GDS3 Discussions: Linus Ulysses Hamilton's Challenge 2 Submission

(These posts are being backdated for administrative purposes. They were not disclosed to nor published on this site prior to their publication on the mothership. You can read the judge commentary on Linus's submission on his official GDS page)



CONTESTANT COMMENTS
On Bigtopia's plane, traveling circuses perform together in front of an audience, competing to put on the most impressive, funny, or artistic show. But not all troupes play nice. Recently, one troupe observed that you automatically win if your opponent's performance gets cut short. They began sabotaging opposing troupes and even attacking them. Audiences loved the drama, ticket sales soared, and the Battle Circus was born.

I found this to be quite a big assignment. I felt like I had to plan out the set's themes and mechanics, and test them with playtest decks of commons, before designing the rares and mythic rares. This was a lot more work than designing eight individually fun cards.

Some color themes:
Red-Green: Aggro with Crowd's Zeal tokens (If I could have keyworded this, I would have named it "The crowd cheers.")
Green-White: Animal riding—going big with pair attacking
Blue-Red: Circus stunts—combat tricks
Black: "Scary" clowns, disfigured mutants

1) Tightrope (common)
2B
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
When enchanted creature becomes untapped, destroy it.

2) Stilts (common)
1
Artifact — Equipment
Equipped creature has reach.
Whenever equipped creature attacks, you may unattach Stilts. If you do, that creature gains flying until end of turn.
Equip 2

3) Fire Eating (uncommon)
1R
Instant
CARDNAME deals 1 damage to target creature. If that creature would deal damage this turn, instead it deals double that much damage.
Create a red enchantment token named Crowd's Zeal with "Sacrifice this: Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn. Sacrifice this only as a sorcery."

4) Trained Elephant (uncommon)
1GW
Creature — Elephant
3/3
You may have CARDNAME attack in a pair with another creature you control. When you do, both creatures gain lifelink and trample until end of turn.

5) Lion Tamer (rare)
3WW
Creature — Human
2/2
When CARDNAME enters the battlefield, create a 5/5 white Cat creature token.
You may have CARDNAME attack in a pair with another creature you control. When you do, both creatures gain first strike until end of turn.

6) Acrobatics (rare)
4UU
Instant
Exchange control of two target creatures. Also exchange their positions in combat. (For example, if one of the targets was attacking and blocked by another creature, the other target becomes attacking and becomes blocked by that creature.)

7) Marvola, Circus Magician (mythic rare)
1UR
Legendary Creature — Human Wizard
2/2
Haste
Whenever CARDNAME attacks, you may exile the top three cards of your library face down. You may look at those cards. Until end of turn, you may cast them.
Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell that targets a creature you control, draw a card.

8) Marnaby, Ringmaster (mythic rare)
4GW
Planeswalker — Marnaby
5
+2: Untap all creatures you control. Put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control.
0: Search your library for a creature card. Remove loyalty counters from CARDNAME equal to that card's converted mana cost. If you do, put that card onto the battlefield. Shuffle your library.
-10: You get an emblem with "At the beginning of your end step, search your library for a creature card and put it onto the battlefield. Then shuffle your library."