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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| Copia |
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| Seb |
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| Casiopeia art |
Choose one of these illustrations and design a card that cares about the cards Act on Impulse exiles or combos with red cards like it in some way. For bonus points, make a mechanic usable for multiple cards (demonstrated on a single card).
Thanks to Anastase for the challenge idea.
Knight of Soul's Fire
ReplyDelete1R
Creature - Human Knight
Firespit {R} (You may cast this for {R}. It doesn't enter the battlefield but deals 1 damage to target opponent instead.)
2/1
The reminder text on nonpermanent spells would be different but have the same effect of "don't do the normal effect". I'm not sure about making it cast rather than discard, or if even a few bonus burn spells are too good for red. But that makes it work with exile because if you can only afford one of the spells you can spit the others. And you could put firespit on a creature, a spell, even a land (carefully). Or even a non-red card for two-colour decks.
This is probably a silly question, but somewhere I remember a request for the formatting that was easiest for someone to render (things like, CARDNAME and R vs {R} for mana symbols, etc And maybe what order to put the info in. And even if it doesn't make a difference, I find it a lot easier to copy stuff to MSE or somewhere if they're all the same than if they're all slightly different).
DeleteBut I keep forgetting. The challenges seem to have a c&p intro, would it be easy to add a link to a description of preferred format?
Oh, I forgot to say, first art.
DeleteAnd I thought of another (but assume my true submission is the first one).
First art
Burn from the Inside
2R
Sorcery
Target creature deals damage to itself equal to its power.
If you cast ~ from exile, you may choose two target creatures instead.
Prepare 3 (You may exile this for 3. After the beginning of your next turn, you may cast it from exile.)
A link might work. For now:
DeleteCARDNAME is better than ~.
T and {T} are both better than tap.
Thank you.
DeleteOne more.
Third art.
Search through Dreams
1UR
Instant
Draw a card for each tapped creature on the battlefield, then discard that many cards less one.
Inspiration {UR} (If this card is exiled or put into your graveyard from your library, you may cast it for {UR})
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI know you don't like to choose a rarity for your designs, but MSE requires one... I'm going to guess that Knight of Soul's Fire is common?
DeleteDoh, I really should get over that habit. Thank you. Yes, I think I meant common (even if I wasn't absolutely sure its ok).
DeletePull of the Deathless 2(W/B)(W/B)
ReplyDeleteSorcery (U)
Put target creature card you own in exile onto the battlefield tapped.
Art #2 Seb.
Yow. I think Maro would not approve.
DeleteI mean, it's pretty cool, but it does seem to be a pretty flagrant violation of "no getting stuff back from exile if you didn't put it there".
I'm sure Maro would dislike this idea for the same reason he dislikes Pull from Eternity, but he does say that R&D keeps printing stuff like Misthollow Griffin and Torrent Elemental over his objection.
DeleteTrue, it is following in the tradition of those two. But it throws the floodgates wide open to apply to any exiled creature.
DeleteWorse, because it can see things that are exiled and *not* in graveyards, it makes exile-based creature removal *worse* than destruction-based. It's not just as a designer I'm dubious - but also as a player I'm thinking "Argh. If this is printed, it'll make me have to second-guess whether Swords and Path are still better than Condemn in EDH." At least with Torrent Elemental and Misthollow Griffin you can see which cards your exile-based removal is ineffective against. If this card exists, any deck including white or black might be able to trump my exile-based removal on any haymaker.
Now to be fair, some things that I wish hadn't been printed are still popular; DFCs, for example. So this is just one person's objection, no more than that.
Maybe, by the reverse of the logic that permitted processors, it could be a bit cheaper but say "a creature exiled by an effect you control" or "a creature exiled from your library"? That would still be new, but not as blatantly an "undo exile-based removal spells"?
DeleteFirst art:
ReplyDeleteBanished-Steel Flamekin {1}{R}
Creature -- Elemental Knight (common)
Banishing -- Whenever you exile a card, CARDNAME gets +1/+0 and gains first strike until end of turn.
2/1
Fits best with Boros colors (for red impulse-draw and white Banishing Light effects). Takes up a little complexity, but unless Rest In Peace or similar is in the format that's not too hard to deal with.
First art:
ReplyDeleteWarmind General UR
Creature - Elemental Warrior (Rare)
Whenever CARDNAME, exile the top card of your library.
Whenever a card is exiled from the top of your library by a spell or ability you control, you may play that card for as long as you control CARDNAME.
2/2
Whenever CARDNAME... attacks?
Deleteattacks, yeah!
DeleteI will continue to think about a design to meet the Challenge parameters, but in the meantime, here's where the Seb art has taken me this morning:
ReplyDeleteTriumvirate of the Pit (RARE)
4B
Creature - Demon
B, Discard a card, sacrifice another creature: Choose one —
• Add BBB to your mana pool.
• Scry 3.
• Destroy target creature with power 3 or less.
They’ve perfected a demon’s bargain: Three fees for one service.
I suppose scry 3 interacts with Act on Impulse favorably.
P/T is 4/4.
DeleteI got it! Using the Copia art, here's a suggestion for a card that's part of a 10-card cycle in the style of the Rav and RTR Block Guildmages:
DeleteBoros Battlemage (UNCOMMON)
1RW
Creature - Elemental Soldier
2/2
Whenever you cast a red spell, you may add R to your mana pool.
Whenever you cast a white spell, you may pay 1. If you do, put a 1/1 white Soldier creature token onto the battlefield.
Branded (Whenever you cast a multicolored spell that’s exactly this creature’s color identity, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature.)
That's a lot of text. To much.
DeleteCan you simplify it to its core idea.
I like the idea of branded, but I agree the reminder text is a mess. Why not "Whenever you cast a spell that shares all its colors with this creature's colors"... the color identity thing doesn't matter unless you're planning to include (multicolored!) branded creatures with off-color activations, and even then most people who don't play EDH wouldn't have any reason to care about what that is.
DeleteI'm also not seeing how this interacts with Act on Impulse more favorably than any other spell.
I worded Brand the way I did to make it clear what it's design parameters are in the same way that modular says move the +1/+1 counters onto another artifact creature. I don't want designers to look at this design and imagine mana elves with Brand, for example.
DeleteFurther, the idea is that Boros Battlemage gets a counter from Boros Charm, but not from Jeskai Charm or Shock or Pathway Arrows. If it's too broad a trigger, I'd limit it to once a turn like, "At the beginning of the end step, if you played a multicolored spell, put a +1/1 counter on this creature.
It's good with Act of Impulse because the first ability makes it easier to cast multiple Red spells...?
I worded Brand the way I did to make it clear what it's design parameters are in the same way that modular says move the +1/+1 counters onto another artifact creature. I don't want designers to look at this design and imagine mana elves with Brand, for example.
DeleteFurther, the idea is that Boros Battlemage gets a counter from Boros Charm, but not from Jeskai Charm or Shock or Pathway Arrows. If it's too broad a trigger, I'd limit it to once a turn like, "At the beginning of the end step, if you played a multicolored spell, put a +1/1 counter on this creature.
It's good with Act of Impulse because the first ability makes it easier to cast multiple Red spells...?
1st Art
ReplyDelete2RW
Ares, the Nobilis of War
Legendary Creature - Avatar Soldier
3/3
First Strike
Whenever Ares attacks, you may put any number of creatures you own from exile into play tapped and attacking. Those creatures are exiled at the end of combat.
Seems weird that Nobilis of War would shrink (and lose flying) upon being legend-ified.
DeleteWhat makes this card white?
Very scary potential. I'm amused at how Doom Blade and company actually stops the "loop," whereas it wouldn't matter for cards like Flamerush Rider and Warchief Giant.
Thematically, it's not exactly the same Nobilis of War from the Lorwyn card, possibly from another plane. I would probably say the card could be mono-red but at the same time "reanimation" of sorts is probably a white/black ability. Interaction with the exile zone (in this case, bringing it back from the exile zone) hasn't been touched very much in Magic but I feel as if "exile-reanimate" is more of a white ability given that White is historically the color with the most interaction with exiling cards. The somewhat small base size and lack of evasion is meant to have the player build around it and temper it from becoming one of those cards which will win the game by itself with hardly any interaction
DeleteFlamecage Defector (2RW)
ReplyDeleteCreature - Elemental Warrior (U)
Haste
When CARDNAME enters the battlefield, you may exile target creature with power 2 or less until CARDNAME leaves the battlefield.
Liberated - If CARDNAME entered the battlefield from exile, exile up to three target creatures with power 2 or less instead.
3/3
Art #1, by the way.
DeleteI note that this doesn't actually work with Act of Impulse / Chandra-draw, because spells go via the stack.
DeleteDo you want to change it to "If ~ was cast from exile", or "If ~ entered the battlefield from exile or was cast from exile"? Or leave it as is, making it better with blink effects even if it doesn't fulfil the technical terms of the challenge?
Lavashaper Flamekin {1}{R}
ReplyDeleteCopia art
Creature - Elemental Warrior
2/1, uncommon
CARDNAME has first strike as long as you own an exiled artifact card.
Whenever you play a card from exile, CARDNAME gets +1/+0 until end of turn.
I could imagine a large set in which this serves as one of those "build around me uncommons". I could see an argument that it only needs one or other ability, not both... Should they be split up among two different cards in the set, or kept together?
I'll do the renders this week.
I have a hard time imagining the set that wants enough artifact cards and exile effects in the same deck for this to be built around.
DeleteI'd personally nix the first ability and make it common. You could also give it natural first strike at uncommon and its power level would still be fine, but that opens it up to poaching by random red drafters who aren't building the exile theme deck.
Hmm. I think I'm okay with the set environment assumption - I find it plausible that one of the next few Mirrodin / Esper-style worlds we visit might also have an exile subtheme.
DeleteI'm not keen on the tension between the two abilities, actually. If your cool equipment gets hit by Act of Impulse, you don't want this card dissuading you from casting it.
So I think I'll change this to:
2/1, common
Whenever you play a card from exile, CARDNAME gets +1/+0 and gains first strike until end of turn.
...Ugh, when doing the renders I realise how convergent that's become with Czynski's Banished-Steel Flamekin above. Oh well, I'll leave it as is.
DeleteRenders are up at http://imgur.com/a/pVRMF.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Alex.
DeleteI know I'm late here but...
ReplyDeleteFlamebringer of the Beyond (RR)
Copia Art
Creature - Elemental Warrior
Haste
Soulfire 1 (Whenever a creature card is exiled, CARDNAME gets +1/+1)
2/2
Nifty. Added to the renders. I like how flexible it is.
DeleteI assume that's meant to be +1/+1 UEOT, rather than "put a +1/+1 counter on ~"?
I assume uncommon, since it's a 2/2 haste for RR?
Added Flamebringer to the review:
Deletehttp://goblinartisans.blogspot.com/2015/12/weekend-art-challenge-review-121115.html