Hey Artisans. Click through to see the requirements for this weekend's design challenge, due Monday morning. Every submission warrants feedback, so once you've got your great idea down, give some thoughtful critique to some of your peers. Revise your submission any number of times, and on Monday-ish, I'll review the most recent submission from each designer.I'll be running this week's Weekend Design Challenge. Unfortunately, due to budget constraints, we only have six words of rules text to work with this week.
The rules:
1) Design a card that has no more than six words of rules text. Fewer than six is okay. Symbols don't count towards the limit.
2) No new keywords (also known as "shoving your rules text into reminder text") allowed.
Bonus points if you manage to capture a clear top-down idea in your design.
Have an awesome weekend!
Obsessive Archivist - WW (Rare)
ReplyDeleteCreature - Human Adviser
Players cannot discard cards.
2/2
"Someday they'll thank me when I'm the one who knows how to save us all from an invasion of zombie hippos."
A great narrow hate-bear! Excellent flavor for this effect, and a clear top-down winner. Maybe it would even see play in multiplayer/commander situations as a niche Reliquary Tower effect?
DeleteAlso quite fun ("fun") with Reality Smasher!
I'm struggling to see an archivist as nonblue.
DeleteReliquary Tower was actually the first thing that came to mind for me. Ironically, in addition to hosing {B}, this card is also really good with its card draw effects like Midnight Oil and Necropotence.
Do you mean just the archivist as a title/flavor or the mechanic? I did initially have him as U/W but eventually decided that he could be mono-white.
DeleteFor the title, government has archivists and records-keepers, too, so it's not just an academic thing. I could have made him an Obsessive Record-keeper. But archivist felt more fantasy trope flavorful.
As for mechanic, while blue wants to be able to hold onto information, blue is not opposed to dumping what's unnecessary and distilling/digging down to what it truly needs.
Forcing all players to hold onto everything felt very much like a demanding white, civil rule-making thing. Your professor would love it if you held onto your class notes forever, but only your government would or could order you to do so.
REVIEW:
DeleteObsessive Archivist follows the challenge rules.
Obsessive Archivist is a neat little hate bear that prevents certain things. I also like that there are lenticular uses for this; as an example, pairing this with Merfolk Looter to obviate the downside, or Wheel of Fortune to give everyone tons of cards to play with. I do worry that there are some cards that this makes too powerful, especially costing only WW. (I imagine a deck churning through with Burning Inquiry and Goblin Lore.) The core idea is neat, however. Perhaps this could only affect opponents (even though that is typically not how hatebears work)?
F6 RR
ReplyDeleteEnchantment (r)
Players skip their postcombat main phases.
"New player friendly. Pro player approved."
It took an embarrassing amount of time for me to grasp the name of the card and not think you had left it off.
DeleteREVIEW:
DeleteF6 follows the challenge rules.
F6 is a clever joke on passing priority through combat, but also the core mechanic is pretty neat, forcing players to commit to their plays before combat. An aggressive color like Red can take best advantage of this effect, especially with Haste, but I'm not as certain that Red is the best color for the effect in general, as rule setting like this tends more towards blue and white. However, I think there's a solid argument for red and I respect the choice. Cool card!
Red has dipped its toes into rule-setting from time to time (Blood Moon/Sun, Stranglehold) but I do like Boros for this effect. In particular, anthems are a significant part of white's pie that want to be played precombat.
DeleteBridge of Dreams
ReplyDeleteLand (cmn)
{T}: Add {C}.
{2}, {T}, Sacrifice ~: Scry 2.
REVIEW:
DeleteBridge of Dreams follows the challenge rules.
Bridge of Dreams is a very different take on a way to get late game value from a land. Its closest comparison point is probably Horizon Canopy, trading color fixing and straight card draw for seeing one more card. I worry about a land as powerful as this at common; both from the standpoint of tricking newer players into running too many lands that produce colorless mana, as well as for the late game power level (when you are activating this, Scry 2 can often be as powerful as drawing one to two cards). However, I think a simple fix would be to bump this to uncommon, and then it's right around the level of a Field of Ruin (although providing a very different type of value). A solid, novel land.
Truelight Entity
ReplyDelete2W (rare)
Creature - Angel Elemental
Flying
When ~ attacks, destroy all tokens.
3/2
"Our ancient philosophers disagree: Are they the first birthlight of our sun? Or did they, torchlike, dip into and ignite that celestial brazier? Either story, just don't look right at them."
Cool challenge, btw. Cards for this challenge are like popcorn: easy and fun to make, plentiful, and only really good or interesting if you do something weird with it.
DeleteI'm not understanding how the flavor text conveys the same story as the rules text.
DeleteAlso, this text box is eight words (unless we're ruling that "internal design shorthand" counts as a "symbol" the way that a mana or a tap icon that appears on actual cards does).
REVIEW:
DeleteTruelight Entity comes in at two words over budget, although you could argue that it follows the challenge rules depending on interpretation.
Truelight Entity has a nifty effect, but I would argue that it'd make more sense in Black than in White, and I'm not sure that the Creative is as strong as the ability is cool. However, there are nifty applications for the effect, either as sideboard material or in concert with cards like the Hunted cycle from Ravnica. Definitely a winner of a text box; just need to figure out how best to set it up for success (perhaps a card to keep in a back pocket for the right set).
Psalmshorn, Orzhov Capo 1BB
ReplyDeleteLegendary Planeswalker - Psalmshorn (r)
+2 Lose 2 life.
-3 Draw 3 cards.
Her provisos are as tenacious as her whims are capricious.
[2]
Going 3/2/3/2 on the numbers might seem awkward, but I think the play of "pay life, draw cards" works pretty cleanly with this as a Greed-alike. If your opponent isn't targeting her, she'll sit at 1 loyalty, almost taunting you, asking "do you want to pay again?" and then at 3 loyalty, "do you want to pay /again/?", which I think is quite black. Even if you get six cards out of her for four life, her being much more vulnerable than a sorcery or enchantment should hopefully balance out the rate, not to mention the four turn delay to get there.
DeleteI know planeswalkers are tough to evaluate, but hopefully this one is a little bit easier!
I love this!
DeleteREVIEW:
DeletePsalmshorn, Orzhov Capo follows the challenge rules.
Which is shocking, given that Psalmshorn, Orzhov Capo is a Planeswalker! An audacious idea, but one that was pulled off pretty well, I think. The gameplay tension seems very solid, although if your opponent has any pressure at all, the card is mostly dead. I would be very interested to playtest it, as I think the story is great, but I am a little concerned that there are too many board states where this is effectively a total blank. I also think this has to be a rare, as it's much weaker than a typical 'walker, but the concept of a Planeswalker almost needs to be mythic rare to make any sense. A difficult needle to thread, though this is about the best attempt at it that I can possibly imagine.
"Agyrem has split open, releasing unheard-of numbers of Sparks into the common population of Ravnica. Which of the guilds will get their hands on these powerful new magics? How will the power of the Blind Eternities be used on the infinite city-plane? How will these new heroes and villains upset the balance of power? Find out this fall in... "Sparks of Ravnica""
DeleteIDK that it would be worth the cost on both design space and Play Design's workload, but one can imagine a set where every color pair gets a (r) planeswalker, not dissimilar from the Guildmages. (Probably tweaking this to WB without too much extra complexity).
Gluttony 3(G/B)(G/B)(G/B)
ReplyDeleteCreature - Incarnation(M)
Sacrifice a creature: Draw a card.
5/5
Seems frighteningly efficient- would a mana cost (or even upping the numbers from 'a' to something higher) ruin the elegance?
DeleteI think it would. Probably better to increase the cost of the creature itself. Razaketh tutored, flys and trampled, and is an 8/8 for 8 mana. Seems like Gluttony should probably cost less than him, so unceasing the cost to 7 should do the trick.
DeleteREVIEW:
DeleteGluttony follows the challenge rules.
Gluttony is a great name for an Incarnation. The effect also feels right, as "eating" creatures for cards is pretty awesome. The closest to this effect for no mana cost is Greater Good, which doesn't net cards if the creatures you're sacrificing are 1/1s (which, if you're going to be using this as part of an engine, they almost certainly will be). I think costing this at 7 for a 6/6 or 7/7 could work, but I almost feel like making the ability read better while subtly making it no longer function as well as a pure engine might just be the way to go: something like "2, Sacrifice a creature: Draw 2 cards". This still would feel mythic while removing some of the risk. But great work! This shows a lot of promise I think. I'd definitely be excited about cracking this or something substantially similar.
Sower of Fear 1BB
ReplyDeleteCreature - Horror (R)
Flying
Other creatures can't attack alone.
3/1
This almost reads like flavor text! Very ominous. Maybe my favorite?
DeleteREVIEW:
DeleteSower of Fear follows the challenge rules.
A fragile body is a great place to put this ability (a mistake I made to my detriment with Curse of Apprehension in GDS3). Even if you use it as a lock piece, it's vulnerable enough to removal that you'll never be certain of it. I love that navigating around the "drawback" is easier for the owner given the fact that you'll almost always want to be attacking with it. A great execution of the core idea. Kudos!
Desperation Play
ReplyDelete2RR
Instant
Discard your hand. End the turn.
Sounds like a Battlebond card. Sweet.
DeleteAlso a fun combo with my Obsessive Archivist, since there's no "If you do ..." clause.
DeleteSo many awesome cards in this challenge!
DeleteREVIEW:
DeleteDesperation Play follows the challenge rules.
The creative is the strongest part of the design, and I would love to see another iteration of a Glorious End-esque effect with this name.
I am, unfortunately, not a fan of this card, unlike the others that replied. Firstly, although Glorious End et. al. exist, paying one resource for an out-of-pie effect is almost exclusively Black unless the cost is "you lose the game next turn". Secondly, I think that the main place for this will be as a four-of curve topper in linear decks, where it will essentially be a Time Walk that shaves a mana due to the fact that their owner is almost always hellbent. That seems way too powerful to me. Additionally, this not exiling itself makes it a likely combo piece with any number of recursion effects. I think there are major issues with the design that would see it killed - this seems far too powerful and unsafe unless it costs too much to still be fun.
Unveiling of Rage
ReplyDelete3RG
Instant
Target creature fights another target creature.
Blood Feud gets an upgrade! Rarity?
DeleteREVIEW:
DeleteUnveiling of Rage follows the challenge rules.
I suspect this would be an uncommon. Blood Feud at instant speed and costing one less offsets this being in two colors; a great signal post uncommon for Red Green. This would be a sweet Draft reward for committing to colors early, and is strong enough to splash. Nice.
UnCard- Victory-RRGGBBUUWW
ReplyDeleteSorcery
Choose One
*You win the game
*.....
"There is only one choice."
"Yeah, ...."
Magic Lamp-5
Artifact
Tap a Djinn:Draw a card
The Divine Future-2UB
Creature-God
Discard 10 Cards:You win the game. (If we consider 10 a symbol)
3/3 for the Divine Future. I think maybe uncommon for the Magic Lamp as a fun build around and mythic for the other two.
DeleteMagic Lamp is great! I kind of want to tap the lamp as well for flavor, but it doesn't read as well and maybe throws off the power level.
DeleteYeah anything additional would go above the word count on Magic Lamp. Originally I had it be indestructible and have a sacrifice clause to make Djinn unblockable.
DeleteREVIEW(S):
DeleteVictory and Magic Lamp follow the challenge rules. The Divine Future is one off (I wouldn't consider the number 10 to be a symbol, especially since it'd probably be written out as "ten").
Victory is a funny joke as an Un-card, but I still don't want it to exist.
The Divine Future is far too good - there are so many ways to get more than three cards above your hand size, and it wins you the game immediately rather than at the beginning of your next upkeep, which seems way too swingy. I think it would all but break Commander.
Magic Lamp is fantastic, though. I think that it's super flavorful, and there aren't enough Djinn that are cheap (changelings aside) that would make it degenerate. The players who want a Djinn deck would love this, and even though it's a bit similar to Azami, Lady of Scrolls, I think that the flavor of rubbing a lamp to get a wish if you have a Djinn to grant it is excellent.
If at first... 3R
ReplyDeleteInstant
Copy target nonpermanent spell twice.
REVIEW:
DeleteIf at first... follows the challenge rules.
I think this would read "instant or sorcery". A great rare or perhaps even mythic rare, though I suspect it might need to cost either 2RR or 2UR, as splashing for this seems like perhaps a bit much. I love the concept of a "double-Fork" though - it's a dead-simple concept that somehow hasn't been done yet (the flashback on Increasing Vengeance is the closest). I'm sure we'll see this card one day. Great find.
Abandon (Uncommon)
ReplyDelete1G
Sorcery
Destroy target noncreature, nonland permanent.
Great verb choice to pull planeswalkers into the flavor batch.
DeleteREVIEW:
DeleteAbandon follows the challenge rules.
Another great find, and one I expect to be printed. I love seeing creative ways to answer Planeswalkers in non-red colors at lower rarities, and this fits the bill nicely. Strongly agree with Pasteur that the name is absolutely spot-on (and, at one word, fits with our economy theme!). Perfect.
Story of quiet research U
ReplyDeleteEnchantment Saga
1: Scry 1
2: Scry 2
3: Draw a card
REVIEW:
DeleteStory of Quiet Research is one word over (if you count numbers; if you don't, it follows the challenge rules.)
This is a lovely little saga, and probably a good candidate for the first saga at common (if we decided to do so). Delaying the card draw for several turns may not be weak enough for Dev to let this go, which would be sad, but I think this probably hits a sweet spot between power and utility that we'd at least want to test it, especially since the design is so elegant. I love this; it's probably my favorite submission of the week (even if it is a stretch of the rules).
As a complete off-topic aside, if anybody wants access to Magic Arena who doesn't already have it, I have five beta access codes. Just reply if you want one. I have a feeling everybody who is into Magic who wants in is already in, but just in case...
ReplyDeleteDrown U
ReplyDeleteInstant (U)
Counter target Gruul creature spell.
REVIEW:
DeleteDrown doesn't follow the challenge rules if you consider Gruul a keyword. (In a hypothetical alternate universe where we've always used Gruul, it works. ;) )
Drown is a hybrid between Flashfreeze and Essence Scatter, and a great tool for a blue mage who needs a sideboard card against a very aggressive, low-curve RG deck that is attempting to get online before its counterspells do. Assuming Gruul means "red, green, or red/green, but no other colors", I think this is good to go. I would consider finding a name that is more obviously Ravnican, but that's nitpicky. Cool!
Lots of cool cards this week. I liked that there were takes on different card types that I wouldn't have expected (Planeswalker, Saga) and a great mix of top-down ideas and dead-simple, straight-to-print gems. Excellent work as always, y'all.
ReplyDeleteI just noticed the Hemingway tag and realized this is probably something you were looking for:
ReplyDeleteBaby Shoes 0
Artifact - Equipment (C)
Equip (1/2)
Equipped creature gets +(1/2)/+(1/2)