Challenge #9: Results

Reading the submissions for this design challenge confirmed something I already suspected: making alternate victory conditions is extremely tricky.  It can't be too easy or too hard to fulfill.  It can't be too narrow for players to build around, but it also has to be a difficult enough hoop to feel worth jumping through.  It has to make some sort of sense in one-on-one duels as well as multiplayer games, including popular formats such as Commander.  The condition also needs to feel somewhat logical, or at least not completely arbitrary.

With that long list of conditions in mind, let's peruse my top three!

Third Place
Winner: Ben Heaton

Masochism
Enchantment
2BR
Whenever a source deals damage to you, put a pain counter on Masochism.
When Masochism has nineteen or more pain counters on it, you win the game.

What I like best about this card is that you could give it to five Johnnies and they'd build five different decks around it.  Sure, they'd all need some life gain, unless it's some wacky format where you start at 40 life.  But one might go for Earthquake and Pestilence alongside Corrupt and Consume Spirit, while another opts for a board of Rakdos Ickspitter, Vulshok Sorcerer, and Basilisk Collar.

It's a bit odd that this doesn't trigger at the beginning of your upkeep like most alternate win cards.  Players who don't know the rules well may not realize that they can still kill somebody who has this at eighteen counters.

Second Place
Winner: ANThroplasm

Diversity Day
2WWW
Enchantment
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may reveal your hand.  If you reveal both a sorcery and an instant card in this way, and you control at least one creature, one artifact, one land, and one planeswalker, you win the game.

An excellent open-ended card.  It promotes interaction and writes stories of epic games.  "I finally managed to resolve Ajani Vengeant, so Bret Naturalized my Mind Stone, but the next turn I drew a Tormod's Crypt, but Danny cycled Decree of Pain..."

There are two small changes I would make.  First, three mana of one color is a rather unfortunate restriction for a wacky fun card.  I'd rather see it at 3WW.  Second, I would remove the mention of planeswalkers.  As it is, a newer player who would like to build around this card might simply lack access to the necessary quantities of mythic rares.

First Place
Winner: Evan Jones

Invention's Promise
2
Artifact Creature - Avatar Construct
Whenever CARDNAME deals combat damage to a player, if it has flying, first strike, vigilance, trample, haste, lifelink, deathtouch, and hexproof, you win the game.
0/4

Story time!

I started playing Magic in 1995.  My first deck was red, and I distinctly remember putting Giant Strength and Firebreathing on a Roc of Kher Ridges as a "build your own Shivan Dragon".  And you know what?  It wasn't just because I was an unusually dense teenager.  It's because making your own huge monster is fun!  That's why R&D continues to print vast numbers of auras that we elites consider unplayable: people just love beefing up their dudes.  It's not smart Magic, but it's viscerally satisfying and will continue to grace kitchen tables for many years to come.  Admit it, reader: you've always wanted to stack eight auras/equipment on one amazingly badass critter and smash face with it.  (Please share your experiences in the comments.)

This card rewards that impulse in all of us.  It's impractical, but too appealing not to try.  What's more, Evan realized that the victory condition itself shouldn't be an upkeep trigger; you should actually have to smack somebody with it to claim the win.  This is a great design.