Weekend Art ChallengeClick through to see this weekend's art 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.
This weekend, your challenge is to design a card with wondrous flavor.
Dreamscape Musings (R)
ReplyDelete5WU
Enchantment
Whenever you cast a spell, you may reveal the top card of your library. If that card shares a type with a spell you cast this turn, you may cast it without paying its mana cost.
It's intentional that you can chain multiple times off of one spell, yes?
Deleteoh yes. :)
DeleteI'm pretty sure this card should only cast a spell if it shares a type with the triggering card, not any spell cast this turn.
Delete1. That's what players will expect it to do.
2. It's much easier to track.
3. There's no problem with making players work to achieve a Storm combo.
That said, I really like the concept!
Lightscape 3UR
ReplyDeleteEnchantment (R)
Whenever you draw a card, you may have ~ deal 1 damage to each creature and player.
At the beginning of your upkeep, draw a card.
"In the moonlight I saw flames dancing on the cold surface of the water. I felt calm even as the sailors around me screamed in panic, for I had found what I sought."
-Tamiyo's Travels.
Niv-Mizzet, the Enchantment?
DeleteI could see that being printed one day, though I'd expect it to be a direct call-back.
This is an idea I've had for a while, but I think it fits the art well. Feedback welcome and appreciated.
ReplyDeleteIsle of Wonders
Land
Whenever you cast a blue spell, put a charge counter on ~.
{T}: Add {1} to your mana pool.
{T}, Remove a charge counter from ~: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool.
Why blue spells?
DeleteMy first pass was similar:
DeleteDream Lake
Land (unc)
T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
T: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool. Activate this ability only if you’ve cast a spell this turn.
Originally this was the blue land in a cycle.
DeleteI'm divided. On the one hand, I suspect that the counter-bearing version has much better game play, but the fiddliness is such a big impediment that I might prefer Jay's version anyway. Regardless, I don't think this effect needs to be a cycle. I'd go with triggering off any spell.
DeleteThis is not exactly a related design, but it was suggested to me by the above discussion and seems kind of interesting:
DeleteMystical Island
Land (Uncommon)
T: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool. Spend this mana only to cast blue spells or to activate abilities of blue permanents.
That's definitely interesting.
DeleteProbably wants to be rare: It makes you wonder why it exists. Why do I need non-blue mana to cast blue things? The answer's not that hard, but still.
It would be an interesting way to support a gold set. It fixes your mana, provided you commit to mono-blue and multicolor-blue spells. Neat.
Wonderous Sight
ReplyDelete1WU
Instant - Uncommon
Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt this turn.
Until end of turn, creatures can't fight or use activated abilities.
I like the idea, but "can't fight" might be hard to make work. A cleaner template might be "Prevent all damage that creatures would deal this turn. Until end of turn, creatures can't use activated abilities."
DeleteI like "Prevent all damage that creatures would deal this turn" but if you're going to add on "creatures can't use activated abilities", why not just replace it all with "tap all creatures?"
DeleteHow about:
ReplyDeleteWonder
3U
Creature - Incarnation (U)
Flying
As long as Wonder is in your graveyard and you control an Island, creatures you control have flying.
2/2
"The awestruck birds gazed at Wonder. Slowly, timidly, they rose into the air."
—Scroll of Beginnings
I jest. My actual submission:
Fevered Dreams
1UR
Enchantment (R)
At the beginning of each player’s upkeep, that player draws a card. Then Fevered Dreams deals damage to that player equal to the number of cards in his or her hand.
"In sickness he found madness, and in madness he found the answer."
I'm afraid that it's not too wondrous, but it's my best shot.
Feedback appreciated as always.
It's weird that it doesn't count the card you draw normally, but the real problem is: You can cast this on turn 3 on the play, and your opponent could easily take 7 damage on her very next turn. Not to mention the turn after. Cerebral Vortex?
DeleteSo would bumping up its mana cost help?
DeleteFinal submission:
DeleteFevered Dreams
4URR
Enchantment (R)
At the beginning of each player’s upkeep, that player draws a card.
Whenever a player draws a card, Fevered Dreams deals damage to that player equal to the number of cards in his or her hand.
"In sickness he found madness, and in madness he found the answer."
This is way more punishing than the original version (hence the higher and more color intensive cost), but it's closer to the original intent I wanted: Genius and madness intertwined. Risky but rewarding. This is a little more risky than rewarding, but I think it works.
Final edit: 3URR
DeleteIf Forced Fruition can cost 6, so can this.
I guess the good news is that the player who auto-loses to this in Constructed has a handful of countermagic to keep it from resolving.
DeleteIt's noteworthy that (apart from casting an instant right after drawing it) this deals a bare minimum of 3 damage each turn. +2 for each card you had to start with.
Here's the important point. You've got a new effect here, stapled to an old one. 9 out of 10 times, the better card is just the new effect by itself.
Wait, why didn't I think of that. Yes.
DeleteFINAL FINAL (it's finals week here. Brain blergh)
Fevered Dreams
3URR
Enchantment (R)
Whenever a player draws a card, Fevered Dreams deals damage to that player equal to the number of cards in his or her hand.
"In sickness he found madness, and in madness he found the answer."
Still not super wondrous.
True, but much better just the same.
DeleteIs it still blue, though?
DeleteI'm thinking crazy. One of these:
ReplyDeleteShared Dream 4R
Sorcery (mythic)
Each player may search his or her library for a sorcery or instant card and cast it. Each player casts a copy of each spell his or her opponents cast this way.
Shared Dream 4R
Sorcery (mythic)
Search your library for a sorcery or instant card and cast it without paying its mana cost. Each other player may cast a copy of that spell.
Help me, Obi Wan Kenobi(s)!
I'd say the second one as it causes less busywork while also allowing you to build around it crazier: "What spell would I love to cast that my opponents wouldn't?"
DeletePlus in multiplayer you could chain these to have a crazy Commander turn, whereas the first handicaps you if you chain them.
Also you forgot the "shuffle" text.
I like the concept here, but I'm not sure you've got the right implementation yet. People are going to get really confused about the order in which things resolve with either version, and about what is still unresolved with the first. I don't have a perfect fix, but this could alleviate a little bit of the confusion:
DeleteShared Dream 3R
Sorcery (Rare)
Each player searches his or her library for an instant or sorcery card and exiles it, then shuffles his or her library. Each player that exiled a card this way casts one of the exiled cards at random.
There's incentive for other people not to "fail to find" so that you don't just get a guaranteed casting of your scariest spell.
This is... crazy. And I mean that in a good sense. There are definitely ways to abuse it (e.g. play with a bunch of rituals and Enter the Infinite), so I'm guessing it has to cost more, but I like the second version a lot.
DeleteAlso, this should probably cost more than 5 mana, or at least be more color intensive.
DeleteI'm tempted to add a mind game to it:
DeleteEach player searches his or her library for a card and reveals them simultaneously. Each player may cast the card he or she found without payings it mana cost, IF IT DIDN'T HAVE THE HIGHEST CMC.
But I think that's getting too far from the art.
I'll probably go with Jules' version. I like that a lot.
DeleteStunning Display {3}{W}
ReplyDeleteInstant (Uncommon)
Reveal a card from your hand. Tap each creature with converted mana cost less than or equal to the revealed card’s converted mana cost.
Critique appreciated.
I like the concept and the top-down flavor. Tapping *all* creatures is a little strange mechanically, though. It feels like it should be better on defense, but then it's just Fog in the best case. On offense it's basically a weaker version of Sleep (since the opponent gets a free attack next turn). Comparing this to Blustersquall, my guess is that it should hit only creatures you don't control and cost something like 2U.
DeleteVery valid point on the player matter. The effect could be in blue or white, but given that this particular implementation is reverence-based, white seemed more appropriate to me.
Delete"Reveal another card" feels a little random to me. Why not pay X or "Tap target creature and each with CMC less than that creature's"? Perfect name.
DeleteI agree the reveal feels a bit off, certainly less clean than Induce Despair.
DeleteThat said, a completely new direction that struck me out of the blue:
Cloud of Wisps {3}{G}
Creature-Spirit (Uncommon)
All creatures able to block Cloud of Wisps do so.
0/7
"It’s even more dangerous when they follow you."
Oh, and, barring response to further comments, this new one will be my submission.
DeleteI like the design a lot. I would bet it gets shrunk in development because it's so close to "Creatures you control are unblockable."
DeleteYou're right. I was trying to give it a chance to survive to make up for not killing anything, but as is it's actually oppressive. They often have hold back 3 guys in order to avoid getting blown out, but this still blanks an attacker on defense making for an unwinnable race. Final submission is this as an 0/5.
DeleteAurora Point
ReplyDeleteEnchantment Land - Island (Rare)
(~ is not a spell, and has "T: add U to your mana pool")
~ enters the battlefield tapped.
You may look at the top card of any library at any time.
Not sure how much I love it, and how much of it is necessary.
DeleteI like it, except for the word "Enchantment."
DeleteThat was my response as well. Also, this should probably be uncommon.
DeleteI mean, the artifact lands would have been fine if not for Affinity. So maybe this is fine? Of course, losing a land to a Naturalize would be pretty sad.
DeleteIf enchantment lands should exist this is a nice implementation, but as MaRo said when Lorwyn came out, having lands count towards the type totals that get counted is problematic.
Delete1. It makes players keep track of cards they can usually ignore.
2. It makes development have to cost things unappealingly to balance them with all the free ticking up.
What's more, enchantment lands demand continuous effects. This one is fine, but something like "Creatures you control get +0/+1." presents a big problem if players lose track of it. This is the reason the common Zendikar lands had "enters the battlefield" triggers and all recent lands with potential on-board-trick abilities require you to leave up a ton of mana to make it obvious.
"Enchantment land" is definitely not a slam dunk. I imagine we could spend an entire post debating its merits and feasibility. I will just say this:
DeleteThere's a mono-land way to make this card.
Twist the Tides 4UU
ReplyDeleteEnchantment (M)
Players skip their untap steps.
During your end step place a tide counter on ~.
During each players' upkeep that player may untap up to X permanents where X is the number of tide counters on ~.
Feedback welcome
I like it-- fun and easy to understand. Not sure how well it fits the "wonder" flavor. Trigger on upkeep (either yours only, or everyone's) feels better than end step, since your opponents get the advantage otherwise.
DeleteI wouldn't call this easy to understand. It's certainly a more balanced version of Stasis, though. Does that make it fun?
DeleteReflect the Sky NGG
ReplyDeleteEnchantment (Rare)
Lands you control are the same colors as the colors of mana they could produce.
Feedback welcome.
1GG I assume?
DeleteThere are probably some cool uses for this, but I'm not thinking of any offhand. A couple of possible modifications:
-Have it affect everyone's lands. (All is Dust anyone?)
-Have it say that the affected lands "are all colors and have "T: add 1 mana of any color to your mana pool." That way it always does something, not just when it's part of a combo.
Uber Johnny.
DeleteYeah, the idea behind this one is simple.
Delete"New players frequently think that Swamps are black, and so on."
BAM! Card.
Glimmering Reverie 3UU
ReplyDeleteLegendary Enchantment (M)
Players can't cast spells on your turn.
Whenever you cast an instant spell, you may copy that spell. You may choose new targets for the copy.
Feedback's cool, if I haven't missed the deadline.
So you give up the ability to cast anything but instants and cards with flash, for the opportunity to double your instants. I could definitely see a deck being built around that. How easy it is for Draw-Go to tap out for this enchantment, I'm not so sure. Too weird to give it flash?
DeleteThe better feedback is, there's a missing connection between these two abilities. If the first said something like, "you can't cast spells when you could cast a sorcery", then the second part would clearly from it. Cost & Effect. But as-is, the first part also prevents other players from casting on your turn, which doesn't really jive with the rest. What exactly is this card's focus?
DeleteAstral Projection (Mythic Rare)
ReplyDeleteWWWW
Instant
Put a 1/1 white Spirit creature token with flying onto the battlefield. It has “You can’t lose the game and your opponents can’t win the game. Damage that would reduce your life total to less than 1 reduces it to 1 instead.”
Why not a creature with flash?
DeleteDoes being 1/1 instead of 4/4 warrant making this cheaper and faster than Platinum Angel?
I thought about that, but didn't want to confuse the flavor of the card. You aren't summoning a creature, you're leaving your body. And as long as you're traveling as a spirit, you can't die. A flash creature with this rules set would be okay for some other concept.
DeleteIs that the flavor?
DeleteIf so, I'd make it an Avatar rather than a Spirit, and I'd find some way to penalize its caster when it dies.
I'd also make it a sorcery.
That's your choice. I though about making it a Legendary Avatar Spirit (so you can't astral project into two spirits) but cut all the unnecessary stuff to keep it simple. I didn't give it a penalty, like Lich, because WotC doesn't really do that anymore. And as an instant it acts like a last ditch "ejector seat" when you're about to die, rather than Platinum Angel v.2.
DeleteThis art just seems to be asking for a weird Johnny card...
ReplyDeleteIneffable Harmony (rare)
4U
Enchantment
Everything is every color at all times. (This includes every card in every game zone, every permanent, token, and emblem, every spell and ability on the stack, all mana in every mana pool, and each player.)
Feedback welcome.
As much as I love the weirdness here, I'm pretty sure the magic rules can't handle the word "everything." Is "cards, spells, and permanents" not enough? Either way, this card is very johnny, but the appeal is somewhat diminished by the existence of Painter's Servant. Speaking of which, it's SUPER weird that this is mono blue. I understand the Mind Bend connection, but that doesn't make it feel comfortable to me.
DeleteProgenitus is proof that "everything" is a word that works in Magic (and with some potency, too.) And blue has been the color of color-changing in modern design for some time (Trait Doctoring, Moonlace, Quickchange, Govern the Guildless, etc.)
DeleteThe game zones are part of everything, are they all colors too? Steps and phases are part of everything, what about them? I agree that 'everything' is usable on a Magic card, but I'll point out that Progenitus is both super-clear (can't be blocked, targeted, enchanted or damaged by anything) and considerably more epic. In contrast, Ineffable Harmony is mostly just weird, and feels like a misuse of this special word.
Delete"Cards, spells, and permanents in all zones are every color" has the same intentional effect on the game without confusion or possible strangeness.
Blue is the color of hacking colors, I agree, but it's always been in the form of replacing one color word with another, never of adding colors. That said, I don't think that effect is more white, black, red or green than it is blue. There is a strong argument for artifact, however.
Ineffable Harmony (rare)
Delete4U
Enchantment
Every object in every zone is every color at all times. (An object is an ability on the stack, a card, a copy of a card, a token, a spell, a permanent, or an emblem.)
Mana in mana pools is every color at all times.
Better?
Better.
Delete"At all times" seems redundant.
Aurora Lua, Protector - WWW
ReplyDeleteLegendary Creature - Spirit Avatar (M)
Prevent all damage. If a player would gain life, sacrifice ~.
0/1
Alternatively
Aurora Lua, Protector - W/U W/U W/U
Legendary Creature - Spirit Avatar (M)
Prevent all damage. For each damage prevented this way, exile the top card of each player's library.
0/1
One question I always ask before moving forward with a design is, do any important decks auto-lose to this card? By "important" I don't mean Tier I, I mean decks new/old, casual/tournament players should be able to bring to the table. While it's fine for certain cards to be particularly problematic for a given deck, it's entirely against the game's own interests to make a single card that automatically wins the game against such a deck.
DeleteThe first Aurora Lua turns off red and green decks entirely because they have no way to win, and no way to remove Aurora. The second Aurora is better in this regard, because the red/green player's cards still have an effect, but since both players are milled, Lua's caster just needs to ensure she has one card more in her deck to ensure the victory, which is entirely trivial.