Each creature you control enters the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it.
      Each planeswalker you control enters the battlefield with an additional loyalty counter on it.

      Delete
    4. Is this worthy of being legendary? (Or laughably "world"?)

      Delete
  10. Haiku B Instant
    Each opponent reveals their
    hand and discards a card.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    2. The art should be cropped to just the drake and its reflection for this card.

      Delete
    3. Clever.

      I hate to ruin your syllable count, but the standard templating would use "his or her".

      Also, how do you pronounce "B"? And would players get the joke as printed on an actual card?

      Delete
    4. For what it's worth, "his and her" may not always be the way to go. I don't have any inside knowledge, but I personally expect the templating to change by 2020.

      Delete
    5. This is an Un-card, so I can accept the singular "their."

      What I can't accept is a haiku with six syllables on the last line.

      Delete
    6. I like how this has turned into a whole thing on blogatog

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

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There's basically no way this art isn't a creature with flying. It's practically original Birds of Paradise level. So I'll do two lines, but include flying separately.

      Mirror Drake. 3UU

      Creature - Drake

      Flying

      When Mirror Drake enters the battlefield, put a 2/2 blue Drake Illusion creature token onto the battlefield.

      When Mirror Drake leaves the battlefield, put a 2/2 blue Drake Spirit creature token onto the battlefield.

      2/2

      Delete
    2. I think two Wind Drakes is enough, I think 3 is just getting pretty absurd. I think if you strike the second line entirely, you can argue this card exactly meets the challenge. It is a 2/2 flier that makes a 2/2 flier.

      Delete
    3. Having to track which Drake token is an Illusion and which is a Spirit is going to be annoying in any game that cares about either.

      Delete
    4. If they aren't different in some respect, then they can't be separate lines of text; they'd get templated as one.

      Delete
    5. I think it is a mistake to make a better design worse to make it meet the challenge. I often opt to submit the better design that doesn't quite meet the challenge with an explanation of how the challenge got me there.

      Delete
  12. Teferi's Pool 2UU
    Enchantment (R)
    At the beginning of your upkeep, all creatures phase out.
    At the beginning of your upkeep, all phased-out creatures phase in.

    (Yes, I recognize WotC would never print this. It was the most poetic thing I could think of to do with the art that doesn't involve the "Flying" line of text or yet another copy effect.)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Probably broken. You can stack the triggers however you want so that you can keep the board permanently empty, so to speak.

      Delete
    2. Only on your turn. Anything you phase out using this card will phase in no later than your opponent's next untap step. This was intentional.

      Delete
    3. Bonus submission, zooming in on the drakes and rotating the art 90 degrees counterclockwise:

      Shimmering Shield 4WWW
      Enchantment (R)
      Prevent all damage that would be dealt to untapped creatures you control.
      Prevent all damage that would be dealt by tapped creatures you don’t control.
      [Insert flavor text to make each sentence of rules text fit on two lines apiece.]

      Delete
  13. Lifewarp 3WB
    Enchantment (R)
    Whenever you would gain life, you may have target opponent lose that much life instead.
    Whenever an opponent would lose life, you may gain that much life instead.

    Doesn't template as two lines (more like 6), but meh.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This is very cool. I'm surprised it doesn't exist already.

      Despite the symmetry, I'd expect the first ability to do substantially more work than the second in most cases. The first ability turns every lifelink creature into a double-striker and Angel's Mercy into a game-ending card. The second ability might occasionally be relevant for a control deck, but not relevant enough that it would actually get played. Even so, the range of possibilities this opens up is pretty neat-- I'd get a kick out of using both abilities with Serra Ascendant.

      Delete
  14. Airborne Fleetingness {GU}
    Enchantment (Common)
    {U}, Sacrifice Airborne Fleetingness: Target creature you control gains flying until end of turn.
    {G}, Sacrifice Airborne Fleetingness: Destroy target creature with flying.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Thassa's Ruse U
    Enchantment
    2UU: Tap target creature.
    1U: Untap target Relfection.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Just riffing:

      Unshrike 1U
      Creature- Reflection
      2W: CARDNAME loses shadow and has flying.
      2B: CARDNAME loses flying and has shadow.
      2/1

      (These activated abilities are intended to be permanent.)

      Delete
    2. Continued riffing:

      Ersatz Reflection U
      Instant
      Name a card. That card can't be named this turn.

      Delete
  16. Continued riffing:

    Invert the Sky. {W/U}{W/U}
    Enchantment
    All instances of {T} on creatures are replaced with {Q}.
    All instances of {Q} on creatures are replaced with {T}.

    ReplyDelete
  17. And yet more riffing:

    Invert the skies v2. {1}{R/U}{R/U}
    Enchantment
    Creatures without flying can block creatures with flying and can't be blocked by creatures with flying.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tamiyo's Haiku 2U
      Sorcery
      Tap target creature.

      It's controller draws a card.

      Then, you draw a card.

      Delete
  18. Sky Mirror 2U
    Enchantment (Uncommon)
    When CARDNAME enters the battlefield, put a 2/2 blue Drake creature token with flying onto the battlefield.
    When CARDNAME leaves the battlefield, put a 2/2 blue Drake creature token with flying onto the battlefield.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I like this, Mirrored Wellspring!

      Delete
    2. This would be templated as one sentence.

      Delete
    3. Rats... that's a good point. I'll try to think of something else.

      Delete
    4. Also, I completely missed the fact that your design was incredibly similar.

      Delete
    5. I haven't come up with anything better, so I'll borrow your trick for keeping it as two sentences:

      When CARDNAME enters the battlefield, put a 2/2 white Drake creature token with flying onto the battlefield.
      When CARDNAME leaves the battlefield, put a 2/2 black Drake creature token with flying onto the battlefield.

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

    ReplyDelete
  20. Twixter Drake 3U
    Creature - Drake
    1W: ~ gains flying until end of turn.
    1B: ~ gains shadow until end of turn.
    2/4

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This design would be much more interesting if there was a reason to activate both abilities at once. The effects are so similar though. It's tough when you feel one of the abilities needs to provide flying to match the challenge parameters. Still, the B ability could be something different.

      Nightwing Drake (COMMON)
      2U
      Creature - Drake Shade
      2/2
      1W: NAME gains flying until end of turn.
      1B: NAME gets +1/+1 until end of turn.

      I think that's comparable to Nightwing Shade from M14.

      Delete
    2. Speaking as a Melvin, it'd annoy me that the black ability is worth activating multiple times in a turn but the white ability isn't. Flying and lifelink, perhaps?

      Delete
  21. Mirror Moves 3GU
    Enchantment (R)
    Whenever a creature you control attacks, you may put a creature card from your hand with equal converted mana cost onto the battlefield tapped and attacking.
    Whenever a creature attacks you, you may put a creature card with equal converted mana cost onto the battlefield blocking it.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Unseen Watcher 3U
    Creature - Merfolk Wizard (C)
    When ~ enters the battlefield, draw 2 cards.
    When ~ leaves the battlefield, discard 2 cards.
    2/2

    ReplyDelete
  23. Opterancy {1}{W/B}{U}
    Enchantment
    WU, T, Discard a card: Put a 2/2 white Bird creature token with flying onto the battlefield.
    UB, T, Sacrifice a creature: Put the top two cards of your library into your hand.

    ReplyDelete
  24. A reprint:

    Skywinder Drake {2}{U}
    Creature - Drake (C)
    Flying
    Skywinder Drake can only block only creatures with flying.
    3/1

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Was just about to post this. :)

      Delete
    2. Could also be (maybe):

      Gravitational Shift 3UU
      Enchantment (R)
      Creatures with flying get +2/+0.
      Creatures without flying get -2/-0.

      Delete
  25. Seaside Glade
    Land
    1, T: Add U or G to your mana pool.
    T, Pay 1 life: Add U or G to your mana pool.

    Not a functional reprint of the painland cycle, but interestingly close. It's also worth pushing towards generic fantasy for some of the more workhorse cards - like Khans' land cycles, or the move from Llanowar to Elvish Mystic.

    This can be templated a few different ways, but I think this is probably the easiest for newer players? For comparison:

    "T, Pay {1} or 1 life: Add U or G to your mana pool."

    ReplyDelete
  26. Did anyone make the renders? I can make them later, if necessary.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Bad name, but...
    Divebomb Swoop {2}{W}
    Instant (uncommon)
    Tap target creature you control. If you do, it deals 2 damage to target attacking or blocking creature.
    Untap target creature you don't control. If you do, prevent the next 2 damage it would deal this turn.

    Unfortunately reminiscent of Azorius Ploy, a very bad card. But the Righteous Blow mode ought to make this at least vaguely playable for when you're blocking (shoot one attacker, fog another), and it could occasionally even be useful when you're attacking.

    ReplyDelete