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.
Debt Confessional (rare)
ReplyDeleteLand
{T}: Add {1} to your mana pool.
{1}, {T}: Add {W}{B} to your mana pool.
(Watermark: Orzhov)
I haven't done all the math, but this seems crazy good. As a Melvin I love it, though, so I kind of hope it's printable. Maybe delete the first ability, to dial back the power slightly and make it a direct call-back to the Signets?
DeleteThis is like an in-between of the Skycloud Expanse cycle from Odyssey and the filterlands from Lorwyn/Shadowmoor. I'd say it's fine at rare, and may even be better in 5-color decks because you can filter one off-color into two on-colors.
DeleteOops... I totally forgot about those cycles, and didn't think to check!
DeleteAs Jenesis said, this is not strictly worse than the Shadowmoor lands and is probably better in some cases, especially since you don't have to worry so much about drawing multiples.
Yeah, I've seen this design suggested a few times, and I think this is likely fine at rare. Not a good as the Mystic Gate for splashing a WW card in a WU deck, but much better for casting a WB card in a 3-5 colour deck. Better than the Skycloud Expanse cycle, but those were always fairly fiddly and never hugely powerful.
DeleteI'm not sure this is a worse choice than Fetid Heath even in a 2-color deck. An opening hand of two Debt Confessionals lets you make {W}{B} on turn 2, whereas two Fetid Heaths only gets you {2} on turn 2.
DeleteMy biggest concern with a card like this is how poorly signets play on MODO. That said, I often make cards that aren't ideal with the current online digital interface, and we have to wonder whether that's something R&D takes into considerations (or whether the interface could actually just be fixed).
DeleteDusty Apothecary
ReplyDeleteLand (U)
T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
T, Tap an untapped creature you control: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool.
The ingredients still linger. All they require is somebody to use them.
Springleaf Drum on a land? Sure, it's bound to happen at some point.
DeleteAm I correct in assuming that only half the art will fit in the card frame?
ReplyDeleteI will say "probably". For the two entries above, I'd probably focus on the top half and bottom half of the image, respectively. But this art would also work pretty well for some of the other nontraditional cards - extended art lands, both arts for a split/fuse card, or tokens. I'm tempted to put this in the Future Sight frame, because it actually is very generous to the art compared to the normal Magic one.
DeleteI'm afraid I can't properly render Schemes, but if someone wanted to submit one, I'm sure we could read it in a different format.
I posted an image of my scheme on Twitter if you want to grab it there. @WUBRG
DeleteDesolate Chapel
ReplyDeleteLand, rare
{T}: Add {W} to your mana pool. If a creature died this turn, add {B} instead.
I envisage this as one of a five-card cycle, something like River of Tears - each one taps for mana of one colour normally but another under some condition.
The downside to this particular entry in the cycle is that most kill spells that kill rather than exile are B rather than W.
I like this. Somewhat more difficult to control than River of Tears, but that's probably for the best.
DeleteI assume you're against just reversing the colors, for flavor reasons?
Obligatory possible reprint:
ReplyDeleteStensia Bloodhall
Lane (R)
T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
3BR, T: Stensia Bloodhall deals 2 damage to target player.
The revelry ends when the supply of fresh ingenues runs dry.
I'll think of an actual card later and put it up in the replies.
Necro-Alchemist's Laboratory 2UB
DeleteEnchantment (U)
2UB, Exile a creature card from your graveyard: Put a 2/2 black Zombie creature token onto the battlefield.
Meant to be the UB draft-around uncommon in Return to Innistrad. Should have cool flavortext but I'm tired.
Feedback appreciated as always.
Should the token enter tapped? Only have a sorcery activation?
DeleteI like the token entering the battlefield tapped. You can still save your mana for the opponent's EOT, but not mess with combat, and it's only one additional word.
DeleteThinking about how cheap Moorland Haunt is, I think this could be cheaper one direction or the other. Outside of Innistrad, I would just take the blue out of it, but maybe pushing the stitching theme would work better - "exile two creature cards from your graveyard: get two 2/2 tokens"? But that story might be too muddled without the art to sell it.
Final (cheaper and tapped):
DeleteNecro-Alchemist's Laboratory UB
Enchantment (U)
2UB, Exile a creature card from your graveyard: Put a 2/2 black Zombie creature token onto the battlefield tapped.
I didn't want to make a land for this art... it seems to call for something more actively ominous. How about:
ReplyDeleteMidnight Dreary UB
Enchantment
As CARDNAME enters the battlefield, search your library for a card and exile it face down.
Whenever another player casts a spell, you may reveal the exiled card. If it's a spell with the same converted mana cost, you may cast it immediately without paying its mana cost.
Rare, of course.
DeleteIs it Vorthos of me to be disappointed that this is a nonbo with Nevermore?
Haruspex's Workroom
ReplyDeleteLand
T: Add 1 to your mama pool.
UB, T, Exile X creature cards from your graveyard: scry X.
I wanted something that fit how the art looked to me, and this seemed to work. I was going to make it a permanent, but it felt more natural with a colored cost and tap activation and neither artifact or enchantment quite works.
I considered making a new type of land, one that doesn't produce mana but all have an ability you can pay to bypass the land drop. That way it's easier to produce things that thematically want to be lands but act more like a spell. But I didn't have it designed well enough yet so I decided to leave it off this card.
The Archenemy Scheme's are a separate card file type, not just a Magic frame. Sorry about that, whomever does the renders.
ReplyDeleteYou're All Being Written Out
Scheme
When you set this scheme in motion, exile target creature. Search each opponent’s graveyard, hand, and library for all cards with the same name as that creature and exile them. Then those players shuffle their libraries.
“I’ve scripted the final act. We won’t need extras.”
Art focus: The table, pen and parchment.
DeleteNecromancer’s Refuge 3BB
ReplyDeleteEnchantment (Rare)
Zombie creatures you control get +1/+1 and have menace.
Whenever you cast a spell, you may return a Zombie card at random from your graveyard to your hand.
Nifty. Menace is a great flavor fit and does good work on a giant horde of 2/2 (well, 3/3) tokens.
DeleteWhy "cast a spell"? This lets you recycle your Zombies pretty much indefinitely, since the Zombies you bring back set up the triggers for the next round of reanimations.
Cast *a spell*. Yow. But yes, for a 5-mana rare enchantment seems probably fine. Cf Necromancer's Covenant, which costs {W} more but gives you the zombies all up front rather than gradually.
DeleteInterestingly, I also got an Innistrad vibe from the art, I originally called it Gisa's Laboratory. (It also has a callback to Ghoulraiser)
DeleteIt is "when you cast any spell" because you, the necromancer, are most powerful and have anything you need in your home-lab. I could see changed to other triggers (creatures?), but I like it as is.
Melvin wishes the two lines of rules text shared more in common than a creature type.
DeleteGeralf's Workshop
ReplyDeleteLand (R)
Geralf's Workshop enters the battlefield tapped.
T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
3UB, T: Each player puts the top two cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard. Then, if a creature card was put into a graveyard from anywhere this turn, put a 3/4 blue zombie token onto the battlefield tapped.
Considered having the size of the token be variable dependent on the size of the creature card, but that seemed needlessly wordy.
DeleteThis seems very very strong to me; it is comparable to WWK Manlands, and it is probably better.
DeleteI like that someone else also went Innistrad on this.
DeleteI'm with P, this is very strong. Why not just "if a creature is put into a graveyard this way" instead of from anywhere?
This is definitely an effect I would rather see on a spell than a land.
DeleteIts put into a graveyard from anywhere so that it plays nice with Morbid.
DeleteChanged to be a 2/3 blue and black zombie.
Also, legendary.
Delete@Lee. I forgot to say I like the design :)
DeleteLegendary the land or the token?
The land :)
DeleteIf no one has already taken the task, I'll do the renders this week.
ReplyDeleteDo you have the scheme template for MSE? If not, let me know and I'll do the render for Nich's submission.
DeleteThanks, Zefferal, I have it. I'm a bit of a junkie for MSE templates :)
DeleteNo Worries Atoll. I only download them as I need them, but that's one I happen to have.
DeleteSorry about the extra work. Thank you!
DeleteStichers Lab 2BB
ReplyDeleteEnchantment (U)
Whenever a creature you control dies, you may pay 1B. If you do, exile that card and put a 2/2 black zombie token onto the battlefield tapped.
I approve (see my design above).
DeleteCompared to Golgari Germination, {1}{B} feels steep for this effect. Probably should only trigger on nontoken deaths.
DeleteCastle of Curios
ReplyDeleteLand (u)
T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
When CARDNAME enters the battlefield, discard a card, then draw a card.
If I can request the Future Sight frame for this one – I just think it looks pretty cool with this art, because you can frame the window, the light fixture, and the rats all within the aperture.
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThis feels reasonable! I wonder if draw-then-discard wouldn't be too good? Colorless land isn't terribly useful on its own.
DeleteI think you're right - plus, drawing before discarding makes it stronger in fair decks and weaker for first-turn dredge shenanigans. The untapped-and-colorless part might write this off into casual-land, but it helps stop any T1 Reanimate shenanigans or anything like that, while still hopefully letting you play real spells on curve.
DeleteChanging the submission to "When CARDNAME enters the battlefield, you may draw a card, then discard a card."
Vacant Laboratory- 3UU
ReplyDeleteEnchantment- Rare
As long as you control no creatures, you may cast the first card you draw a turn without paying mana cost until end of turn.
If I could also get the Future Sight frame, for the same reasons as above, that would greatly be appreciated.
Hmm. "When you draw the first card you draw a turn, if you control no creatures, reveal it. You may cast that card without paying its mana cost this turn." ?
DeleteI might go with "As long as you control no creatures, you may cast nonland cards from your hand without paying their mana costs.
Each player can't cast more than one spell each turn."
Either way, free spells are dangerous territory.
Here be renders!
ReplyDeleteThanks Piersabato!
Delete