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.
Design a card for this art. For additional challenge, choose a specific card that is or was recently dominating Standard, and make your card a good sideboard answer to it.
Thanks to Anastase for the challenge idea.
Baleful Strix is perfect, but too strong for standard. Along those lines, good answer to various Elder Dragons:
ReplyDeleteNightwing Strix 1UB
Artifact Creature - Bird Uncommon
Flying, Hexproof, Deathtouch
2/1
Why is this an artifact?
DeleteDefinitely seems strong in Limited, but it will almost never survive combat unless there's a good Aura theme running around, so seems fine at uncommon.
Consistency, the 3 other strixs are all artifacts. It's not really necessary to the card.
DeleteMajestic Sentinel 1WW
ReplyDeleteCreature - Bird (R)
Flash, flying
When Majestic Sentinel enters the battlefield, player's life totals can't change until end of turn.
2/1
"It is watcher and warden both." - Ser Garth, knight of Oakendale
Answer to Siege Rhino I take it? Love it! Also has utility against red decks. Would this be too strong at 2/2? Getting to surprise block a 1/1 in combat and survive doesn't seem too strong for a rare (and is a risk in itself, as if you let it through unblocked it won't deal damage; right now it screams "never block with me").
DeleteI feel like a lot of these submissions could use being 2/2s. Esp. if they're likely to be played in control deckd.
DeleteStrict Strix
ReplyDeleteUW
Artifact Creature - Bird (R)
Flying
Spells may only be cast for their mana cost. (Alternative costs and effects that would alter a spell's cost are ignored.)
2/1
I'm not sure this would work, but the idea would be to disable Delve (and Convoke) in Standard, while incidentally being a countermeasure to stuff like Trinisphere in Legacy.
This is an attractive hatebear. Funny that it counteracts Thalia, but definitely not a problem.
DeleteQuestion: would this disable additional costs? (Like sacrificing creatures to Bone Splinters.)
DeleteThat wouldn't really be my intent, but I'm not sure how to disentangle mana costs from overall costs in the rules text.
Why is this an artifact?
DeleteRight now I don't believe the game distinguishes between Bone Splinters, Devouring Greed, and Primal Growth's kicker; they're all an additional cost of sacrificing a creature.
If you wanted "Players can't pay alternative costs.
Players must use mana to pay a mana cost." then you'd hit Delve, Convoke, and FoW, but not 3Ball.
So... as written it would negate additional costs as well?
DeleteI wonder if that pushes it out of white a bit.
And no real reason for it to be an artifact, other than Strix seem to be a species of owl specific to Esper. (And it's a strix for the sake of wordplay.)
"Strix" is just a Greek word that means "owl." It's not specific to MTG. (Striges would actually fit right in on Theros, if so many of the small flier slots weren't already taken up by sirens and harpies.)
DeleteNegating additional costs seems perfectly white to me, as the highest number of (monocolored) cards with "additional" in their rules text are in black and red, white's enemies.
If this is to be played in the same deck as Silumgar's Scorn hitting additional costs would seem counterproductive.
I'm saying that in multiverse of Magic we only know of strix as being from Esper, otherwise they seem to call an owl an owl (as seen on Ringwarden Owl).
DeleteAnd my question regarding the color of canceling additional costs is that most additional costs are negative effects. So this would more often than not help White's enemies.
If you want to keep the word "strix," it makes more sense to migrate the word out of Esper than to try to justify a feathered animal in a snowy environment as being an artifact creature from Esper.
DeleteSeems to be a mixed bag whether it helps red/black or not. Effects like Bone Splinters get better, but effects that scale with creature(s) sacc'ed, life paid, etc. like Fling and Hatred become unplayable.
Another way is to make it one-sided:
Effects your opponents control can't cause players to pay additional or alternative costs. (This includes the additional or alternative costs of a spell currently being cast.)
That way Thalia et al still works.
Aiming this to fight the Deathmist Raptor/Den Protector engine that is currently running amok in Standard
ReplyDeleteSpectral Predator
UUB
Creature - Spirit Bird (R)
Flying, Pro Green
Whenever a card leaves an opponent's graveyard, if ~ is in your hand or graveyard, put it onto the battlefield
3/1
Editing to work within the rules (because I forgot cards couldn't trigger in hidden zones) and adjusting accordingly.
DeleteSpectral Predator
2UB
Creature - Spirit Bird (R)
Flying, Flash, Pro Green
If a card has left an opponent's graveyard this turn, you may cast ~ from your hand or graveyard without paying its mana cost.
3/1
Owlswell 1U
ReplyDeleteInstant
Whenever a nontoken creature would enter the battlefield this turn, its controller exiles it and puts a 1/1 blue Bird creature token onto the battlefield.
If the exiled creature was red or green, put a 1/1 blue Bird creature token onto the battlefield under your control.
Targetting Siege Rhino, but there's definitely some splash damage. Do you think this is exactly the sort of color hoser that we're trying to get away from, or a reasonable way to show the color relationships?
If you're going after Siege Rhino with this I would suggest changing the wording to make it a replacement effect ala Gather Specimens as opposed to a trigger. That way you avoid feel bads when you have this in your hand and an opponent casts a Siege Rhino and the Rhino trigger deals lethal damage.
DeleteEdit: Fixed a typo
Quite so.
DeleteOwlswell 1U
Instant (u)
Counter target creature spell. Its controller puts a 1/1 blue Bird creature token with flying onto the battlefield.
If the creature was red or green, put a 1/1 blue Bird creature token with flying onto the battlefield under your control instead.
That's great! I really like this redesign.
DeleteJeskai Ascendancy combo decks never really took off because of Thoughtseize. Let's give blue combo decks a sideboard answer to Thoughtseize, and preferably one that synergizes well with Jeskai Ascendancy.
ReplyDeleteJeskai Starwatcher (uncommon)
1U
Creature - Bird
Flying, prowess
If a spell or ability an opponent controls would cause you to discard one or more cards, and CARDNAME is in your hand, you may put CARDNAME onto the battlefield instead.
1/2
(watermark: Jeskai)
The Thoughtseize counter is a solid upgrade over what green gets, in exchange for a worse body. The prowess probably isn't necessary once you have Ascension in play and can go off with as many iterations as needed. I guess it makes it look not strictly worse than Storm Crow in Limited. I might give it hexproof instead, but realistically, who feels good about spending yet another card on a 1/2 that already ate a card? Solid stuff all around.
DeleteIs there a way to PM people?
ReplyDeleteNot that I know of? Thanks for the question!
DeleteIf you need to PM any of the "artisans", you can use our twitter accounts to do so (as linked in the sidebar).
DeleteBut strangely enough, blogger does not seem to have any sort of PM function.
Hoar-Frost Owl 2UB
ReplyDeleteCreature - Bird (R)
Flying
Whenever a card enters the battlefield from an opponent’s library, he or she loses 2 life.
Whenever an opponent shuffles his or her library, he or she loses 2 life.
2/3
This is targeted squarely at Courser of Kruphix, being able to attack over it, block it if needed, and counteract the reveal-fetch card advantage engine with gobs of life loss. It also potentially has utility against the GW Whisperwood/Mastery engine (though it can block manifests, it probably doesn't go far enough to counteract Nykthos's mana production and thus life gain) and CoCo in aggro green decks like Elves.
If this specifically meant to target Courser then I would drop the mana cost to 1UB and make it a 1/3. It wouldn't be as good in combat, but that way it can enter play before Courser has gained any value no matter if you're on the play or the draw
DeleteWould this be playable in not-Standard formats at 1UB 1/3?
DeleteIt's not as important in not-Standard formats since it's being used as a specific scalpel to hit an effect in Standard. Technically Courser does see play in Modern, but it's fringe at best.
DeleteGather Specimens 3UUU
ReplyDeleteInstant
If a creature would enter the battlefield under an opponent's control this turn, it enters the battlefield under your control instead.
I don't think this art actually works for that. To be fair, I don't think the original art worked for that card.
DeleteSilent Frostwing WU
ReplyDeleteCreature- Bird (Rare)
2/1
Flying
Attacking doesn't cause abilities to trigger.
Sideboard card against Red strategies that run creatures like Rabblemaster and Heelcutter.
Not sure how best to make clear that the ability refers to *anything* attacking, not just Silent Frostwing.
Delete"Creatures attacking don't..." like Torpor Orb?
DeleteGood call. I was consciously avoiding writing the Torpor Orb ability but didn't think to check the wording there.
DeleteNew text:
DeleteFlying
Creatures attacking don't cause abilities to trigger.
Predicting Owl 2U
ReplyDeleteCreature - Owl (uncommon?/rare?)
Flying
At the begining of each opponent's draw step, name a card. That opponent can choose to reveal the card he draws. Draw a card if he chooes not to reveal the card he drew, or if the card revealed is the named card.
1/1
If anyone can help me clean up the word templating I would really like appreciate it. This is supposed to be useful against Courser of Kruphix.
Hrmm...
DeleteIf an opponent would draw the first card he or she draws in each of his or her draw steps, instead you name a card, then that opponent draws a card. He or she may reveal it. Unless he or she reveals a card that isn't the named card, draw a card.
Coming up with this wording was... interesting enough that I'd kick it straight into rare.
Yes, probably. Thank you very much for this!
DeleteI adopt this wording. But if it is to be a rare, it should probably have better casting cost/stats:
Predicting Owl {1}{U}
Creature - Owl (uncommon?/rare?)
Flying
If an opponent would draw the first card he or she draws in each of his or her draw steps, instead you name a card, then that opponent draws a card. He or she may reveal it. Unless he or she reveals a card that isn't the named card, draw a card.
2/2
I think the reveal is unnecessary and makes the card more difficult to parse. I'm not sure how strong a 2/2 flyer that makes your opponent reveal a card is, but I don't think it's too powerful
DeleteIndeed, it would simplify things:
DeleteV3:
Predicting Owl 1U
Creature - Owl (rare)
Flying
If an opponent would draw the first card he or she draws in each of his or her draw steps, instead you name a card, then that opponent draws a card and reveals it. If the card revealed is the card you named, draw a card.
2/2
Ancient Owl 2U
ReplyDeleteCreature -- Bird (R)
Flash; Flying
When ~ ETBs counter target multicolor spell.
2/1
Stalking Owl 1U
ReplyDeleteCreature - Bird (Uncommon)
Flying
Prowess (Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, this creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.)
Whenever Stalking Owl attacks, scry 1. (Look at the top card of your library. You may put that card on the bottom of your library.)
1/1
Sigiled Skink and Augury Owl had a baby. Adorable.
DeleteFor what it's with I prefer this without Prowess at Common.
It started out as a common without prowess but felt like it needed a little more oomph. Augury Owl gets you scry 3 up front.
DeleteIt is easier to keep pinging with an evasive 1/1 than to keep attacking with a goblin piker.
DeleteI think Sigiled Starfish shows Scrying every turn is more than enough oomph.
DeleteOkay, my final submission is:
DeleteStalking Owl 1U
Creature - Bird (Common)
Flying
Whenever Stalking Owl attacks, scry 1. (Look at the top card of your library. You may put that card on the bottom of your library.)
1/1
Descent of the Nighthunter 1BU
ReplyDeleteInstant (U)
Tap target creature.
Target player sacrifices a tapped creature they control.
Deathgazer 2WB
ReplyDelete(r)
Flying
Whenever an creature would enter the battlefiel from the graveyard, exile it instead
His gaze frightens the dead, as it turns their bones to dust
2/2
Needles to say, it hoses deathmist raptor and whip
Not shooting for the bonus this time, as the art reads too plain to me to do anything with it (Don't get me wrong, I like a number of the above designs. To me the art just isn't that, well, magical):
ReplyDeleteLurking Owl 2U
Creature - Bird (U)
Flying
As long as it's not your turn, Lurking Owl has hexproof.
2/1
I'm not sold on the name. Feedback appreciated as always.
I love sideboard cards! The question is though, should sideboard cards be maindeckable? And what deck wants to play them? A lot of cards can theoretically fit into a white weenies strategy, but I think the current white weenies strategy is Jeskai Midrange or Abzan Midrange (the currently best deck).
ReplyDeleteHere's something with incidental graveyard hate, which seems pretty strong against Den Protector, and fine against Delve, and could maybe be played in Jeskai tokens.
Bury in Snow 2W
Instant (Uncommon)
Exile two cards from a graveyard.
Put two 1/1 flyers onto the battlefield under your control.
Wanted to fit tapping in for flavor, but tokens fit better with art.
Renders are up!
ReplyDeleteDamn! Thank you paster for the renders but I am sad I did not get to update my submission one last time!
ReplyDeleteI did do it pretty early this time around!
DeleteAnybody who needs to update their cards, I'll make another pass of renders this evening and see whether we can confuse Jay enough.