GDS3 Discussions: Scott Wilson's Challenge 5 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 Scott's submission on his official GDS page)



CONTESTANT COMMENTS


My goal was to create cool new cards that would feel right at home on Innistrad. The cards fall into three categories:

#1. New Horror Tropes
Last Grasp is the hero defeating the monster with their last ounce of strength. Synergizes with white's abundance of death triggers and token making.
Wall of Flesh is a creepy sacrifice outlet.
Taxidermist prevents flavor-fail transformations or activations on his "stuffed" victims.
Innocuous Sprout is the little plant that grows and devours everything.

#2. New Tribal Stuff
Bind the Beast and Trial by Drowning play into Innistrad's light tribal themes. Bind the Beast's wording prevents a stolen Human/Human Werewolf from counting itself.
Wolf Pup supports Werewolves and Tracking Hound supports/deters them.
Innistrad feels like a perfect home for charms to ward off enemies, hence Blood Charm, part of a five-color cycle. Each charm uses that color's overlapping creature types.

#3. New Mechanical/Thematic Stuff
Devil Poker gets its morbid bonus as long as it's in play, as opposed to ETB morbid commons/uncommons that disappoint when they don't trigger.
Curse of Arachnids is green's curse since it's never gotten one in a Standard set.
Lab Assistant (Delver combo!) and Graveyard Salvage get things back after self-milling, since nothing feels worse than milling your curse, Burning Vengeance, or Laboratory Maniac.
Vengeful Flame is part of a rare cycle of creatures with flashback. It's a risk to include, but the biggest risk in Magic is not taking any.

1) Island (basic land)
Basic Land — Island

2) Last Grasp (common)
W
Enchantment — Aura
Flash
Enchant creature you control
When enchanted creature dies, you may destroy target creature that dealt damage this turn.
"I may not live to see the end of your kind's terror, but I can at least make sure that you don't either!"

3) Tracking Hound (common)
3W
Creature — Hound
2/5
Tracking Hound has vigilance as long as there is a Werewolf on the battlefield.
"What's wrong, buddy? It's just the town mayor. He's our friend."

4) Lab Assistant (common)
3U
Creature — Human Advisor
2/2
When Lab Assistant enters the battlefield, you may put target instant or sorcery card from your graveyard on top of your library.
"Is this the secret you were delving for, sir?"

5) Trial by Drowning (common)
2BB
Instant
Destroy target creature. If it was a human, its controller creates a 1/1 white Spirit creature token with flying.
"Her spirit ascends after death. I therefore declare her innocent of witchcraft."

6) Wall of Flesh (common)
2B
Creature — Wall
0/4
Defender
Sacrifice another creature: Wall of Flesh gets +2/+0 until end of turn and can attack this turn as though it didn't have defender.
". . . more . . ."

7) Blood Charm (common)
1R
Instant
Choose one —
• Target creature gets +3/+0 until end of turn.
• Target Vampire gains double strike until end of turn.
• Transform target Werewolf you control.
Their fangs were bared at the first scent of blood.

8) Devil Poker (common)
1R
Creature — Devil
2/1
Morbid — At the beginning of each end step, if a creature died this turn, Devil Poker deals 1 damage to each opponent.
"Nothing stokes the fire better than rotting flesh!"

9) Graveyard Salvage (common)
1G
Sorcery
Return target creature or enchantment card from your graveyard to your hand.
Flashback 4G (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)
Bones and charms both have lingering magic, waiting to be discovered and reused.

10) Wolf Pup (common)
G
Creature — Wolf
1/1
Wolf Pup gets +2/+2 as long as you control a non-Human Werewolf.
The moonlight sends even the runts into a frenzy.

11) Bind the Beast (uncommon)
2UU
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
You control enchanted creature.
At the beginning of the end step, if you don't both own and control a Human, sacrifice Bind the Beast.

12) Taxidermist (uncommon)
4BB
Creature — Human Wizard
3/3
When Taxidermist enters the battlefield, you may exile target creature card from a graveyard. If you do, create a token that's a copy of that card, except it has defender and loses all activated abilities.
"They're so much prettier when their mouths are sewn shut."

13) Curse of Arachnids (uncommon)
4GG
Enchantment — Aura Curse
Enchant player
At the beginning of enchanted player's upkeep, each other player creates a 1/2 green Spider creature token with reach.
"There's something on your neck . . . ."

14) Vengeful Flame (rare)
3RR
Creature — Elemental
3/3
When you cast Vengeful Flame, it deals 3 damage to any target.
Flashback 1RR (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it. It doesn't enter the battlefield.)
The entity's final screech echoed from beyond the grave.

15) Innocuous Sprout (rare DFC)
3GG
Creature — Plant
0/3
Defender, reach
Whenever another creature dies, put a +1/+1 counter on Innocuous Sprout. Then, if it has three or more +1/+1 counters on it, transform it.
///
Coniferous Carnivore
(green)
Creature — Plant Horror
3/3
Reach
Whenever Coniferous Carnivore attacks, put a +1/+1 counter on it. Then you may have it fight target creature defending player controls.