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 creature card for this art. Bonus points if it's justifiably not mono-blue.
We got our next Water World challenge much earlier than I predicted.
ReplyDeletehttp://goblinartisans.blogspot.com/2015/05/weekend-art-challenge-review-052215kelsm.html
This makes me very happy.
I started with a creature that could do a flashback-like spell effect:
DeleteFrenzy Hunter (UNC)
3R
Creature - Shark
4/3
Frenzy Hunter attacks each turn if able.
Lure — 2R, Exile Frenzy Hunter and target instant or sorcery card from your graveyard: Attacking creatures get +2/+0 until end of turn.
But I think this effect is more interesting as flashback-like for creature tokens.
Frenzy Hunt (UNC)
3R
Sorcery
Whenever a creature attacks this turn, it get +3/+0 until end of turn.
Lure — 3R, Exile Frenzy Hunt and target creature card from your graveyard: Put a 3/3 red Shark creature token with haste onto the battlefield.
So the creature that lures a spell later is pretty straight forward. You can have the creature and the spell it lures have parallel effects (like a lifelink creature that lures to give a creature lifelink ueot at Common) But, you can't get both things at one time (with enough mana) like the spell that lures a token. There's also less work to get both effects on a creature that lures a spell later, because it's never the wrong time to play a creature, where a spell that lures a token later may sit in your hand waiting for the right opportunity.
Which do you like better: Frenzy Hunt or Frenzy Hunter?
I prefer the creature version, because as you said it's less work, meaning that the keyword can go on more cards and show up in Limited more; and also because "instant speed tokens out of the GY!" should not be a keyword in any set ever.
DeleteIs it intrinsic to the lure keyword to require two separate card types in the GY to get its exile effect?
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DeleteThank you, Jenesis. This seems more fun as a Limited oriented mechanic and I'm worried in general that players won't play enough spells in their deck to use the lure effect on the creature version of this. At least if it starts out as a spell, you're almost always going to have creatures in the yard to lure. I can fix the instant speed token thing really easily by making lure only work on your turn. And I think "Exile this and a creature card" is just a notch simpler than "Exile this and an instant or sorcery" to make it the better choice. So I'm going to submit a non-Creature version. It doesn't meet the challenge, but I think it's the better design.
DeleteEDIT: Ooh! In thinking about other design possibilities for Lure, it occured to me that a fun and flavorful way to produce bigger tokens, without using a super expensive mana cost would be to lean harder on the exiling other cards angle. So, this design makes a 3/3 token, and requires three creature cards to lure it. A lure for a 6/6 whale or kraken might require exiling six creature cards. I’m gonna suggest a trivial cycling-esque mana requirement and lean on the exiling for most of the cost of the effect.
Frenzy Hunt (UNC)
3R
Sorcery
Whenever a creature attacks this turn, it get +3/+0 until end of turn.
Lure —1R, Exile Frenzy Hunt and three target creature cards from your graveyard: If it’s your turn, put a 3/3 red Shark creature token with haste onto the battlefield.
Lousy typos. "attacks this turn, it gets"
DeleteLousy typos. "attacks this turn, it gets"
DeleteChasm Dweller 1UB
ReplyDeleteCreature - Horror (U)
Menace
When ~ dies, exile it.
As long as ~ is on the battlefield, you may cast cards named ~ from exile.
3/2
Misthollow Griffin meets Pack Rat? I can dig it (though I would be leery about how easy it is to enable the "infinite 3 power blocker" loop).
DeleteThis is sweet. I would remove Menace to put the focus of this design where it belongs. Also, I get the theme of the exile thing, but it would be mechanically almost identical if instead you just let it die to the graveyard, and get recast from there.
DeleteThis would be especially relevant if you wanted to sneak this to Common, which would be important for limited.
All good points. Trying something else:
DeleteChasm Dweller 1B
Creature - Horror (C)
~ can't block.
Deepborn (As long as this creature is on the battlefield, you may cast cards with Deepborn from exile.)
2/2
Not sure if this mechanic is OK at common, or whether a set could actually support it. Thoughts?
Deepborn seems to have the same problem as Ingest, which is that it does nothing without extensive unkeyworded support in the set.
DeleteThat does concern me to an extent, but then again Ingest seems to work just fine in BfZ limited despite there being only four Process effects at common.
DeleteDeep Underminer {5}{U}{B}
ReplyDeleteCreature - Serpent
When ~ becomes blocked, defending player returns a noncreature permanent they control to its owner's hand, then discards a card.
5/5
Unspeakable Drifter 2UB
ReplyDeleteCreature - Fish Horror (R)
Whenever you would draw a card, instead you may put a token onto the battlefield that is a copy of Unspeakable Drifter.
Unspeakable Drifter’s power and toughness are each equal to the number of Fish you control.
*/*
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteScornful Æther-Fish 3U
DeleteCreature - Fish (U)
W: Scornful Æther-Fish gains Vigilance until end of turn.
B: Scornful Æther-Fish gains Menace until end of turn
2/4
Nonartifact?? Blasphemy!
DeleteBathydrone {5}
ReplyDeleteArtifact Creature - Fish Drone (U), or maybe (R). i dunno, it's pretty weird.
Whenever Bathydrone attacks, put the bottom card of your library into your hand.
1/4
I understand and appreciate the flavor and intended weirdness, but drawing from the bottom feels to me weird for the sake of it, and it is an inconvenient action from a practical point of view. There's a reason R&D has basically never used it.
Deleteit might be weird but drawing from the bottom of your library has a ton of potential uses, like, suddenly every card that lets you put cards on the bottom of your library 'in any order' is like a pseudo-scry.
Deleteas far as practicality goes... drawing from the bottom of a stack of cards isn't that hard.
i won't defend that this card is the best use of such an action tho :p
Abyssal Blowfish
ReplyDelete3u
Creature - fish
Submersible (This can't be destroyed except by lethal damage.)
3/3
I feel the mechanic is very difficult to understand, especially to newer players. I can't see it as a mechanic usable in multiples, and not on commons.
DeleteThis fish basically can be destroyed in combat, by burn, by -x/-x effects and by exile effects. The only thing it hoses is straight up "destroy" removal. Understanding this, (barring the flavor coating) it does not feel blue to me, more like green.
May I suggest a replacement:
This creature has indestructible as long as it's not attacking or blocking.
Oops, I think this was slightly better with "combat damage". Let's make it:
DeleteAbyssal Blowfish
3u
Creature - fish
Submersible (This can't be destroyed except by combat damage.)
3/3
I agree with P's criticism, but I can't think of a good solution, I don't like the flavour of "indestructible" here, so I'm going to leave it as-is for now, even with problems.
Lurking in the Depths UB
ReplyDeleteEnchantment [rare]
Play with the top card of your library revealed.
As long as the top card of your library is blue, creatures you control have hexproof.
As long as the top card of your library is black, creatures you control have menace.
Some flavour text:
Delete"The water's so thick, we cannot touch them. And, to be honest, anything that could live down there in all that dark... I don't want to touch." — First Mate Sylver the Wise
This is a sweet card, though the challenge specified creature.
DeleteI find it ironic that a card with "Lurking" in its name involves keeping a piece of hidden information revealed all the time.
Nice point.
DeleteAlso, missed the creature thing. Just put this ability on a creature. Make it a 3/3 for 2UB.
Engulfing Angler 4B
ReplyDeleteCreature - Fish (U)
If Engulfing Angler would deal combat damage to a creature, exile that creature instead.
Whenever Engulfing Angler attacks, you may pay W and/or G. If you paid W, untap target creature. If you paid G, it blocks Engulfing Angler this turn if able.
1/4
Cool set of abilities! Serious suggestion: reword If you paid G, target creature blocks CARDNAME this turn if able. Right now it seems to be you only get the effect if you pay W and G (though maybe that's the intention?)
DeleteSilly flavor suggestions: I feel like the white part wants a "return cards exiled this way when CARDNAME leaves battlefield" ability. Otherwise exiling over deathtouch.. is still flavorful. This also gave me the silly idea of having a serpent with "Can't attack unless you pay 2" and this set of abilities for "If W was spent this way" etc..
Yeah, the wording is not the greatest. Let's try:
DeleteWhenever Engulfing Angler attacks, you may pay GW. If you do, untap target creature defending player controls and it blocks Engulfing Angler this turn if able.
I do like the idea of returning the creatures if the Angler dies, but that ends up being too many lines of rules text. Let's just say that it's a magic anglerfish whose belly is a portal to another dimension or something. :P
Compelling Angler 3B
ReplyDeleteCreature - Fish Horror
Haunt
If the creature Compelling Angler haunts would attack or block, you may choose another valid target for it to attack or block.
4/1
Don't love this wording, and have no idea what color this is (except non-blue). I'll do the renders this week.
Compelling Angler 3R
DeleteCreature - Fish
1: Creatures attack you this turn if able.
4/1
I think I figured it out! You can make advantageous blocks; you can also shield a vulnerable planeswalker using your face, which feels very red to me. "Target player" would be more fun in multiplayer, but I don't know that that's in red's purview, really.
Ironically enough, the only cards that specify a player to be attacked are all blue: Alluring Siren and Taunt (you), and Dulcet Sirens (an opponent of you). Red is good at forcing a creature to attack then punishing them for choosing you (Fumiko the Lowblood, Incite War), so I do think "target player" would be a good angle (heh) for red to explore. I do love me some Blood Feud in Commander.
DeleteSubmerged Angler 4U
ReplyDeleteCreature - Fish (U)
CARDNAME can't be the target of spells or abilities your opponent controls unless it's attacking or blocking.
3G: Target creature blocks CARDNAME this turn if able.
4/5
Using the Thromokratis ability here as it seems like a fair version of hexproof. Works well with the ability as well.
On second thought, these stats are great. 3/4 or 4/3? Gonna go with 3/4.
DeleteAlso, not using "hexproof" in case this itself wants to be a keyword, though that's kinda greedy.
Voracius Deepdevil {4}{G}{G}
ReplyDeleteCreature - Fish (U)
All creatures able to block CARDNAME do so.
Whenever CARDNAME becomes blocked, it gets +1/+1 until end of turn for each creature blocking it.
In this ecosystem, the big fish eats the small one.
The bigger fish eats the big one.
But the Deepdevil eats them all.
— Diary of the Biomancer Planeswalker
Forgot the P/T:
Delete4/4
Eternal Deepling 4UB
ReplyDeleteCreature - Elemental Horror
Eternal Deepling has hexproof as long as it is untapped.
When Eternal Deepling deals combat damage to an opponent, that opponent must sacrifice a land.
3/4
Deep-Sea Delver 6UG
ReplyDeleteCreature - Fish (R)
Delve
~ enters the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it for each creature exiled to cast it.
As long as ~ has power 12 or greater, it has hexproof and trample.
6/6
"The deeper you go, the bigger they get."
Neat. Is there any part of this that is blue besides its creature type?
DeleteIt deliberately enables self-mill, which is usually in UG, but I think this could technically be either mono-U or mono-G.
DeleteI think you want to go with six or more counters rather than 12 or more power. It makes it so you can't pump it to suddenly gain hexproof.
DeleteGiven that Nemesis of Mortals and Ghoultree play in the same space, this feels mono-G to me.
DeleteBy the same token, this is also the same space as Sagu Mauler and Simic Skyswallower.
DeleteBut I definitely agree this could probably pass as mono Green.
DeleteTrench Angler 2UR
ReplyDeleteCreature- Fish (Rare)
4/4
Flash
As an additional cost to cast CARDNAME, you may exile an attacking creature you control. If you do, CARDNAME enters the battlefield tapped, attacking, and blocked by the same creatures that were blocking the exiled creature.
Top-down design. It's pretty clear to me that it's blue-x but I am not sure what color x is supposed to be. Green for beefiness and fight-ish behavior? Red for aggressiveness and combat-trickery? Or Black for flavor and cruel, sacrificial gameplay?
Fathom Ambusher 2UB
ReplyDeleteCreature - Shark (R)
Morph 3UB
Hexproof
When Fathom Ambusher is turned face up, destroy target tapped
creature.
3/2
Maybe this could be uncommon if the costs were adjusted appropriately?
Fathom Ambusher 2UB
ReplyDeleteCreature - Shark (R)
Morph 3UB
Hexproof
When Fathom Ambusher is turned face up, destroy target tapped
creature.
3/2
Maybe this could be uncommon if the costs were adjusted appropriately?
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ReplyDeleteStalked Minnow-7GG
ReplyDeleteCreature-Fish-Uncommon
Blue Delve (You may exile any number of blue cards in your graveyard as you cast this spell. It costs 1 less to cast for each card exiled this way.)
When CARDNAME enters the battlefield, put an X/X blue Leviathan token unto the battlefield, where X is the number of cards you exiled to cast CARDNAME.
Sacrifice CARDNAME: Regenerate target Leviathan.
1/1
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For the render, the art should be focused on the smaller fish, with the larger fish in the corner.
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When Magic decides to revisit Delve this is one of the things I could see it doing. This card would be a part of a cycle of uncommon cards with enemy color delves.
This is an awful lot of moving parts for an uncommon.
DeleteThey're a little fishy, but the renders have been sent!
ReplyDelete