Weekend Art ChallengeGreetings, 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.
2) Kytheon beating prisoners up, by Eric Deschamps
3) Hixus mentoring, by Chris Rallis
4) Heliod's mission, by Raymond Swanland
5) Taking down the titan, by Karl Kopinski
6) Bullies of the Mage Ring, by Kieran Yanner
7) Jace's first mind sculpting, by Kieran Yanner
8) Jace and Alhammarret planning, by Yohann Schepacz
9) Jace's spark igniting, by Ryan Barger
10) The Raven Man, by Chris Rahn
11) Josu, by Izzy
12) Liliana's spark igniting, by Izzy
14) Running on a mission, by Magali Villeneuve
15) Surpise fire fists!, by Lius Lasahido
16) Chandra's family escaping, by Dan Scott
17) Chandra fighting beasts, by Victor Adame Minguez
18) The death of Chandra's parents, by Jason A. Engle
19) Chandra's executioner, by Lius Lasahido
20) Nissa and Mazik, by Howard Lyon
21) Nissa's spark igniting, by Izzy
Choose one of the above illustrations. Design a supplemental card for Magic Origins that tells the planeswalker story illustrated.
Thanks to Ben for the challenge idea and finding all the illustrations.
Wow this is a great open ended challenge! Looking forward to the impending awesomeness!
ReplyDeleteThis may get changed, but a preliminary design for Art 4:
ReplyDeleteHeliod’s Trust 3WW
Legendary Enchantment - Aura (MR)
Enchant creature you control
Heliod’s Trust and enchanted creature are indestructible.
Whenever enchanted creature attacks, you draw a card, gain 3 life, and put a 1/1 white Soldier creature token onto the battlefield.
Drawing a card IS cool, but white is supposed to be the worst at card draw.
DeleteLife, tokens, and...tapping? Counters? I dunno. Not a bad start to the challenge tho. Good job
Considering that "draw a card" only appears on Chosen By Heliod because it's part of a cantripping cycle, I'd also feel better leaving it off. It seems like you've got an amalgamation of rare (Gift of Immortality), uncommon (Evangel of Heliod), and common (Ephara's Radiance?) bonuses going on here. Maybe a static buff for the enchanted creature instead of the card draw? I could see either +1/+1 (Spear of Heliod) or +2/+2 (Decree of Heliod) here.
DeleteWhy "you control"? I don't see much benefit in paying 5 mana to give an opponent an indestructible defender. Seems like it'd be more net fun to give the option, as well as to let players give it to an ally in 2hg.
Card drawing is the most exciting part of the card, so killing it leaves something a bit meh behind. Maybe +1/+1 counters could work, though. The "creature you control" was a flavor choice, really, but could easily go.
DeleteHeliod’s Trust 3WW
Legendary Enchantment - Aura (MR)
Enchant creature
Heliod’s Trust and enchanted creature are indestructible.
Whenever enchanted creature attacks, put a 1/1 white Soldier creature token onto the battlefield, put two +1/+1 counters on target creature, and you gain 3 life.
Doubles as super awkward removal :P
DeleteLink is broken to 3). 13) is the alternate art intro pack rare.
ReplyDeleteYep, missed that on the Nalaars. Ah well.
DeleteHere's a fixed link:
3) Hixus mentoring, by Chris Rallis
Thanks. Updated.
Delete8) Jace and Alhammarret planning, by Yohann Schepacz
DeletePlots Forgotten 2U
Instant (R)
Search your library for up to four instant and/or sorcery cards with different names and reveal them. An opponent chooses two of those cards. Put the chosen cards into your graveyard and the rest into your hand. Then shuffle your library.
This card serves three purposes in the set. The first is to be a quick and dirty way of setting up spell mastery; as a 3 mana instant, it's likely that you could even cast other spell mastery-empowered instants on the same turn. The second is as a callout to Gifts Ungiven, similar to Starfield of Nyx>Opalescence, Day's Undoing>Timetwister, Dark Petition>Demonic Tutor, Evolutionary Leap>Survival of the Fittest, etc; it's been joked on my social media feed that because the set is named "Origins", these must be the "origin stories" (fiddly, weak versions) of these powerful and popular cards. Lastly, tying in with the name theme, this card illustrates the story events that take place between Sphinx's Tutelage and Send to Sleep/Clash of Wills, i.e. Jace's repeated missions and memory wipes.
Love it, Jenesis.
DeleteArt 20 (Howard Lyon)
ReplyDeleteFriendship's Call (rare)
2G
Sorcery
Search your library for a creature card with the same power and toughness as, but a different name than, target creature you control. Put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle your library.
Weird! (As in atypical, not weird bad)
DeleteI've seen the "same power and toughness" thing and the "not named BLAH" thing but never together.
Would you consider "same TOTAL power and toughness" to open it up to a little more versatility? Or do you feel that wouldn't express friendship as well? (I only ask because I now want a deck whose sole purpose is to demonstrate the unwavering, platonic love shared by wall of ice and ball lightning.)
Art 15) Surprise Fire Fists!
ReplyDeleteLatent Pyromancy. 3R
Enchantment- aura (unc)
Flash
Enchanted creature has menace and "Whenever this creature becomes blocked, it deals 1 damage to each creature blocking it."
Flavor text: "Where did all this fire come from?!?" -Chandra Nalaar
Oh, now I have a good one for "running on a mission"...grr
DeleteI'm not seeing much benefit to giving this flash. You'll have to have it attached before your opponent declares blockers anyway.
DeleteYeah, it's trinket text for the sake of the story. There is a slight benefit, in that you can drop it at the end of your opponent's turn.
DeleteBut people will see "flash" and think they can use it "in response to" declaration of blockers.
DeleteArt 21
ReplyDeleteSee Life's Fate {2}{G}{G}
Instant
Choose target creature. If that creature would leave the battlefield this turn, instead exile it, return it to the battlefield, then draw cards equal to its power.
Art #10 — The Raven Man
ReplyDeleteThe Raven Man
2UB
Planeswalker - Raven Man (M)
Loyalty: 4
+3: Until your next turn, the next 3 damage that would be dealt to permanents you control is dealt to up to one target creature or player instead.
-3: Put three 1/1 blue Bird creature tokens with flying onto the battlefield.
0: Sacrifice any number of creatures, then draw X cards and gain X life where X is equal to the number of creatures sacrificed this way.
This is a quick and dirty attempt at synthesizing the vague characterization of The Raven Man as presented in the various Liliana fiction. Due to his presumed manipulation of Liliana and disregard for the welfare of humans, it seems he's best construed as being on the blue-black spectrum, though not necessarily multicolor.
Assuming these abilities were kept through iterations, one concern I have is about their presentation/arrangement.
I don't see damage redirection as being blue-black. Being a +3 is also very powerful, as it basically forces your opponent to not attack unless they're willing to let a creature die.
DeleteI think the arrangement makes sense. Gideon Judra was a +2, -2, 0, and this looks much the same.
The first ability could use some tweaking, because it can protect the Raven Man himself, giving him 3 virutual loyalty on top of the 7 he already starts with. Better though, it doesn't target anything, so even if they don't attack Raven Man, it stalls combat against your defending creatures as well. This ability is so powerful, it should be the - loyalty ability just so it doesn't happen every turn.
DeleteThe middle ability is interesting. It's powerful and helps fuel Raven Man's ultimate. Except players are more likely to sac creatures like Jeskai Sage and Palace Familiar and generate card advantage. But the fact that it makes three birds to eat keeps it pretty close to that level of card advantage for when the player didn't draw a replacement cantrip creature. This effect could easity be scaled down and made the + loyalty ability.
From a Melvin/Mel standpoint "X: Sac X, Draw X and Gain X" is much cleaner than "0: Sac X, Draw X and Gain X." From a power level standpoint, card draw limited only by the number of creatures you have seems tough to balance. And Raven Man's high loyalty doesn't play into the calculation for the ultimate at all, except that he will stay on the battlefield a long time, creating card advantage each turn. I think this really should cost loyalty.
The Raven Man (Mythic)
3UB
Planeswalker - Raven Man
Loyalty 4
+2: Put two 1/1 black Bird creature tokens with flying onto the battlefield.
-3: Until your next turn, the next 3 damage that would be dealt to target creature or planeswalker you control is dealt to up to one target creature or player instead.
-X: Sacrifice up to X creatures, then draw X cards and gain X life where X is equal to the number of creatures sacrificed this way.
Hmmmmm hmmmm hmmmmm.
Delete@ Jenesis — I'm not sure damage redirection should be assumed exclusive to white's domain, but I'm willing to accept that the ability is a bit much.
@Nich — A lot of solid critique there; I understand why you want it to be -X, but I neither think that would be the most appropriate developmental solution nor do I much like the flavor of having to expend loyalty AND creatures for the player's gain.
Anywho, here's a somewhat... adventurous redesign that's trying to capture the idea of The Raven Man as a gatherer of intelligence, an individual that manipulates others to work against their best interests, and a Planeswalker that has reacquired some semblance of a pre-Mending lifespan:
The Raven Man
2UB
Planeswalker - Raven Man (M)
Loyalty - 4
If CARDNAME would leave the battlefield, instead shuffle it into your library, then draw a card.
-1: Put a 1/1 blue Bird creature token with flying onto the battlefield, then scry 2.
-2: Target creature deals damage to itself and its controller equal to its power.
Raven's -2 is a pretty significant upgrade over Liliana of the Veil for the cost of +1 mana. I may be underestimating how much of a cost, but you could shave "and its controller" and still be fine.
DeleteBird tokens should be black IMO.
I don't like how shuffling Raven Man in undoes your scries. Could it (optionally) draw then shuffle?
I've been choosing blue for the token-color just because my assumption is that Blue bird tokens would be more broadly applicable to a given set's needs. And Magic ravens are apparently blue (or so says Raven Familiar and Mist Raven).
DeleteWith the Kiku's Shadow ability, I think it's definitely something that would be -3 in most contexts, but not having a plus-ability is important to account for and LotV's edict effect has its own formerly relevant advantage of hitting hexproof critters like Ol' Saint Traft. (Not sure zee geist sees much play these days.)
And very good point about screwing up the scry! Maybe he should just go on the bottom of the library?
My understanding was that ravens connoting knowledge/cunning = blue, ravens connoting death = black. Raven Man always struck me as more of a tempting devil figure than a seeker of power through knowledge like Szadek. Then again, the only raven-themed black card in Magic is Raven's Crime, so your instincts aren't wrong.
DeleteGood point about LotV hitting hexproof. It does also kill creatures with annoying butts like Siege Rhino and Goyf.
Putting Raven Man on the bottom doesn't seem like it solves the issue of wanting to not screw up your scries.
17) Chandra fighting beasts, by Victor Adame Minguez. The flavor text seems pretty "describe the art" but I like it because it's from the Chandra Uncharted Realms story.
ReplyDeleteQuickfire (COM)
2RR
Instant
Target creature you control gets +1/+0 until end of turn, then deals damage equal to its power to another target creature.
The beast bellowed in Chandra’s face. She threw flame without hesitation, without burning her sleeves, without trying.
Fall of the rocket-powered hammer? Sweet common :)
DeleteI just noticed Swift Kick from Khans of Tarkir. Too similar?
DeleteAlright, this is a design I'm interested in but pretty sure needs more iteration, so please critique like crazy:
ReplyDeleteJosu, the Damned B
Art 11
Legendary Creature - Zombie (R)
You don’t lose the game for having 0 or less life.
Whenever Josu, the Damned dies, return it to the battlefield under its owner’s control at the beginning of the next end step. If you do, you lose 2 life.
2/1
I've tried a few things with mandatory sacrifice-and-returning, ETB losing life, a bigger creature, etc. This is what I've settled on for now. Feedback appreciated as always.
I don't think the Lich text is doing much here, since it's only effective in play. A permanently recursive dude that shocks you everytime he comes back is plenty interesting though so I'd just knock off that line and say done.
DeleteI think the "You don't lose the game for having 0 or less life." effect is more interesting on a Legend than the free recursion. Especially when you consider it's usefulness in Commander. Find a good ability that costs life to pair with it, and I think you're gold.
DeleteThat was essentially what I thought. That this was two different cards smashed together. The recursive guy would be a pretty good commander given the number of sac for value type cards that exist in black. The Lich text would also make a good separate card but I don't think it fits this art very well.
DeleteThe intent was for it to be dangerous to play. When Josu dies, you have to bring him back and pay life, during which you're not immune anymore.
Delete@Lee, I get that it doesn't quite match the art, but does the lich ability fit the character? Would that be justification for something like this seeing print? Actually asking, as I don't know.
This was formed wholecloth. Would this be better as two cards?
I think that a Lich line of text would be better on a separate card. I don't think it fits the character very well. Josu's whole deal is that he was turned into an undead monstrosity against his will. Liches are willing by definition. I also don't think it captures his relationship with Liliana as well as the second line of text.
DeleteAs to the interaction of the abilities, yes you would have to bring him back and he kills you. Then if he dies again you lose. That'll come up only on the last time he dies. It would have the same trepidation induction effect if he didn't have the text and you would be afraid of him coming back from the dead, which lines up much better with the story than being of afraid of him dying.
Well put and an excellent argument. The lich ability is no more.
DeleteQuestions for everyone:
1) Should Josu have "can't block" considering how easily he can come back? Does that ruin the card?
2) Should it be 2 life lost or more?
I don't think "can't block" ruins the card. The life loss in theory should punish you for continually chumping with it, but it's really a matter of how easy it is to counteract with repeated lifegain effects, since it costs 0 mana to reset, unlike Gravecrawler and Haakon.
Delete2 life makes sense with the 2 power.
If anything I would make him ETB tapped instead of unable to block. That way if they kill him on your turn they get a bit of breathing room.
I like ETB tapped. That also prevents you from getting to attack, then sac him to get him back so that he has pseudo-vigilance. Shock is a very real cost in non-EDH formats so I think 2 life is fine.
DeleteSweet.
DeleteJosu, the Damned B
Legendary Creature - Zombie (R)
Josu, the Damned enters the battlefield tapped.
Whenever Josu dies, return it to the battlefield under its owner’s control at the beginning of the next end step. If you do, you lose 2 life.
2/1
Art number 12, Liliana's spark ignites.
ReplyDeleteNecromancer's Awakening 3BB
Sorcery
Choose a creature you control, then sacrifice all other creatures you control. Put a 2/2 black zombie creature token onto the battlefield under your control for each creature sacrificed this way.
Interesting. Unfortunately 2/2 is not much of an upgrade over the 1/1 tokens you'd likely be sacc'ing off. Could you get a bonus per Zombie this turn maybe? Uncommon or rare?
DeleteDefinitely rare. The size upgrade isn't huge, but getting to recur your creatures with flipped Lili would be very real. Also, sometimes just getting vigilance is powerful. I expect this to go into a deck like Rally where you are just aiming for maximum value.
DeleteOne for Art 19.
ReplyDeleteBaral, Akhara Executioner 1WW
Legendary Creature - Human Soldier (R)
Flash
When Baral, Akhara Executioner enters the battlefield, destroy target tapped creature with power 2 or less. Then, if it’s not your turn, sacrifice Baral, Akhara Executioner.
3/3
Why sac him when it's not your turn? I don't get it.
DeletePower level reasons, looks like.
DeleteThis seems too similar to Hixus to have both in the same set.
Art #4
ReplyDeleteBlessing WW
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature (U)
W: Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.
Art #9 Jace's Spark Igniting
ReplyDeleteJace’s Ignition 5UU
Sorcery (R)
Put a card from your graveyard onto the bottom of your library, then draw a card. Repeat this process until you have four or fewer cards in your graveyard.
[i]Alhammarret reached out with a tendril of Æther, into the void between worlds, and pulled the boy back.[/i]
Could the tucking and drawing be streamlined into a single action? Seems laborious to resolve if you play it as written, since there's no "you may" involved.
DeleteVery cool idea. Isn't Jace supposed to be mass milling his opponent instead of himself though? :P
not according to his planeswalker flip trigger
DeleteMaybe this as alternative wording?
DeletePut cards from your graveyard onto the bottom of your library until you have four or fewer cards in your graveyard, then draw that many cards.
Ok lets scrap the 4 or fewer wording....
DeleteJace's Ignition 4UU
Instant (R)
Shuffle all cards from your graveyard into your library. For each three cards put into your library this way, draw a card.
Alhammarret reached out with a tendril of Æther, into the void between worlds, and pulled the boy back.
I don't like the "one third" factor here. I think one half would be fine. Compare the amount of cards something like Recurring Insight or Rush of Knowledge can draw you.
DeleteMore specifically, the Ignitions were intended to show the moment the spark ignited for our planeswalkers. They mechanically get them to flip. Chandra's lets her do enough damage, Nissa's put more lands into play. Removing cards from your graveyard is powerful after you've already met the conditions for flipping Jace, it doesn't help you flip him.
DeleteI understand Jace's story was different than the other's in that he kept being made to forget that he was a planeswalker, but if its supposed to be part of the cycle it should live up to the precedent.
AlexC I'm playing it safe as this is an environment with fetch lands and a bunch of self mill.
DeleteArt 18:
ReplyDeleteChandra's Sorrow 1R
Socrery (R)
Discard your hand. Choose a creature card in your graveyard. Add mana equal to that card's mana cost to your mana pool. (Mana cost includes color).
Flavor: What purpose could there be to such bloodshed?
Eh, the questions this diamond callback asks probably distract too much from the story. Here's a card to rival Chandra's Ignition in story and purpose:
DeleteChandra's Sorrow 3R
Sorcery (R)
Exile target creature card in your graveyard. CARDNAME deals damage to each creature and each player equal to that card's power.
Flavor: As Chandra's heart grieved, her anger flamed to defend her.
Art for #6: Bullies of the Mage Ring, by Kieran Yanner
ReplyDeleteBully 1R
Instant (U)
Target creature attacks or blocks this turn if able. You choose that creature's attack target or how that creature blocks.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI can do the renders tonight or tommorow
ReplyDeleteThanks, Reuben.
DeleteSent!
DeleteBit late, was on vacation.
ReplyDeleteSimple modular common:
Fiery Brawl {1}{R}
Instant (Common)
Target creature you control gets +3/+0 until end of turn. You may have it fight up to one target creature you don’t control.
Art17: Chandra fighting beasts, by Victor Adame Minguez
Deleteseems very undercosted considering Pit Fight or Wild Instincts
DeleteThis is very similar to the card I submitted for this art. Anyway, look at Swift Kick to get an idea of the proper cost for this effect. I would imagine this should cost 4R at least.
DeleteI didn't see your submission. They read very similar, but I feel fight and fall of the hammer are very much different. That said, they came from the same interpretation of the art. I like your version a lot.
DeleteMy version is purposefully powerful. I think it should be not broken at {2}{R}, Swift Kick has always seemed overcosted to me.
Common removal just isn't this good anymore. Common removal impacts limited much more than constructed, and you have to make sure limited is protected. That's why the less expensive, more constructed quality removal sits at Uncommon and Rare these days. Fiery Brawl isn't like Collateral Damage where you are shaving mana at the expense of sacrificing a creatures. It's just undercosted for no real reason. Swift Kick wasn't a stellar removal spell, but it was certainly fair for limited. Look again at Fiery Brawl. There is a very real chance your creature survives after fighting. That's the promise of fight: that your creature can survive. Then it's a +3/+0 attacker or blocker, which is a huge bonus. Instant speed lets you cast this mid combat on a medium sized creature that will survive the fight and then trade in combat with another creature. If it's got first strike, or a large toughness it could still survive. That's savage. There are a couple ways outside of increasing the mana cost that can make this a fair card for limited. Make it a sorcery. Make it an Uncommon.
Delete