Weekend Art ChallengeClick through to see this weekend's art by tigaer (aka Mr. Stripeypants!) and the design requirements for your card submission, due Monday morning. Remember that you may ask for feedback by mid-day Sunday and redesign your submission once after you get it.
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Your design must be a land or an enchantment and it needs to be interesting/exciting enough to potentially win a contest with a community vote. Bonus points if you can find a way to give this highly traditional Fantasy setting a distinctly Magic twist
Time to break out ol' Le Morte d'Arthur and do some research!
ReplyDelete"Your design must be a land or an enchantment and it needs to be interesting/exciting enough to potentially win a contest with a community vote."
ReplyDeleteI see what you did there.
Yeah... I don't think the goals of evoking Arthurian legend and winning YMTC are particularly compatible, unfortunately.
DeleteI'm #teamEnchantment all the way, but restriction breeds yada yada yada, so here's a land design.
ReplyDeleteCastle Camelot
Legendary Land (Mythic)
T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
3GW, T: Creatures you control gain +1/+1 until the end of turn for each other creature you control.
This is not my submission, but I just want to point out:
ReplyDeleteMoat
2WW
Enchantment (R)
Creatures without flying can't attack.
Well there goes two of my ideas.
DeleteIt was the first idea of many between us, I guess..
DeleteCastle Sangreal W
ReplyDeleteEnchantment (R)
Whenever a creature you control survives combat, put a Quest counter on it.
Creatures you control with at least one Quest counter on them get +1/+0 and have first strike.
Creatures you control with at least two Quest counters on them have lifelink.
Creatures you control with at least three Quest counters on them are indestructible.
Turn one, followed by a knight on turn two or on turn two with a one drop, time to begin the Grail Quest!
Can 'survives combat' work? This is a rare, so we could forgo the reminder text, but perhaps a common knight could exist that has the reminder text:
Tattered Knight 1W
Creature - Human Knight (C)
Whenever Tattered Knight survives combat, put a +1/+1 counter on it.
(This creature survives combat whenever it is dealt combat damage and doesn't die as a result.)
2/2
Feedback appreciated.
Templating would be "at the beginning of each main phase after the first each turn, [do x] if this creature attacked or blocked this turn"
DeleteWhile surviving combat would need rules support, it seems intuitive enough that we wouldn't need reminder text at all.
DeleteVery minor, but the first counter granting two things throws off the aesthetics of the card.
What concerns me most about Castle Sangreal is the amount of book-keeping. Cast this and another creature with two creatures in play, those two get a counter. Next turn you play another creature and the first three get a counter. Do that again, and you're placing four counters and have three different levels of creatures. And you have to keep placing counters on creatures after it matters. Compare to Beastmaster Ascension.
My take on templating a year ago:
DeleteCastle Sangreal:
At the end of combat, put a quest counter on each attacking or blocking creature you control.
My take on templating now:
Castle Sangreal
When a creature you control deals combat damage, put a quest counter on it. (Put that counter on it only if it survived combat.)
That represents the shift from Saprazzan Outrigger to Leyline Phantom.
The book keeping is a big concern, my hope was that the abilities you get would be cool enough to make up for it. We could easily make the counter clause 'you may' to make it easier.
DeleteMaybe the first ability should grant +1/+1? That way you can use it with the inevitable first striking knights at WW.
Castle Sangreal W
Enchantment (R)
Whenever a creature you control survives combat, you may put a Quest counter on it.
Creatures you control with at least one quest counter on them get +1/+1.
Creatures you control with at least two quest counters on them have lifelink.
Creatures you control with at least three quest counters on them are indestructible.
Here is what it would look like with Wobbles' templating.
Castle Sangreal W
Enchantment (R)
When a creature you control deals combat damage, you may put a quest counter on it. (Put that counter on it only if it survived combat.)
Creatures you control with at least one quest counter on them get +1/+1.
Creatures you control with at least two quest counters on them have lifelink.
Creatures you control with at least three quest counters on them are indestructible.
Considering the two should function precisely the same mechanically, I'd like my submission to be the one that looks better in the text box, if that's okay.
Templating/rules question: For the first one - "Whenever a creature you control survives combat,..." - what happens if you ship the turn without attacking anyone? Or attack with another creature? Do either of those trigger the non-attacking creature?
DeleteThe real question is how common will quest counters become. If there are more cards placing quest counters on creatures then that increases the risk of the card being too strong, yet on the other hand having a single card with quest counters feels weird, especially since players will already associate them with enchantments. Would life not be simpler with +1/+1 counter:
DeleteCastle Sangreal W
Enchantment (R)
When a creature you control survives combat, you may place a +1/+1 counter on it.
Creatures you control with at least two +1/+1 counters on them have lifelink.
Creatures you control with at least four +1/+1 counters on them are indestructible.
@BenNassau: A creature that just hangs back doesn't "survive combat", it has to go on the quest against a worthy foe i.e. to survive combat a creature needs to have taken combat damage. However, I just realized this makes this card a nonbo with first strike and which is so associated with knights that that is both a design and flavor issue, hrm.
Delete@Antny223: It is simpler design, but I was envisioning quest counters being for more cards than just this. It would be up to development to determine the best mana cost, but I want it to be discounted so this is where I would start the design even if it seems too strong.
The primary reason I don't want Castle Sangreal to offer +1/+1 counters is a flavor concern. Growing from combat is the parlance of vampires and funguses(?) even though I think 'surviving' instead of 'dealing damage to a creature' gives it a distinctly White spin.
When a creature you control blocks or becomes blocked, you may put a quest counter on it. (Place the counter only if it survived combat.)
The reason for the 'blocks or becomes blocked' part is to ensure that no knight grows by dealing free damage, which isn't super chivalric and is, again, vampiresque.
Personally, I would define surviving combat as "attacked or blocked and didn't die." Does regenerating count? Hmm...
DeleteOh it absolutely does, this is based on Arthurian legend after all. Little known fact that Excalibur had a magic sheath. The properties of that sheath? While it was worn the owner would heal from any wound, no matter how deep. And Arthur isn't the only knight in the stories to recover from completely insane injuries through magical means.
DeleteOkay, final version, incorporating all of the helpful ideas. This card is meant to exist in a format where there are multiple sources for quest counters, so that it's possible for you to play this card and immediately get an anthem effect.
Castle Sangreal WW
Enchantment (R)
When a creature you control blocks or becomes blocked, you may put a quest counter on it. (Put that counter on it only if it survived combat.)
Creatures you control with at least one quest counter on them get +1/+1.
Creatures you control with at least two quest counters on them have lifelink.
Creatures you control with at least three quest counters on them are indestructible.
Castle at Sun's Rest
ReplyDeleteLand
~ enters the battlefield tapped.
T: Add W to your mana pool.
Whenever a Knight you control dies, exile it.
3WW, T, sacrifice ~: Put all creatures exiled by ~ onto the battlefield under your control.
rare?
DeleteWhoops, yes.
DeleteFortified Keep
ReplyDeleteLand
When you control no creatures, sacrifice Fortified Keep.
{T}: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool.
As long as Fortified Keep is untapped, prevent all damage that would be dealt to and dealt by creatures you control.
feedback?
DeleteSeems strong.
DeleteYou can't play it until you have creatures out, and if your one creature is Terror'd or your team is Damnation'd, you lose it. On the other hand, they're immune from Lightning Bolts and Bonfires as long as you know to play around them.
Whether Keep is balanced or not (and I don't know that it's not), I will say that getting any color of mana from a card that feels this white seems non sequitur.
Rarity?
Peace in the Realm (rare)
ReplyDelete2W
Enchantment
At the beginning of your upkeep, you draw a card and gain 3 life.
When you lose life or a permanent you control is put into a graveyard, sacrifice Peace in the Realm.
---
There is nothing more fragile, and nothing more precious.
Critique away!
DeleteThis is a pretty neat card. It offers a huge carrot but is very very fragile. Even so, I can imagine white players running more protection and damage prevention effects in order to keep Peace on the board and justifying their inclusion via the massive card advantage Peace offers.
DeleteAt the same time, this card feels black to me. It reminds me of Dark Tutelage and Phyrexian Obliterator.
Yeah, the card is sort of Turbo-Fog incarnate. Maybe a bit too Johnny-ish to win a popularity poll, but potentially very powerful and with a lot of flavor.
DeleteCamelot Castle
ReplyDeleteLegendary Land (R)
T: Add W, G, or U to your mana pool.
"Camelot; the place where legends begin and dreams are made true."
I see what you did there, re: your article on lands. =P
DeleteYeomen's Fortress 1GGWW
ReplyDeleteEnchantment (R)
Creatures without flying can't attack.
Creatures without flying you control gain "T: deal 1 damage to target creature with flying."
All feedback welcome
DeleteInteresting. It's not just a moat, but a moated castle with archers on the walls. In this top-down model, I'd expect the ability gained to be "T: This creature deals 1 damage to target creature attacking you."
DeleteI'm a little in love with this card.
DeleteTwilight Tranquility 2G
ReplyDeleteEnchantment (R)
Untapped permanents you control have hexproof.
Untapped creatures you control have "1G: Regenerate this creature".
"That part of the day with too little light for fighting and too little darkness for the fae to play their tricks - oh, blessed Twilight." -Prince Fabian
Feedback would be lovely.
Asceticism, but only for untapped creatures. This looks about perfect. My only concern is that in practice, it'll promote board stalls by giving you an incentive not to attack.
DeleteWould adding vigilance at a higher concentration make this card a smoother addition, or would it not end up mattering often enough?
DeleteAlso, though the board stall is definitely not desirable game play it gets major Vorthos points for really capturing the idea of a chivalric knight only entering battle when it is absolutely correct to do so. In fact, the knights of the round often had super powers which waxed and waned based on how nobly they behaved.
The one thing I don't like is how it gives hexproof at no cost to things like enchantments and equipment (including itself, eep!). I would recommend that it affect only creatures and lands.
Thanks, Devin. I did mean to say that I loved the flavor. It's also a good point that granting hexproof to non-creatures is both less poetic on the card and probably way too strong. Having a lot of vigilance would help, but even on three strong green common creatures, you'd still have at least half the games where Twilight Tranquility hits the table stall out.
DeleteAs a firm member of Team Enchantment, I'll make a land here (restrictions, right?)
ReplyDeleteAurora Lagoon (rare)
Land
Play with your hand revealed.
T: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool.
What do you think? Is this enough of a drawback? I'm concerned that it doesn't get worse the more of these you have, so you probably want to run 0 or 4 of these. Feedback welcome.
You could make the land legendary which would make deck building a little more interesting. Each additional land above the first is a dead draw but would a single nonbasic land be enough for mana fixing? If it was legendary you could make the effect universal:
DeleteAurora Lagoon (rare)
Legendary Land
Players play with their hands revealed.
T: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool.
It's a really interesting question. Is perfect, limitless mana fixing worth giving up your hidden information entirely? My guess is that the answer will be "No, are you crazy?!" for a lot of decks and "Hell yes!" for a lot of others. If so, and if the decks that do want it aren't too good with this addition, it's a great card to print. That's a pretty big 'if' though. I imagine something like Modern Zoo would be ecstatic about Aurora Lagoon.
DeletePhantasmal Keep (Rare)
ReplyDeleteLand
T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
3U, T: Put a 1/1 blue Knight Illusion creature token onto the battlefield. It has “When this creature becomes the target of a spell or ability, sacrifice it.”
It’s always there, twinkling on the horizon.
Seat of the Pendragon
ReplyDeleteLand (R)
T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
Whenever you are attacked by three or more creatures, you may put a legendary 6/6 white Spirit Knight creature token named Uther Pendragon onto the battlefield. It is indestructible and has defender.
You can't be attacked by more than two creatures at a time (unless you're being alpha'd and a free 6/6 wouldn't help).
DeleteExcept Gideon Jura and 15 obscure cards no one brings to tournaments.
I can't tell what your second sentence is referring to.
DeleteBut uh, yeah, I wasn't especially inspired by this week's image. So I just opted for a goofy reaction to Burning-Tree Emissary decks.
Would it probably play a bit like a free, one-sided Silent Arbiter? Sure. But what kind of defender of the people asks for payment?
Fair enough.
DeleteI was saying that effects that force your opponent's team to attack could actually cause Pendragon to be summoned.
There's an exception. After you've been attacked by 3+ creatures once, the second time kills the token via the Legend rule! I assumed this was intentional, but I also worry that it's too cute and players won't notice it. (And the flavor of that event is kinda bizarre.)
DeleteYeah, that's why it's a may trigger.
DeleteI had actually gone through a few iterations, including one that avoided that issue by having the trigger turn an existing creature INTO Uther Pendragon until end of turn, but the complication of layer rules made that unappealing. And just having it give +6/+6 lacked the flavorful excitement.
Anyone have feedback for this?
ReplyDeleteCastle on the Lake
Land (rare)
Creatures you control have valiant. (If a valiant creature would deal combat damage, you may put a +1/+1 counter on it instead.)
T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
Could this ability stack? (i.e. if I give me Valiant creature, valiant can I get 2 +1/+1 counters instead of one)
DeleteI can see arguments both for and against. I'll leave smarter people than myself to decide.
Jay, how do you envision Valiant to function in-game?
DeleteThere's a lot of complexity buried in that ability, and I have a feeling it would make combat a fearsome proposition to evaluate.
@Antny223 As written, I believe it won't stack; you can't apply two replacement effects to the same thing.
DeleteWhen two valiant creatures fight, who has to make the decision first? The rules already have an answer for it, but I'm pretty sure players won't know it.
When I attack with a valiant 1/1 into another 1/1, the fact that I can keep mine alive also seems like a non-obvious rules point.
Aside from the potential rules confusion, this also seems like an ability that would be more fun with both cake and eating. (I.e., when this creature deals combat damage, put a +1/+1 counter on it at the end of combat)
I love this ability, and the flavor is spot-on. Since it's a replacement effect and not a trigger, a 2/2 valiant can survive combat against another 2/2, right?
DeleteI don't see it muddying combat math too much for the defender: if you want to kill the valiant, make sure you deal it one extra damage than its toughness. For the attacker, it does seem hard to optimize how many times you should use valiant's replacement ability. I had to make a plot of total damage output for an unblockable 1/1 valiant to get an idea, and it's still complex. https://dl.dropbox.com/u/100560/valiant.png Putting the burden of computation on the attacker rather than the defender is fine with me though.
Right, they wouldn't stack.
DeleteI hadn't thought of the valiant v valiant match-up. Even knowing that triggers go on the stack in APNAP order, the fact that they're replacement effects could still confuse the matter. Does it even make sense to be rewarded for valiance when your opponent is also restraining himself?'
This solves the multiplayer-timing problem, but feels a bit lame:
Valiant (If ~ would deal combat damage while attacking, you may put a +1/+1 counter on it instead.)
This version is simple, but requires players to think combat out in advance which is often a bit much to ask.
Valiant (Whenever ~ attacks or blocks, you may put a +1/+1 counter on it. If you do, it deals no damage this turn.)
I don't hate these, but I don't love them either. Opinions?
I like the second a bit better. But they still make little flavor sense to me.
DeleteIf I'm not too late:
ReplyDeleteReminder of Home
2GW
Enchantment (R)
Noble creatures you control get +1/+1 and have hexproof.
"The slivers may be vile things, but their teamwork is admirable."--Sir Pelleas, Knight Captain
I would love feedback if I'm not too late. There's stuff I like and stuff I don't like, but we'll see if I'm in time.
Is Noble a subtype, a supertype, a keyword or something else? If it's something that creatures gain or lose based on how you play, I like it. Otherwise, it seems mighty dangerous.
DeleteWhat do you mean "gain or lose based on how you play"?
DeleteWhenever ~ creature attacks or blocks, it becomes Noble. Whenever ~ creature doesn't attack or block if able, it loses its nobleness.
DeleteAs long as you have less life than an opponent, ~ is Noble.
As long as you control no black or red permanents, ~ is Noble.
Something that can come and go.
I also fell in love with this design (though it by no means is my submission).
ReplyDeleteBack Home
2GW
Enchantment (R)
When Back Home enters the battlefield, you may search your library for a legendary creature card, reveal it, and put it into your command zone. Then shuffle your library.
Spells you cast from the command zone cost 2 less to cast.
Other names: Call for Alliance, Reminder of Alliance, What We're Fighting For (that's a really bad name), etc.
I could see that for a Commander-only product. Nifty. I could see some players thinking the found legend becomes your new Commander, though.
DeleteNight Watch 1GW
ReplyDeleteEnchantment (R)
If one or more creatures attacks you and/or planeswalkers you control, you may put a creature card from your hand onto the battlefield. If you do, that creature is indestructible this turn.
I'd appreciate feedback. I started with "Whenever a creature attacks you or a planeswalker you control..." but was worried that would lead to more game stalls. This way, your opponent should only have to worry about one indestructible blocker each turn.
I'd hate to see this in Constructed as-is. How does red beat a deck that gets Griselbrand or Angel of Serenity every turn? Can you find an execution that's still appealing but less abuseable?
DeleteHow about, "If one or more creatures attacks you and/or planeswalkers you control, you may reveal a creature card from your hand. If you do, you may cast that card as though it had flash. Creatures cast this way are indestructable until end of turn."
DeleteYou still have to pay, so it's not free, but you retain elements of surprise and indestructability.
Agree with Jay and -J that this effect needs a bit more effort to meet developmental approval.
DeleteRestricting it to a subset of creatures (like converted mana cost less than or equal to 3, a la Aluren) might be possible solution.
Yeah that was pretty bonkers. Attacking shouldn't be punished that harshly, especially with how good large creatures have gotten. I like how -J's version captures the original feeling I was going for, but paying homage to Aluren (in a way that's not broken with Imperial Recruiter) is too much to pass up.
DeleteNight Watch 2GW
Enchantment (R)
Whenever a creature attacks you or a planeswalker you control, you may put a creature card with converted mana cost 3 or less from your hand onto the battlefield.
Sacrifice ~: Creatures you control are indestructible until end of turn.
Already made a submission, so here's just some nonsubmission ideas bouncing around my head.
ReplyDeleteTranquil Haven
Land (Rare)
~ ETB tapped.
Imprint -- When ~ ETB, exile a card from your hand.
T: For each color in the imprinted card's color identity, add one mana of that color to your mana pool.
--
Protection of the Martyr - W
Enchantment - Aura (Common)
Imprint -- When ~ ETB, exile a creature you control.
Enchanted creature has protection from colors of the exiled creatures color identity.
Tranquil Haven seems pretty good with Sliver Queen. Protection also loves five-color cards, though much less brokenly so.
DeleteI much prefer Tranquil Haven as an enters tapped Chrome Mox - i.e. only adding one or any of the colors. Lands that tap for more than one mana (especially multiple colors) seem waaaaaay broken.
DeleteCastle Moat
ReplyDeleteLand (R)
T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
2, T: Creatures can’t attack you or a planeswalker you control this turn unless their controller pays 1 for each of those creatures.
Raise the drawbridge!
Realm of Lingering Magic 3G
ReplyDeleteEnchantment (Rare)
Whenever an instant or sorcery spell you cast targeting a creature you control resolves, exile that instant or sorcery card imbuing that creature. At the beginning of your next upkeep, you may cast the exiled card targeting the creature it imbues. If you don’t, put it into your graveyard.
Treasured Lake (Uncommon)
ReplyDeleteLand
When Treasured Lake enters the battlefield, you may search your library for an Equipment card and exile it. Then shuffle your library.
T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
5, T: Tap target untapped creature you control and attach an Equipment card exiled with Treasured Lake to it.
This is a reference to King Arthur receiving Excalibur from the Lady of the Lake.
Apologies for the late submission! I... fell asleep on the couch while designing. ;)
DeleteWow that is a flavorful design. It would be neat to have a Sword in the Stone variant as well!
DeleteThank you! And I hear you, Chah. One of my most favorite things EVER are swords of destiny, especially when they're set in stone (Zelda's Master Sword also comes to mind). So, I would love that.
DeleteThanks all. Submissions are now closed.
ReplyDeleteI know that I'm too late, but I was away for the weekend and feel like sharing regardless.
ReplyDeleteLlyn Loch
Land (R)
Fidelity (You may pair this permanent with an unpaired creature when either enters the battlefield. They remain paired for as long as you control both of them.)
T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
T: As long as ~ is paired with a creature, add one mana of tht creature's color to your mana pool.