Weekend Art ChallengeGreetings, artisans! Click through to see this weekend's art and the design requirements for your single card submission, due Monday morning. Every submission warrants feedback, and everyone is encouraged to give feedback. You may use that feedback to revise your submission any number of times, though only the version rendered will be included in the review, if someone volunteers to render the cards.
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| m_a_t_h_e_s |
Design a card for one of these three illustrations that interacts in an interesting/novel way with Boomerang or other bounce effects. Specify which art you're using.
Thanks to fading shadows of a memory beloved for the challenge suggestion.
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| poibuts |
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| chyrssalis |
Make bounce a minor archetype with build around uncommons?
ReplyDeleteART #3 (Focused on the Figure not the wolf)
AEther Reaper 2UB
Creature - Elemental (Uncommon)
Whenever a permanent is returned to an opponents hand from the battlefield, that player discards a card.
3/2
Very reminiscent of Warped Devotion. This does a good job of enabling such an archetype, but I'm not convinced this is terribly fun for anyone playing against it. Since white (and to a lesser extent, green) get some self bounce, I'd probably look to build the archetype with one of them instead.
DeleteArt #1 by m_a_t_h_e_s
ReplyDeletePenumbra Reality 4UUBB
Instant (mythic)
Until the end of turn, permanents you control have "When this leaves the battlefield, put a token onto the battlefield as a copy of that permanent. That permanent is black in addition to its other colors."
As much as I wanted this to be green, it just wouldn't fit. Is 8 the right price for complete wrath/armageddon protection?
I love this! I was thinking something similar.
DeleteSudden Disapperance is much cheaper and does much more and is not Mythic.
DeleteNormally it's good to have cards that don't solve the whole puzzle, but mythics are the exception. When you read them, they should look awesome. This looks like a ludicrously expensive Fresh Meat, and it costs so much that even Johnny has a hard time using it. The two routes that stand out to me if you want to keep the core of the design would be:
Delete1. Make it an enchantment:
Second Chance 5UB
Enchantment (M)
Whenever a nontoken creature you control leaves the battlefield, put a token onto the battlefield that's a copy of that creature.
2. Solve itself:
Leave a Message 6UU
Instant (M)
Return each creature you control to its owner's hand. For each creature returned to its owner's hand this way, put a token onto the battlefield that's a copy of that creature.
Finally, the coloration clause seems really lost here. I get that it's referencing the vertical cycle from Apocalypse, but it just doesn't make any sense in a vacuum.
Why black and why the black color-changing effect?
DeleteThis could probably work as blue-green with some tweaks. I agree that 8 mana + another card just for wrath protection is a bit much, though.
I was going to submit an enchantment very similar to this;
DeleteWhenever a permanent you control would be returned to its owners hand exile it instead. If you do, put a token that's a copy of it onto the battlefield.
Well, back to the drawing board...
Art 2
ReplyDeleteNostalgia
2UU
Enchantment - Rare
Whenever a card is put into your hand but not drawn, draw a card.
~No matter the distance Narset traveled, Tarkir was never far from mind.~
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteAccidentally submitted part way through typing:
DeleteThis is pretty Johnny/Jenny, very Vorthos, and very cool. Probably some tweaking to do for templating and development, but I like it.
Nice tie-in to Narset Transcendent of Tarkir. I'd probably word it as an intervening-if clause: "Whenever a card is put into your hand, if it wasn't drawn, draw a card."
DeleteDoes this deliberately trigger off of stuff like Anticipate?
DeleteThis loops with some # of Dredge cards to just mill your whole deck, right? Probably not an issue at 2UU enchantment, but it's an interaction. Might want to check any other draw-replacement abilities for problematic loops, though.
DeleteTwo dredge cards is enough.
DeleteI think this is too technical to print. I think less than 10% of players can decide which things are and are not drawing cards.
I was going to suggest "Whenever a card is put int your hand from your library, if it wasn't drawn, draw a card" to avoid Dredge shenanigans, but I think Tommy may be right.
DeleteBack to the drawing (no pun intended) board...
Also, yes, this was intended to be an additional draw off of things like Anticipate, Sleight of Hand, Narset Transcendant's + ability, Demonic Tutor, etc. Basically anytime that something ends up in your hand and the text of the card doesn't say "Draw a card".
DeleteJust realized that my suggestion would also mean it no longer fulfills the challenge.
DeleteLeaving the original, ignoring that it's broken with Dredge since Dredge decks aren't looking to cast a 4 mana enchantment anyway, and hoping that "whenever a player draws a card" triggers existing mean that the opposite is intuitive enough upon playtesting.
Art #1
ReplyDeleteDistant Unicorn 3G
Creature - Unicorn (r)
Whenever a spell or ability an opponent controls causes a creature card to return to your hand, you may put ~ onto the battlefield.
1G: Until end of turn, ~ gains hexproof and all creatures able to block it do so.
4/4
This is an interesting route for a blue hoser, but the hexproof feels like its fighting for the same space as the first ability.
Delete"put CARDNAME onto the battlefield..." from where? If it's a hidden zone it won't trigger at all under current game rules.
DeleteThanks for pointing that out, Jenesis. Is "you may reveal ~ from your hand and put it onto the battlefield" sufficient, or do they need to be separate "if you do," actions?
DeleteBasically you can check for an event that's happened, but you can't force the window to put Unicorn into play to be right after the event. Czynski notes on Aura's card that the Qasali Ambusher template works decently well.
DeleteFor lack of a better solution, I'll go with:
DeleteAt the beginning of the end step, if a spell or ability an opponent controlled caused a creature to return to your hand this turn, you may reveal ~ from your hand and put it onto the battlefield.
Art #2
ReplyDeleteAether Mystic {U}{U}
Creature - Human Wizard
2/1 (Rare)
Whenever Aether Mystic would be put anywhere except into a graveyard from the battlefield, you may draw two cards.
Excellent against bounce/exiling effects. Encourages you to play such effects. Easy to kill, however, making it difficult to abuse (I hope). Would be good in a Limited format with many bounce/exiling effects.
Thoughts? Suggestions?
I'm not a templating guru, but I'd suggest "leaves the battlefield for anywhere other than the graveyard", maybe? Rare means even if you get some cool combos with this it hopefully shouldn't be too out there - I'd be equally or more content with this at UW or GU.
DeleteOther than rampant development concerns, I like this a lot. It's exciting for Johnny/Jenny and potentially a metagame card for a Constructed format with too many Swords to Plowshares.
Delete"Whenever CARDNAME leaves the battlefield, if it wasn't put into a graveyard (this way?), draw two cards" is how I'd word it.
DeleteInteresting way to hose your opponent's Rest in Peace.
Or perhaps even "Whenever CARDNAME leaves the battlefield, if it didn't die"? :)
DeleteWith poibuts art:
ReplyDeleteScrying Monk 3U
Creature - Monk (C)
When ~ enters the battlefield, you may return and instant or sorcery card from your graveyard to your hand. If you do, discard a card.
2/4
The Archeomancer/Unsummon interaction is a good one, and I love how cleanly this allowed for a bigger body by tying the Call to Mind effect into blue's looting.
DeleteOther than having "scry" in the name of a card without the scry mechanic, I quite like this very clean common.
DeleteThey seem to go back and forth about how big a deal that kind of thing is. I'm far more offended by Ambush Krotiq.
DeleteThat said, I have no aversion to changing the name to something like Forgotten Augur.
To address the name concern I'll make my official submission:
DeleteNovice Archeomancer 3U
Creature - Monk (C)
When ~ enters the battlefield, you may return and instant or sorcery card from your graveyard to your hand. If you do, discard a card.
2/4
Art #2.
ReplyDeleteAnicia, Voice of the Ancestors (mythic)
2UU
Legendary Creature - Human Wizard
When CARDNAME enters the battlefield, instant spells and sorcery spells you cast this turn gain "Draw three cards."
Discard three cards: Return CARDNAME to its owner's hand.
1/3
This has some Johnny/Jenny potential, but I'm not convinced that it needs to read as strangely as it does. We could go for a dangerous Storm wording like "When ~ enters the battlefield, draw a card for each spell you've cast this turn." or have it sit in play and trigger rather than create weird effects that last the turn and let it synergize with Unsummon when you unsummon some other cheap creature and recast it.
DeleteThe trigger is worded that way for two reasons:
Delete1) "It turns all your spells into Ancestral Recall" is cool
2) You can then discard the cards you just drew and bounce her, then cast her again, and each time you do this it triggers again. So if you bounce her twice (and are fine paying {4}{U}{U}{U}{U} and discarding three cards as a cost) then you get six cards from the next spell you cast.
This is a bit too much of a stretch for me to view it as "Turns your spells into Ancestral Recall."
DeleteI also think this has too many moving pieces. It is an interesting start, but I think it needs more iteration.
Rival of Swarms 3G
ReplyDelete[First Art]
Creature-Unicorn (U)
Whenever CARDNAME attacks, it gets +2/+2 until end of turn for each untapped creature defending player controls.
2/2
Bounce allows it to get a bonus and still go unblocked or grow big enough to best a single blocker, and then eat it when it's double blocked and you bounce the other. Bouncing an attacker also means that in order to get it back out your opponent will have to let you get a bonus from it for one more turn.
I love this answer.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteÆther Tuner 1RR
ReplyDeleteCreature - Human Shaman (R)
First strike
Whenever a permanent is returned from the battlefield to your hand by a spell or ability an opponent controls and Æther Tuner is in your hand, you may put it onto the battlefield. If you do, it deals 2 damage to that spell or ability’s controller.
3/2
I'm not entirely sure on the wording of this, but it's for the poibuts art.
This is incredibly wordy. Does it need first strike?
DeleteAs with my comment to Pasteur, as the hand is a hidden zone it won't trigger at all under current game rules unless you make it be revealed by some other means beforehand.
The first strike is relevant to make it more palatable to hard-cast if you can't trigger it. Would "you may reveal Æther Tuner from your hand and put it onto the battlefield" work?
DeleteI think you need something like the wording on the traps, plus the ability to cast it as though it had flash. Ugly.
DeleteI would strike the "it deals 2 damage" line of text since it does not add much to the card and makes the textbox way longer.
Use the Qasali Ambusher template, it's not too bad.
DeleteÆther Tuner 1RR
DeleteCreature - Human Shaman (U)
First strike
If a permanent was returned from the battlefield to your hand by a spell or ability an opponent controls this turn, you may cast Æther Tuner without paying its mana cost and as though it had flash.
3/2
It's probably OK at uncommon after it loses the 2 damage clause?
Reads like a Rare to me, for sure. Also, 3 power first strikes for 3 that can block almost never appear below rare. (I've checked, and by "almost never" apparently I mean it happened once, in Urza's Saga, and that card had echo.)
DeleteI'll do the renders this week. For Art #2:
ReplyDeleteAEther Banisher WU
Creature - Human Wizard
If a creature card that isn't on the battlefield, spell, or permanent would be put into a player's hand from anywhere other than his or her library, exile it instead.
2/2
I believe this interacts properly with face-down exile and whatnot, since face-down cards not on the battlefield don't have any characteristics.
Just realized that having to repeat "creature" 3 times would make it far too wordy. Cleaned up version:
DeleteAEther Banisher WU
Creature - Human Wizard (R)
If a card that isn’t on the battlefield, spell, or permanent would be put into a player’s hand from anywhere other than his or her library, exile it instead.
2/2
Can you not just say "If a card would enter a player's hand from a zone other than their library, exile it instead"?
DeleteRegardless of templating razzmatazz I'm a big fan of this. I think, though, that like Containment Priest and other creatures with this kind of ability it should have Flash.
Also some annoying rules fiddliness with how this interacts with Antipate, etc, but unlike the other design I made this comment about, this one does interact the correct way with anticipate.
Though I love the hate bear angle of this, effectively shutting off people's Disentombs etc, I don't love the "Your Silent Departures are now Swords to Plowshares" angle. Last time WOTC printed that it cost 6 and didn't come attached to a creature. I'd prefer this be a hatebear.
What's the 6 mana card you're referring to?
DeleteAlso the wording is borrowed from Painter's Servant, presumably to line up with the wording on cards that only refer to a specific zone ("nontoken permanent" in play vs "permanent card" in graveyard for example).
DeleteDismiss into Dream, although I clearly misremembered since it cost 7.
DeleteArt # 2
ReplyDeleteCollected Thoughts 2UU
Instant (Common)
Recoil 2U (You may cast this for its recoil cost if a card was put into your hand from the battlefield this turn.)
Draw two cards.
I have a really hard time imagining the block that justifies this as a keyword.
DeleteI also think the difference between 2U and 2UU is far too small to make this appealing. I'd want the discount to be at least 2 mana.
I also wish there was some connection between something returning to your hand and the effect. I'd much rather see this on something like a (fairly costed) Show and Tell so that if they bounce something you can cheaply put it back.
That's a good question. I see a higher than normal number of bounce spells (Boomerang, Unsummon) in blue including cards like Peel from Reality and Quicksilver Geyser. Perhaps a return to Planar Chaos "return target creature an opponent controls to its owner's hand" in red and "return a creature you control to its owner's hand" in white. Man-o'-War/Mist Raven variants. Gating creatures like Dream Stalker and Kor Skyfisher. Combat damage triggers like Cephalid Constable and Sigil of Sleep. And Karoo lands.
DeleteI agree that the difference is too small. I was trying to be conservative. The mana cost was originally 3U, but I didn't want a strictly better Inspiration. I could see a recoil cost of UU or even 1U.
I have a Counterspell variant (hard counter) with a mana cost of 1UU and a recoil cost of UU.
I don't think it is usually a good idea to combine something that costs mana (bouncing) with a cost reduction effect, though I think you can certainly make 1-3 cards spread over a block that care about bouncing and let Jenny put them together.
DeleteYou're not paying mana on bouncing if your opponent is bouncing your stuff? Or if your Karoo land is bouncing for free?
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteShepherd of Boundaries {2}{W}
ReplyDeleteCreature - Spirit (Rare)
Flying
Whenever a creature leaves the battlefield, put a +1/+1 counter on Boundary Spirit. If that creature died, instead remove all +1/+1 counters from Boundary Spirit.
2/2
The third art, preferably cropped to exclude the wolf.
Art #2
ReplyDeleteSpell Jinx U
Enchantment (Unc)
When CARDNAME enters the battlefield, name a card.
Spells with the chosen name cost an additional 3 to cast.
Costing one mana and drawing a card is just about the smallest cost you can make this, but I think the effect is worth more than this. Maybe make the card draw an activated sacrifice effect? Costing 3 more is a good tempo play turn one, but doesn't do much late; whereas paying mana to draw cards is the reverse.
DeleteI like the effect!
I've mulled it over, and I don't think it needs to cantrip. There could be other versions that do, but I'm certain this is worth a card and a mana.
DeleteSure it's probably a bad (not strictly dead) draw on turn 7, but so is mana leak
3rd Art (again, hopefully cropping the Wolf)
ReplyDeleteKrasdam, Lord of the Different Dimension
Legendary Creature- Human Spirit4WBU
3/6
Flying
Whenever a creature you control is targeted by a spell or ability, exile that card then return it to play under it's owner's control
Whenever a creature you don't control leaves play, you may return that creature to play under your control.
Whenever a creature is sent to the graveyard or would leave the graveyard, you may have that creature enter the battlefield under your control instead.
Too many abilities: I would simplify
DeleteThis is two or three cards rolled into one. I'd pick one of these three things and cut the rest
DeleteAbsolutely every part of this card is packed with text, with 10 lines in the text box alone. If two of these are in play, targeting anyone's creature with a spell results in Krasdam's first ability blinking it, then the opponent's Krasdam trying to make it ETB under their control, to say nothing of trying to splice a triggered ability onto a replacement effect in the last ability...
DeleteNo one enjoys having to read a card multiple times just to figure out how it works.
Prolly want to fix it by removing the last clause and replacing the put it into play under your control as "place a token into play under your control that is a copy of that creature"
DeleteArt #1
ReplyDeleteGoing with something simple that breaks quite a few rules. Is pretty similar to Kevin Gao's - basically can we make a creature that doesn't leave the battlefield ever? Mine is not actually that interesting though.
Resolute Unicorn 4W
Creature - Unicorn
CARDNAME cannot leave the battlefield.
CARDNAME cannot be sacrified.
Lifelink
3/1
Oh yeah, toughness less than 0 sounds bad though. Fixing that:
DeleteResolute Unicorn 4W
Creature - Unicorn
As long as CARDNAME's toughness is greater than 0, CARDNAME cannot leave the battlefield.
CARDNAME cannot be sacrified.
Lifelink
3/1
Rarity? I'm inclined to say rare, but that is a really small statline for its mana cost.
DeleteI think toughness less than 0 should be OK. The only thing the game rules use it for is to determine whether a creature dies (i.e. has more damage on it than its toughness) and in your case you don't want that to happen anyway. I prefer your original template, plus maybe some reminder text to make clear that it includes lethal damage and 0 or less toughness.
DeleteFaerie Infestation 1UB
ReplyDeleteEnchantment (R)
Mana produced by Forests can't be used to cast creature spells.
Art 1, cropped to the tree
It has been a long time since WOTC printed color hosing this strong. Also, I think "Green mana" is more elegant to say than "Mana produced by Forests" and has a similar (albeit not quite the same) effect.
DeleteYeah, I think that it'd need a higher mana cost at the very least.
Delete"Green mana" is actually more confusing. If I had a Tarmogoyf that I was casting and I tapped a Llanowar Wastes and a Forest for it, could I cast it if I took a point of damage for the green from the wastes?
I don't understand the confusion. I'm suggesting the line "Green mana can't be used to cast creature spells," since it avoids tracking the source of the mana (which is incredibly tedious and confusing, especially on MTGO, and MTGO has bugs related to this they have not fixed for years).
DeleteI would gamble more beginners interpret this correctly than what "mana produced by forests" means.
How about a negative interaction?
ReplyDeleteCelestial Unicorn 2WW
Creature- Unicorn (Uncommon)
2/2
Vigilance, lifelink
Discover-- CARDNAME enters the battlefield with two +1/+1 counters on it if it's the first spell named CARDNAME you've cast this game.
(Art #1)
This might be a tricky mechanic to develop since all the Constructed-playable cards with it are likely to be Limited bombs. But at the correct power level, I'm hoping that this would be a positive spin on encouraging players to run 1-2 of a card rather than as many as possible. Also, blue removal (bounce and top-of-library) gets much better against these guys.
the real issue aside from limited balancing is the damn memory issues. Keeping track of every spell you have cast is super painful if someone casts AEtherspouts
DeleteRenders have been mocked up and emailed to Jay.
ReplyDelete