GDS3 Discussions: Ryan Siegel-Stechler's Challenge 4 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 Ryan's submission on his official GDS page)

CONTESTANT COMMENTS

I loved this challenge! I adore the art of Magic, and worked hard to make cards that felt like the paintings were commissioned just for them—not just appropriate for the overall picture, but also with subtler details from the art whenever possible. As examples, the tongue wrapped around the dragon's leg in Teeth, the fact that trees (green) and sky (white) made up the haunting face in Wisps, the various dead animals in Snakes, and the tormented barbarian in Huge all informed my designs.

Some individual card notes:

• Bombardment is a sorcery due to the inherent confusion of casting it in response to another spell. You still can (e.g. with Quicken), and I think that's fine (a target-less Missile, I assume, would just fizzle? Also, why would you want to cast Bombardment in response to your own spell?), but if I were in R&D, this would get run by Eli posthaste. I really tried to push the boundaries here. Its playtest best buds: Narset, Enlightened Master and Enigma Drake.
• Stolen Future went through the most iterations. I originally wanted the card to represent the Blind Eternities, but decided that'd be colorless, not blue. From some early concepts, however, I stumbled upon the concept of "stealing time from your opponent's life" via their deck, which ended up being extremely generative space. I'm really happy with the gameplay of the final card.
• I learned "moxie" comes from the soft drink! Who knew?

1) Augmented Strike (uncommon)
1W

Instant
Creatures you control get +1/+1 until end of turn. Equipped creatures you control get an additional +1/+1 and gain lifelink until end of turn.

2) Temple Guardian (rare)
WW

Creature — Beast
2/2
Players can't pay additional or alternative costs when casting spells.
Costs to cast spells can't be reduced.

3) Muck River Soothsayer (common)
3U

Creature — Merfolk Shaman
2/4
When Muck River Soothsayer enters the battlefield, you may exile a creature card from your graveyard. If you do, draw a card.
The Muck River clan fashion gruesome trophies out of the corpses that clog the polluted waters.

4) Stolen Future (mythic rare)
5UUU

Enchantment
When Stolen Future enters the battlefield, exile the bottom half of target opponent's library, rounded down, in a face down pile.
Play with the top card of the pile revealed.
You may play the top card of the pile.
2U: Put the top card of the pile on the bottom of the pile.

5) Psychosis Weaver (common)
2B

Creature — Human Wizard
3/1
3BB, T, Sacrifice Psychosis Weaver: Target green or white creature deals damage equal to its power to its controller.

6) Hollow Demon (mythic rare)
5BB

Creature — Demon
7/7
Flying
When Hollow Demon enters the battlefield, choose target non-Demon creature. Destroy all other creatures that share a creature type with that creature.
"You wish to be the most powerful of your kind? Done."

7) Wormtongue Hellion (uncommon)
4RR

Creature — Hellion
6/6
Reach
2R: Target Bird, Drake, or Dragon attacks this turn if able.
It gets the early bird.

8) Bombardment (rare)
R

Sorcery
Until end of turn, cards you own that aren't on the battlefield lose all card types, costs, names, and abilities and become red sorceries that cost R named Missile with "This deals 2 damage to any target."

9) Moxie (common)
1G

Instant
Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature. It gets +2/+2 until end of turn.
Ghrall woke up feeling like he was ready to take on anything.

10) Blessing of Fertility (uncommon)
G

Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature or land
Enchanted permanent has "T: Add one mana of any color."
2: Attach Blessing of Fertility to target creature or land.