Weekend Art ChallengeClick through to see this weekend's art and the design requirements for your card submission, due Monday morning. Every submission warrants feedback, which I will try to provide, and which everyone is welcome to provide as well.
If you choose, you may use that feedback to revise your submission any number of times. I will post and review the most recent submission from each designer some time on Monday, life permitting. To help ensure I recreate your design accurately, please use CARDNAME instead of ~ in your submissions.
Contemplate 2W
ReplyDeleteSorcery (r)
Skip your next turn. At the beginning of your next upkeep, gain 20 life.
At this cost, ten life would be plenty. Twenty(!) seems quite high. Should mono-white play in this design space (time as a resource)?
DeleteIn a related note, do you suppose there should be a distinction for life gain? Incremental/repeatable life gain in White and large, one time swings in Green? If so, would this be better served as a green card?
Rest for the Weary was fringe constructed-playable at 8 life for 1W. Three mana, as they say, is twice the mana of 2. How much life would you need to give at 2W for it to be too much?
DeleteHow much life would you need for a turn?
I agree that this should gain you more than 10, and 20 is the next nice round number. Whether it does good things for Constructed is a question for Development, but given that you're paying at least two 'cards' after the lost draw step, at least six 'mana' over two turns, and probably a good bit of life loss from attacks on the shields-down turn, this power level doesn't seem at all unreasonable to me.
DeleteI'm certainly not concerned about this breaking the game, but I would like it to cost 4 just so that it requires a bit more setup to make sure you don't die before it goes off. That said, Mike George's point is valid. I'd be fine with this in a Time Spiral-esque setting, but it's a bit strange for white to be messing with time. Maybe it would work better with some flavor about a period of hardship for the good of future society. Anyway, very cool mechanical concept!
DeleteWhat if instead of gaining 20 life, it set your life total to 20?
DeleteOh yes! Don't know if there's a problem with development or not, but I really really like the design.
DeleteV simple, unique and fits art better than anything else I could imagine!
Inward Self G
ReplyDeleteEnchantment- Aura (Rare)
Enchant creature you control
As long as it isn't your turn, enchanted creature is a 0/1 with hexproof, "T: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool", and no other abilities.
I could see this at G or 1G. You should have it flip it face down too! lol
DeleteCool take on Utopia Vow. Given that it's a little bit low-powered at the moment, I wouldn't be opposed to making the creature into a full-fledged Sylvan Caryatid, but the extra toughness may just end up detracting from the feel.
DeleteYou can only enchant a creature you control? Why not just cast a Sylvan Caryatid? If this [could] enchant opponent's creatures, that would be very different.
DeleteBleeding Pacifism effects into green should be avoided, in my opinion, since they're the color pair most strongly in need of additional differentiation.
DeleteYes, this is *not* Pacifism. It's aimed more at Johnny, who wants to find combos with this and cards like Desecration Elemental or Precursor Golem. For Spikes, it's mostly a way to protect your guy from sorcery-speed removal, one that incidentally helps you cast instants.
DeleteIf it's mostly to protect your guy, why does it make him 0/1?
DeleteI said that "for Spikes" it's mostly protection. I didn't say that Spike had to like it. The 0/1 part can be feel-bad at times, but the P/T has to be set to *something* so that this card has well-defined interactions with, say, Maro or Splinterfright.
DeleteLooking at it again, though, I think the mana-producing clause isn't really pulling its weight in the design. I'm going to replace it with something that lets the card do more of what it was meant to and makes the 0/1 stats less problematic:
Inward Self G
Enchantment- Aura (Rare)
Enchant creature
As long as it isn't your turn, enchanted creature is a 0/1 Spirit with hexproof, indestructible, and no other abilities.
Letter of the Law 1W
ReplyDeleteInstant (R)
If a source would deal damage to a creature you control this turn, instead choose a different creature you control. That source deals damage to that creature instead.
Love the name!
DeleteWhat if you control exactly one creature?
DeleteWhat is the magical Law that's redirecting all this damage?
I think most people will assume there's no redirection, but adding a "may" could clarify it further.
DeleteAs far as flavor, the consternation on her face gave me the impression that she just wanted to fight somebody, but instead she's stuck reading some archaic legal code that determines who she can battle.
Contemplation of nature 1GG
ReplyDeleteSorcery [U]
Search your library for a basic land card and put that card onto the battlefield tapped. Then shuffle your library.
Draw a card.
"To grow the world one must first grow one's self"
- Soraini teaching
Very simple, Commonly used mechanical elements not commonly paired (not since Homelands...wow). And it tells a story. (with or without the flavor text.) Props!
DeleteIF you were forced to change the cost, would you go GG or 3G?
I was amazed this card hasn't been printed already. It's a perfect design.
DeleteIn the ramp decks that want to cast this, 3 mana is not so much 'more' than 2 mana because they are expecting to play an Elf on turn 1. 3G might be a slightly safer cost, but 1GG is probably fine.
Delete@evan jones: I know right! I've shown this design to somebody and then later they tried to tell me about it thinking that it was a real card.
Deleteit is likely that this would cost 4 if printed by wizards... its quite strong.
I also could've sworn they'd made this at some point, but no.
DeleteI do recommend moving the draw before the shuffle so you can play this and pass.
It's comparable to Cultivate, so is likely fine at 1GG.
This has never been done as is, but it exists as the cycling of the awesome (common) krosan tusker, so I guess 2G is fine. Anyway, neat design, it fits well the art and it's very elegant. A+
DeleteKrosan tusker puts the land into your hand...yes it is the closest comparison
DeleteEnigma Charm U
ReplyDeleteInstant (Unc)
Choose one- Target player scours two cards, stun target creature, or disassemble target contraption.
(Scour = mill. Stun = tap it, it doesn't untap during its controller's next untap step. Contraptions...hahaha)
Putting aside the three brand new action words... how is this supposed to fit the art??
DeleteI'd like something more novel than "Choose one", but we can't reinvent the wheel. For the art, she's clearly pondering something. Why not an enigma?
DeleteThe art for this challenge doesn't match charm art (which is conventionally quite abstract), nor does it remotely match any of the three effects printed on Engima Charm (at least as they are usually represented). Also, it depicts a knight and a forest and contains very little blue. Don't get me wrong: I like the card idea, at least in the right environment. But it doesn't fit this art at all.
DeleteI was on my cell when I designed this. I thought the purple area in the corner was a haze or fog of some type. That's my bad.
DeleteRegardless, charms are generally depicted as physical objects imbued with magic. Sure its not spilling light all over everything, like I thought, but it is an object marked with a sigil or rune.
Mode 1 = slightly confuse an opponent
Mode 2= really confuse a creature
Mode 3= muck up some blueprints
Either way, someone's getting perplexed. Also, the subject could be you, the controller, trying to figure out how it works.
What if it did all three? Just a thought.
DeleteSelect two - mode 1, mode 2, mode 3. (You may select one mode multiple times.)
DeleteFlavia Tirel (mythic)
ReplyDelete3GG
Planeswalker - Flavia
+2: Add GWU to your mana pool.
+1: Put a 2/2 green Warrior creature token with exalted onto the battlefield.
0: This turn, as long as exactly one creature is attacking, it has hexproof and trample and must be blocked by exactly one creature if able.
-8: You get an emblem with “Whenever a creature you control attacks alone, you may draw cards equal to its power.”
5
Whoa! I have no idea how well this would actually play, but it is extremely Bant and fits the art perfectly.
DeleteThis is a really cool planeswalker concept that shows off how much more green has in its arsenal than we normally give it credit for. That said, the first ability is just detracting from this design; I'd cut it. With that gone, the 0 seems like it's going to be too crushingly non-interactive. I'd move it to the ultimate and make the tokens feel more cohesive by turning them into 1/1s:
DeleteFlavia Tirel 3GG
Planeswalker-Flavia (M)
+1: Put a 1/1 green Druid creature token with exalted onto the battlefield.
-3: Whenever a creature attacks alone this turn, draw cards equal to its power.
-7: You get an emblem with "Attacking creatures you control have trample, hexproof, and must be blocked by exactly one creature if able."
4
The +2 is meant to synergize with the ultimate. Assuming you can protect Flavia without the free bears, it lets you hit the emblem on Flavia's 3rd turn on the battlefield, and then the next turn you get extra mana so you can play more of those cards you drew last turn.
DeleteThe ability is also intended to be a throwback to Noble Hierarch.
What is it about the Bant-Exalted Planeswalker that demands having four abilities? If you had to get it to three, what would they be?
DeleteThere's nothing that demands having four abilities, just as there's nothing that demands her having three. I thought these four fit and made sense together, and we haven't had enough 4-ability planeswalkers. (I think Wizards is somewhat gun-shy due to the overpoweredness of JTMS, though I think that has more to do with his CMC of 4 than his having four abilities.)
DeleteI've had enough 4-ability planeswalkers, just speaking for myself.
DeleteThe mana ability is a neat callback to Noble Hierarch, but it doesn't synergize with any of Flavia's other abilities. Having more mana to cast the cards from her ultimate isn't necessary: She's drawing you lands and an ultimate shouldn't need help to be good.
Rebalancing. Her bottom three abilities synergize with exalted. I think this wants to be the exalted planeswalker, not the Generic Bant Planeswalker.
DeleteFlavia Tirel (mythic)
4G
Planeswalker - Flavia
+2: Put a 2/2 green Warrior creature token with exalted onto the battlefield.
-2: This turn, as long as exactly one creature is attacking, it has hexproof and trample and must be blocked by exactly one creature if able.
-8: You get an emblem with “Whenever a creature you control attacks alone, you may draw cards equal to its power.”
5
I contemplated "+1: Put a 0/1 green Human Druid creature token named Noble Hierarch onto the battlefield. It has exalted and "T: Add G, W, or U to your mana pool." Ultimately it felt way too wordy, even though it's got great spoiler appeal.
4G instead of 3GG so she'll fit better in three-color Bant decks.
I'm wary about the laser-like focus. In that sense, she seems comparable to Nissa Revane, which is not a good thing.
Deletethis current version starts with [boldface] 7!! [end boldface] loyalty!? holy crap! how the heck do you do enough damage to hurt this guy?
DeleteIt's true that Nissa was not well received. Let's look at her three abilities.
DeleteHer first ability does nothing if you have no cards named Nissa's Chosen.
Her second ability does nothing if you control no elves.
Her third ability does nothing if your deck has no elves.
So she's absolutely useless unless you specifically build around her. Flavia does things for you every single game, even if all it is is spitting out bears. Does she do better in some decks than others? Yes, but a card that goes in every deck that can run it is broken.
I like this new version a lot more.
DeleteTehWERR has a good point. Since you're on the Exalted plan, you intend to have lots of untapped creatures anyhow, so casting this, making another exalted bear and having a 7 loyalty planeswalker makes her basically unattackable.
Rebalancing again.
DeleteFlavia Tirel (mythic)
4G
Planeswalker - Flavia
+1: Put a 2/2 green Warrior creature token with exalted onto the battlefield.
-1: This turn, as long as exactly one creature is attacking, it has hexproof and trample and must be blocked by exactly one creature if able.
-6: You get an emblem with “Whenever a creature you control attacks alone, you may draw cards equal to its power.”
4
Planeswalker design is really hard.
DeleteA discovery all flourishing magic designers must learn the hard way. Whenever I scroll through mtgsalvation the planewalkers are always the most painful to look at... that said I sort of like the current version
DeleteUnmappable Lands 1GG
ReplyDeleteEnchantment
Play with the top card of your library revealed.
As long as the top card of your library is a forest, creatures your opponent control do not untap durring their untap phase.
Or rather:
DeleteUnmapable Lands 1GG
Enchantment (R)
Play with the top card of your library revealed.
As long as the top card of your library is a forest, creatures your opponents control do not untap durring their controler's untap phase.
A little Lost in the Woods? Fits the art well.
Deleteyep, that is the idea. It could even be lost in the woods.
DeleteBad News B
ReplyDeleteEnchantment -- Aura U
Enchant Creature
Morbid — At the beginning of each end step, if a creature died this turn, put a despair counter on enchanted creature.
Enchanted creature cannot attack or block if it has a despair counter on it.
To be slightly more top down it could have "if a creature controlled by the enchanted creatures controller died this turn" but that was a lot of text. I was also unsure whether this was white or black?
this is a white card, through and through... black rarely gets pacifisms effects. and while white rarely gets graveyard things, it does get them in graveyard sets (ones with morbid). it also tends to get them this way.
DeleteWhy does the creature accumulate multiple despair counters?
DeleteI assume the card was meant to have some way to lose despair counters (e.g. remove 1 at the beginning of each end step). In that case, the cleanest template might be:
DeleteEnchanted creature cannot attack or block if a creature died last turn.
Seems like a reasonably interesting and fun effect for {W}.
Crack the Code
ReplyDeleteU
Enchantment - Aura - Rare
Enchant creature
When Crack the Code enters the battlefield, tap enchanted creature.
Enchanted creature doesn't untap during its controller's untap step.
If enchanted creature untaps, sacrifice Crack the Code and its controller draws three cards.
I originally had this costed at UU, but I think it's way, way more exciting at U. Johnnies will see it as an Ancestral Recall while Spikes will see it as a Swords to Plowshares. I think the latter mode is far stronger than the former, but metagame considerations would keep it from being out of control.
Untapping being the sacrifice condition was meant to represent the "Eureka!" moment where the character jumps up, having solved the puzzle.
Flavor's really neat (similar to what I was thinking), and the gameplay is interesting.
DeleteAncestral Recall is way, way more exciting than Concentrate, but that doesn't make it better for the game. Both modes are worth 3-4 mana, and while there's a chance you could cast it on an opponent's creature and get blown our or cast it on your own and be 2-1'd, I think Crack is definitely worth more than {U}.
I assume that 'its controller' means the enchanted creature's controller, but that's not at all clear from the text! Is there a good way of re-wording to fix this?
DeleteOtherwise, very cool top-down card. It would take a lot of development-- I suspect the ETB: Tap clause would have to go-- but the Spike half is not as good as Swords / Path / Chained because it leaves many abilities intact, and the Johnny half is rarely better than "UU, Discard two cards: Draw three cards", which seems reasonable. So this is at least believable at U, but still interesting at UU.
Silent Contemplation 2W
ReplyDeleteSorcery (U)
You gain 4 life. Draw a card.
"Those who say our order promotes rigid-minded ignorance have never read our holy texts." -Phraina, Alabaster Paladin.
I like how this is a functional reprint of Reviving Dose... but not. oh and this could easily be a common!
DeleteVery clean, flavorful design. I second the proposal to make this into a common.
DeleteI don't want this to be common because I don't want it to be a deck in limited. I think uncommon is correct.
DeleteSylvan Study 4G
ReplyDeleteSorcery (U)
Gain 5 life. If you control a white creature, draw two cards.
Not sure I understand the story here.
DeleteIs white the color that should upgrade this green spell to draw cards?
The story is: you put down your knightly accoutrements (as all white creatures have) and sit on the forest floor to read. I was thinking of the Rhox Meditant model from the Conflux, but you're quite right that the colors are backwards. Let's change it to this:
DeleteSylvan Study 1G
Sorcery (C)
Untap target white creature and put a +1/+1 counter on it. You gain 5 life.
"The tranquility of deepest woods has brought peace to many a war-weary knight." - Sandrine D'Avenant
Of course, this card would only make sense in a multicolor set, but the art is pushing very strongly in that direction.
Better. Does it make sense that I can't target a green creature with Sylvan Study? What is it about being a white creature that makes you stronger when a planeswalker study sylvan...ly?
DeleteRuneclaw bears don't get much of a sense of inner peace from visiting the forest; that's where they live. It's specifically taking a break from the duties and obligations of civilization (i.e., white) that rejuvenates a creature.
DeleteReplace "white" with "nongreen," maybe?
DeleteYeah, I was considering that. "Nongreen" is more useful, but "white" sends out clearer deckbuilding signals to players. I could really go either way.
DeleteI see.
Delete"Retreat to Nature"
"Tranquil Respite"
"Nap in the Woods"?
I like Retreat to Nature. Let's go with that.
DeleteI actually think the origional version is the more eligant design. I could eisly see it part of a cycle
DeleteW
creatures you control get +1/+1 until end of turn
If you contol a blue creature, draw a card
2u
Tap up to two target creatures they don't untap durring their contollers next untap phases
If black creature... draw a card
3B
targets creature gets -3/-3 until end of turn
If red creature... draw a card.
2R
~ deals 3 dmg to each opponent.
If green... blah blah blah
Perhaps it would be better if they were all instants...
Depression 1UU
ReplyDeleteEnchantment
Enchant creature
When CARDNAME enters the battlefield, tap target creature.
Enchanted creature can not untap.
Is Claustrophobia not good enough?
DeleteThey functionally reprint cards with different flavor all the time.
DeleteThis is a strictly better Claustrophobia because it won't let the creature untap *ever*, not just during their untap step. You can't get around it with Hidden Strings, for example.
DeleteMissed that. Guessing it was just fast templating. Ant?
DeleteYou caught me Jay! haha wrote this fast on the bus. How about this:
DeleteContractual Obligation 2BB
Enchantment - Curse
Enchant Player
Whenever enchanted player casts a spell, that player must discard a card in addition to that spells cost.
oouch a targeted oppression? I've seen a lot of people bitch when I play it... but I like to see them squirm.
DeleteI would also word it as oppression does... where the opponent is allowed to cast the last card in their hand... mostly for balance reasons
Peace Accord (Common)
ReplyDeleteW
Instant
Cast Peace Accord only during an opponent’s turn.
Creatures can’t attack this turn or next turn.
“Which is worse for a warrior: death or peace?”
—Barktooth Warbeard
As you can see, I have Commander 2013 on the brain.
"Cast Peace Accord only during an opponent’s turn" could be "Cast CARDNAME before combat" if not for the multiplayer implications. But the flavor doesn't really fit when you use it in multiplayer...
DeleteWhat about this wording, following Stonehorn Dignitary:
Delete"Skip your next combat phase. Target opponent skips his or her next combat phase."
Or 'each.'
Delete@Jay I think the tenuous nature of peace accords works as a flavor in a 5 multiplayer game because treaties break all the time. Even over the course of a single round of turns. Does that make you an optimist and me an pessimist? It could always be renamed Detente if a french word doesn't scare you off.
Delete@lpaulsen and @jay My interest in the design is not that it stops everyone for a turn, but exactly that you have to choose who is affected and who isn't. If everyone can't attack it's a much less nunanced or strategic card. Plus, it's easier to break and turn into a Stasis style combo card, which doesn't interest me.
Banishment
ReplyDelete4W
Sorcery (Common)
Syphon 2 (As you cast this spell, tap up to two untapped lands you don’t control. Each land tapped this way reduces this spell’s cost by 1.)
Put target creature on the bottom of its owner’s library.
The non-syphon part makes sense. Syphon is a neat thing to explore, but I'm not sure how it would work: Wouldn't players just tap all their lands at the end of their turn? I'm not even sure you couldn't tap your lands in response to an opponent announcing this spell. Mana abilities are crazy.
DeleteWhen your opponent casts a spell with syphon, you do not get a chance to tap your lands in response because they tap your lands during the announcement of the spell, a time when you don't have permission to play mana abilities (you are not the active player and they have not passed priority).
DeleteSo we lose the ability to bluff instants because we tap our land at the end of our own turn to prevent our opponent from syphoning our land. Net benefit?
DeleteLetter from the Front
ReplyDeleteW
Sorcery (Uncommon)
Exile target creature you control. At the beginning of your next end step, return it to battlefield with two +1/+1 counters on it.
"Even the worst news can change the tide of battle."
A less broadly useful Otherworldly Journey, but one that still lets you do some fun things like protect your best creature from your own Wrath-effects.
The flavor's neat.
DeleteWould you print {W} Sorcery: Put two +1/+1 counters on target creature?
I'd certainly be wary of doing so. In this case, I feel that it's something development would be ok with, as the creature can't get the counters AND attack on the same turn. Coupled with it being sorcery-speed means that there's enough risk involved to necessitate the additional counter over Battlegrowth.
DeleteAmorous Letter R
ReplyDeleteSorcery (U)
Tap an untapped creature you control. Add to your mana pool X red mana, where X is that creature’s converted mana cost.
"Those words for her were so imbued with love and so passionate, that Passion itself burst out from her soul."
The flavor here is that the creature reads the letter sent by her lover, and becomes so romantic to literally radiate love, in form of Red mana, obviously.
I think the right rarity is uncommon, but it could be common based on battle hymn;
Regarding the speed of the card, I chose sorcery because this way I feel the card plays how it should, but maybe I'm overthinking about it, and it has to be an instant, like every other mana ritual I remember.
Flavor text is only for comprehension, I'm not english native so I couldn't do it, but in my mind it should at the same time be explicative, and poetic.
I like the flavor - after all, red's "emotion" slice of the color pie is largely untapped - but I'm not sure adding red mana is the right effect. Maybe drawing and discarding cards could feel like reading a letter?
DeleteAmorous Letter 3RR
Sorcery
Discard all the cards in your hand, then draw that many cards and add R to your mana pool for each card drawn this way.
I love how Emrakul has more love than anyone else.
DeleteImho they're equally valid possible design, hubatish; I like yours, too.
DeleteTehWERR, ahah, of course, BIG boy=BIG love :)
Awesome.
DeleteAnd sorcery is perfect. Other rituals have been sorceries.
It's not strictly better, but it is much better than Infernal Plunge...
DeleteYou're right, Jay. 1R (minimum) seems more fair as a cost. 1R shall be.
DeleteDying of Boredom 1R
ReplyDeleteEnchantment - Aura
At the beginning of the end step of enchanted creature's controller, CARDNAME deals damage to enchanted creature equal to the number of untapped creatures that player controls.
Common because it's so conditional, or uncommon because it's so different?
DeleteI was thinking common, though the wording did turn out super complicated..
DeleteMaybe it should be an uncommon or rare global enchantment?
Dying of Boredom 2R (R)
Enchantment
At the beginning of each player's end step, CARDNAME deals damage to that player equal to the number of untapped creatures he or she controls.
I think that loses some flavor but is probably a better design. I'll keep that as final.
"At the beginning of its controller's endstep, enchanted creature deals damage to itself equal to the number of untapped creatures its controller controls." ?
DeleteThis should not enchant a creature when it has no effect on the creature. This should either be global or a curse. Either way it should at least be a uncommon. But this card is cool
DeleteThis art really, really isn't monored or monoblack. White and green are both strong contenders. A case can be made for blue.
ReplyDeleteObscuration 1W
ReplyDeleteEnchantment (Common)
Landfall -- Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, you may pay W. If you do, tap target creature.
At first, I was going to make this blue, but, I'll be honest, I thought that the art clashed with a blue background. Fits well enough with white anyway, and possibly better.
News of Cease-Fire
ReplyDelete1WW
Sorcery
Skip all combat steps until the beginning of your next upkeep.
Might I also suggest a reprint seal of primodium? Not as my summision just a thought
ReplyDeleteRuminate G (C)
ReplyDeleteSorcery
Choose two target cards from your graveyard. Target opponent chooses one of them. Shuffle that card into your library and put the other into your hand.
Read the Will (C)
ReplyDelete1U
Sorcery
Play CARDNAME only if a creature you control has died this turn.
Draw two cards.
Morbid-draw two cards if blah blah blah
DeleteI didn't want it to be morbid because I wanted it to only be your creature. Also, I think your proposal would read very strangely to a new player (if you could cast the card and have it do nothing).
Delete