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. Bonus points if it uses a word never used before, that isn't the name of a card or mechanic.
Lady in the Gloom {2}{B}{G}
ReplyDeleteEnchantment Creature -- Fairytale (R)
Whenever another creature is dealt combat damage, exile it.
When ~ dies, you may return target creature card from exile to its owner's hand.
1/3
I'm tempted to give her some form of protection -- hexproof, probably -- and +{1} cost? Maybe this is fine, though.
Lady in the Gloom has creature type fairytale, which is new. Or maybe that's an enchantment subtype (fits), and there is no creature type for this creature (but all creatures currently have a subtype except Nameless Race).
DeleteAll other creatures disappear anytime they're touched (not just by the lady). When it dies, one of those creatures returns from exile. Or, you know, any creature you have in exile.
That's a serious game changer. You definitely want a big effect for a 4cc 2-color 1/3, but this is a doozy. The good news is, she's vulnerable to a lot of removal,which is one reason I wouldn't give her protection. Another is that her death trigger could be quite strong in the right deck.
I think the first ability is unique and dramatic enough that the second ability actually steals focus and identity from the card.
I'm inspired by Droqen's Enchantment Creature - Fairytale line:
DeleteMaiden of the Wood 1G
Enchantment Creature - Human Fairytale
Whenever a creature enters the battlefield under your control, gain 1 life.
Legacy (When this dies, if it's a creature, return it to the battlefield as a noncreature enchantment)
1/1
Jay: thanks for the feedback o:
DeleteI was actually thinking of Fairytale as an enchantment creature type, though I wasn't sure what the recurring pattern would be.
The when-dies-return effect was one thought I had, where fairytales backpedal a little on their global effects when they die.
But you're right, this card would probably be a lot cleaner without the second ability!
James: Ooh, interesting keyword.
DeleteMoonglove Mystic 2G
ReplyDeleteCreature - Elf Wizard (U)
Deathtouch
Prevent all nonlethal damage that would be dealt to Moonglove Mystic.
1/4
Moonglove Mystic might need reminder text to explain exactly what 'nonlethal damage' is, but otherwise is elegant and super flavorful.
DeleteIt's clear to me that you can't combine combat damage and noncombat damage to kill this, but I'm not sure if I can double-block it effectively.
Morgan, Fae Enchantress 1WUBG
ReplyDeleteLegendary Creature - Fae Wizard
Constellation - Whenever Morgan or another enchantment enters the battlefield under your contol, gain control of target creature if it's power is equal to or less than the number of enchantments you control. Then put a +1/+1 counter on Morgan.
1/1
She should be an enchantment as well.
DeleteGonna assume Morgan is mythic, since she can Mind Control multiple times. Since you can play her as your third or fourth enchantment in your dedicated enchantments deck, it seems like you're nearly guaranteed one unbreakable theft and that's assuming your opponent doesn't remove Morgan immediately.
DeleteWhy on top of all that, does she also need to grow? We can justify that with the art, but the art doesn't require it. Growth would make mechanical sense if her power mattered:
Constellation - Whenever Morgan or another enchantment enters the battlefield under your contol, put a +1/+1 counter on Morgan. Then, gain control of target creature if it's power is equal to or less than Morgan's.
Legendary Enchantment Creature—Fae Wizard doesn't fit the typeline.
Unseelie Butterfly Collector
ReplyDeleteCreature - Spirit (Rare)
3W
2/4
{1}, exile a creature card with flying from your graveyard: Put a +1/+1 counter on CARDNAME.
CARDNAME can block an additional creature for each two +1/+1 counters on it.
As long as you have eleven or more cards exiled with CARDNAME, it has flying, hexproof and vigilance.
Does "eleven" count as a new word? I didn't have time to think of a non-cheaty answer this weekend.
Would being able to block an extra creature each counter on Unseelie Butterfly Collector be so much stronger that it's worth using X/2?
DeleteNot sure if 'eleven' should count as new, since '11' has occurred before, but if we're literal, then yes, yes it does. Does a threshold of eleven make sense on this card? I can't see a single justification.
I can see this card as a collector of small flying things (and ignoring the 'small' part is mechanically much cleaner—good), but I'm not sure I get why she only collects dead flying things. Or how that makes her such a deft blocker. I get that her skirt gets wider, but we've got tons of very wide creatures that can't block multiply in Magic.
It was supposed to be "one extra block per pair of hands", mostly for flavour reasons. I realise those are possibly supposed to be prisoners, not her, but that's how I read it. But I agree, it doesn't really come across at card-image-size.
DeleteThis was some pretty weird art. Kudos to the four of you who managed to do something with it.
ReplyDeleteEarth-Escence Depleter 1G
ReplyDeleteCreature - Driad
Uncommon
Doubletap: Look at the top 3 cards of your library. You may reveal a land card and put it onto the battlefield tapped. (To doubletap a creature, flip it 180 degrees. During your next untap step, doubletapped creatures became tapped).
1/1
Doubletap effectively keywords the Frost Breath effect, but in a way that can make it a payable cost too. That's neat.
DeleteInnocence Gorger 1BG
ReplyDeleteCreature - Unseelie Spirit (R)
Whenever CARDNAME deals combat damage to a player, you may exile target creature with power 2 or less.
When CARDNAME dies, put a 3/2 black and green Unseelie Horror creature token onto the battlefield for each card exiled with it.
2/3
Lovely creepy flavor
Delete