CCL April Signups/Round 2: Taking Sides

[spacemonaut]

CCL April Signups/Round 2

"Taking Sides"


Palace Siege|FRF, taken from inprnt.com, by Slawomir Maniak and Wizards of the Coast

Welcome to the Card Creation League! Everyone is free to participate in either or both of the first two rounds. Come join us!

Theme

It's Tarkir Month on CCL! This month we'll be exploring the dragoniest block that ever dragoned. It brought with it a lot to love, much of it that wasn't even dragons. We'll be exploring the design challenges presented by its themes with some focus on wedge design.

Challenge: Design a siege permanent card.

Fate Reforged introduced the siege cycle representing the existential struggle between the clans and the dragons: Citadel Siege, Monastery Siege, Palace Siege, Outpost Siege, and Frontier Siege. We'd later also see the same template in Mirrodin Besieged and Ineffable Blessing.

Your task will be to design a new card using this same modal mechanic. Your card must represent taking sides in a narrative conflict. It must contain the text "As (this card) enters the battlefield, choose (Side A) or (Side B)" and have two corresponding named modes: "• (Side A) —" and "• (Side B) —".

Your card can be any permanent card type for this challenge. It does not have to be an enchantment. It also does not have to embody the entirety of the conflict itself, but it must still represent choosing a side in one.

Clarifications:

• The modal choice does not need to be the entirety of its rules text.
• For the purposes of this challenge, every conflict has only two sides and the player has to choose one.
• You may pick any narrative conflict past or present anywhere in the multiverse, or speculate on possible conflicts we haven't seen yet.
• The comprehensive rule that makes these cards work is 614.12b: Anchor Words, just in case you need it for clarity. The permanent has the ability corresponding to your choice and the other ability functionally does not exist.
• Technically, rules-wise, one or both of the abilities can also be an activated ability. You're allowed to do that too.
• Make sure to include a rarity.
• Your card can be set on Tarkir or elsewhere.
• If your card is on Tarkir then you are not limited to Khans vs Dragons.

Anyone can enter this second round! Your submissions are due Tuesday, April 14th, 23:59 EST.

Schedule

• Round 1 — Open to Everyone (April 1st–7th)
• Round 2 — Open to Everyone (April 8th–14th)
• Rounds 1 and 2 Critiques (Due April 17th)
• Top 8 — Open to top 8 finishers (April 18th–21st)
• Top 8 Critiques (Due April 23rd)
• Top 4 — Open to top 4 finishers (April 24th–27th)
• Top 4 Critiques (Due April 29th)
• Final (May, winner determined by public poll)

[netn10]

Ravnica Final Showdown 3WB
Enchantment (Rare)
As Ravnica Final Showdown enters the battlefield, choose Ravnica or Nicol Bolas.
• Ravnica — At the beginning of your end step, if you control a permanent of each color pair, you win the game.
• Nicol Bolas — At the beginning of end step, you amass 3 and you draw a card.

[slimytrout]

Peripheral Mage-Ring 3
Artifact (C)
As Peripheral Mage-Ring enters the battlefield, choose Ampryn or Separtists.
• Ampryn — T: Add C.
• Separtists — 1, T, Sacrifice Peripheral Mage-Ring: It deals 2 damage to any target.
The power of the mage-rings can be used to control the Core States - or to leave them.

[bravelion83]

Siege of Mirrodin 2WB
Enchantment (U)
As Siege of Mirrodin enters the battlefield, choose Mirrodin or Phyrexia.
Mirrodin — Whenever a creature enters the battlefield under your control, put a +1/+1 counter on it.
Phyrexia — Whenever a creature you control dies, you gain 1 life and draw a card.

[RaikouRider]

The Eldrazi War 3G
Legendary Enchantment {R}
As The Eldrazi War enters the battlefield, choose Eldrazi or Zendikar.
Eldrazi — Whenever you tap a permanent for one or more C, add an additional C.
Zendikar — At the beginning of your upkeep, you may search your library for a basic land card, put that card onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle your library.

[kwanyeegor-ii]

Unengraved Myr 3
Artifact Creature--Myr (Uncommon)
As Unengraved Myr enters the battlefield, choose Mirran or Phyrexian.
• Mirran--Battle cry, vigilance, protection from black
• Phyrexian--Infect, haste, protection from white
1/2

[Subject16]

Elandel Highlady 2WB
Creature — Human Noble (Rare)
As Elandel Highlady enters the battlefield, choose Pride or Prejudice.
• Pride— Other creatures you control get +1/+1.
• Prejudice— Creatures your opponents control get -1/-1.
"They say familiarity breeds contempt. I say contempt breeds contempt."
—Captain Shal
2/3

[Gateways7]

The War of Savai RWB
Enchantment (rare)
As The War of Savai enters the battlefield, choose Humans or Monsters.
• Humans — Humans you control enter the battlefield with an additional +1/+1 counter on them.
• Monsters — At the beginning of your upkeep, each opponent loses 1 life for each type of counter among permanents you control.

[void_nothing]

Lahantyr, Fortress of Wealth
Legendary Land (R)
As Lahantyr, Fortress of Wealth enters the battlefield, choose hoarding or generosity.
• Hoarding - T, Pay 1 life: Add R.
• Generosity - T, Sacrifice a land: Add WW.

[frogchild]

Battle For Ghirapur 1UR
Enchantment (R)
As Battle For Ghirapur enters the battlefield, choose Consulate or Rebellion

• Consulate - At the beginning of your upkeep, you get . Then, you may pay . If you do, draw two cards

• Rebellion - Whenever an artifact enters the battlefield under your control, you may discard a card. If you do, Battle For Ghirapur deals 5 damage to any target

[Ink-Treader]

Bereft Survivor 1G
Creature - Human Peasant (U)
As Weary Survivor enters the battlefield, choose Pride or Humility.
Pride — T: Add one mana of any color. Spend this mana only to cast spells with converted mana cost 3 or greater.
Humility — When Bereft Survivor enters the battlefield, return target permanent card with converted mana cost 1 or less from your graveyard to your hand.
When you lose everything, do you reach for the heavens once more, or do you pick up the ashes?

[marioguy3]

Sightly Conflict
Enchantment - Rare
As Sightly Conflict enters the battlefield, choose Stealth or Defiance.
Stealth - You may cast nonland cards as though they had flash.
Defiance - Choose a card type. Spells you cast of the chosen type cost less to cast and can't be the target of spells and abilities your opponents control.

[barbecube]

Professor of Artifice 3U
Creature — Human Advisor (R)
As Professor of Artifice enters the battlefield, choose Invention or Tradition.
• Invention — Artifact spells you cast cost 1 less to cast.
• Tradition — When Professor of Artifice enters the battlefield, return target artifact card from your graveyard to your hand.
2/3

[spacemonaut]

Round 2 closes in approximately seven hours.

[Henlock]

Field Tactician 1rw
Creature - Human Soldier (u)
As Field Tactician enters the battlefield, choose Force or Maneouver.
Force- At the begining of combat in your turn, target creature gets +2/+0 until end of turn.
Maneouver- At the begining of combat in your turn, you may tap target creature.
2/3

[spacemonaut]

Round 2 is now closed. Please critique and provide a top 3 for the seven contestants above you on this list, looping to the top as necessary.

netn10
slimytrout
bravelion83
RaikouRider
kwanyeegor-ii
Subject16
Gateways7
void_nothing
frogchild
Ink-Treader
marioguy3
barbecube
Henlock

Round 3 will start on the 18th with the top 8 from rounds 1+2.

[bravelion83]

Critiques (done)

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Ravnica Final Showdown 3WB
Enchantment (Rare)
As Ravnica Final Showdown enters the battlefield, choose Ravnica or Nicol Bolas.
• Ravnica — At the beginning of your end step, if you control a permanent of each color pair, you win the game.
• Nicol Bolas — At the beginning of end step, you amass 3 and you draw a card.

Only a couple thoughts: I can't see the name printed for real. It's not the final showdown, Ravnica has survived and once rebuilt will be ready for the next inevitable destruction. "Ravnica Showdown" would already have been better, or explore other potential alternatives. I would have definitely put this at mythic. The words "you win the game" already push towards mythic, especially with upside. The flavor is just perfect. The Ravnica option heavily reminds me of Maze's End. That's neither good or bad, just a thing I noticed.

Peripheral Mage-Ring 3
Artifact (C)
As Peripheral Mage-Ring enters the battlefield, choose Ampryn or Separtists.
• Ampryn — T: Add C.
• Separtists — 1, T, Sacrifice Peripheral Mage-Ring: It deals 2 damage to any target.
The power of the mage-rings can be used to control the Core States - or to leave them.

Another real conflict. Good. A typo in "separatists" ("Separtists"). We know too little about the core conflict of Vryn to judge whether the abilities are good representations of the fighting sides. Mechanically, I'm not the biggest fan of colorless direct damage but there is plenty of precedent. Choosing to face this challenge by making a common card is also remarkable, and in my opinion you've managed it.

Battle For Ghirapur 1UR
Enchantment (R)
As Battle For Ghirapur enters the battlefield, choose Consulate or Rebellion

• Consulate - At the beginning of your upkeep, you get . Then, you may pay . If you do, draw two cards

• Rebellion - Whenever an artifact enters the battlefield under your control, you may discard a card. If you do, Battle For Ghirapur deals 5 damage to any target

Another event that has happened for real. Good. I would have used "Rebels" instead of "Rebellion", but that's a very minor point. A full stop is always missing at the end of every line: the two option and the end of the first line after the choice. The color pie is respected. I have no problems with the abilities. A piece of advice: avoid list tags. They add an unneeded and unwanted space before and after the list. Use bullet point (•) characters instead.

Bereft Survivor 1G
Creature - Human Peasant (U)
As Weary Survivor enters the battlefield, choose Pride or Humility.
Pride — T: Add one mana of any color. Spend this mana only to cast spells with converted mana cost 3 or greater.
Humility — When Bereft Survivor enters the battlefield, return target permanent card with converted mana cost 1 or less from your graveyard to your hand.
When you lose everything, do you reach for the heavens once more, or do you pick up the ashes?

Now let's start with the philosophical conflicts that didn't happen for real in the sense that they don't reflect real MTG conflicts. Let's call them "fake conflicts". Not good in my opinion. I would have totally made the Humility option a mirror of the card Humility. No problems with the abilities, but I don't understand why adding mana represents pride and a worse Regrowth humility.

Sightly Conflict
Enchantment - Rare
As Sightly Conflict enters the battlefield, choose Stealth or Defiance.
Stealth - You may cast nonland cards as though they had flash.
Defiance - Choose a card type. Spells you cast of the chosen type cost less to cast and can't be the target of spells and abilities your opponents control.

Another "fake conflict", not good. Why not just "can't be countered" instead of "spell-hexproof"? I understand why the first option is called stealth, but not why the other is defiance, how it represents the concept of defiance. A minor thing, but relevant if this were to be printed for real: all dashes are technically wrong. None is needed between the card type and rarity, and the other two should be em dashes (—) and not hyphens (-).

Professor of Artifice 3U
Creature — Human Advisor (R)
As Professor of Artifice enters the battlefield, choose Invention or Tradition.
• Invention — Artifact spells you cast cost 1 less to cast.
• Tradition — When Professor of Artifice enters the battlefield, return target artifact card from your graveyard to your hand.
2/3

Yet another "fake conflict", and another one will follow, not good. At least I can very easily see this is from Kaladesh. The flavor is very good, and the abilities make sense with the words. I only wish this card represented an actual conflict.

Field Tactician 1rw
Creature - Human Soldier (u)
As Field Tactician enters the battlefield, choose Force or Maneouver.
Force- At the begining of combat in your turn, target creature gets +2/+0 until end of turn.
Maneouver- At the begining of combat in your turn, you may tap target creature.
2/3

These are not anchor words, these are ability words. The italics changes completely the meaning of the words at the beginning (with two "n"s, there is only one in both instances in rules text) of the abilities. You're lucky that ability words have no rules meaning, or the card could have easily be nonfunctional. What would be called "Quality" in the MCC is very low here. No big problems with the abilities.

Top 3

1st place: slimytrout
2nd place: netn10
3rd place: barbecube

[slimytrout]

netn10

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Ravnica Final Showdown: Name is a bit stilted, but the biggest problem is with the color pie -- the Ravnica ability could go in any color pair (although green feels the most appropriate) but the Bolas ability needs to be in blue, because neither white nor black can repeatedly draw cards (without any life payment, in black's case). I do really like the Ravnica ability though.

Henlock

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Field Tactician: The "conflict" here is pretty vague, which, from a brief glance, seems like it might become a theme of the entries I'm evaluating. As for the card itself, it's perfectly acceptable although nothing exciting.

barbecube

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Professor of Artifice: Etherium Sculptor meets Trusty Packbeast -- hardly a rare-worthy card. Another very vague conflict.

marioguy3

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Sightly Conflict: Name is awkward, conflict is once again vague. The first half is Vedalken Orrery, but the second half is new and somewhat interesting, although probably somewhat weak.

Ink-Treader

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Bereft Survivor: Fun card, and the flavor text does help to make the conflict a little more tangible, even if it wouldn't really fit on the card. Both modes are familiar but done in a new way and appropriate for an uncommon.

frogchild

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Battle For Ghirapur: Quite a strong card - 3 energy for two cards is a very strong conversion rate, even if you can only do it once per turn, and repeatable Lightning Axe will also end the game quite quickly. I'd probably prefer that this card cost at least 1 more, but it does get a lot of points for being flavorful.

void_nothing

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Lahantyr, Fortress of Wealth: Interesting card -- pain land for red, something vaguely resembling Ruins of Trokair for white, but you have to pick which one when you play it. Another card with a somewhat vague conflict, but the use of a legendary supertype makes it more flavorful.

T3

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1. frogchild
2. void_nothing
3. Ink-Treader

[Gateways7]

Crits

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Henlock - There are a couple of wording/spelling errors ("Maneouver", "in your turn"), and I think the tapping mode is a lot stronger than the combat boost, but otherwise this is a neat idea.
netn10 - The Ravnica mode should use Niv-Mizzet's wording (for each color pair, if you control a permanent that's exactly those colors), and I think that the Nicol Bolas mode is a bit too pushed, but overall this is a really solid card.
slimytrout - I think that both modes of this card are a bit weak - this could probably just be a Manalith or Shock for free. That said, it might be more appropriate at common, and I like the use of this effect on a typically throwaway common slot.
bravelion83 - I really like the balance of both effects and the mirrored flavor of ETB/death being your two modes.
RaikouRider - This seems super powerful in a more durdly format like Commander, and would probably be very good if it were printed in a format where Eldrazi were common. Not sure if it's too pushed, but it seems like it'd be really fun. One problem I see is that Wizards doesn't really like effects that force you to repeatedly shuffle your library, so maybe if the Zendikar looked at your top 5 and picked a land from there it'd be more printable.
kwanyeegor-ii - Not sure that I like that this card is making the assumption that Mirran=white and Phyrexian=black when Phyrexia is in each color pretty equally in Mirrodin, and it would probably make more sense for Mirrans to be represented by red considering the red Phyrexians are... more chill, for lack of a better term. Other than that, though, I think that this is a pretty solid uncommon that would be good with both choices.
Subject16 - Super simple yet flavorfully resonant design, I'm a big fan. Not much to say other than this is really good.

T3

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1 . Subject16
2. bravelion83.
3. slimytrout

[spacemonaut]

Last day for round 1+2 critiques—round 3 (top 8) starts tomorrow.

[marioguy3]

Critiques:

RaikouRider: An interesting card that promotes a solid conflict, and the card being rare is appropriate.

kwanyeegor-ii: This Myr probably needed to be a rare, but it is quite a powerful and flexible card.

Subject16: I like the flavor of Pride and Prejudice on a card, and the colors are very appropriate for the effect.

Gateways7: Definitely flavorful as a war. The card is slightly limited in use as a three colored card though.

void_nothing: This land is quite a bit too powerful to see play, mainly because it enters untapped. Wizards could print a card like this, but it would ETB tapped. Rarity and name is appropriate for conflict.

frogchild: Absolute auto-include in Jhoria decks, this card is very nutty and extremely polar. Consulate is very well designed, but Rebellion can kill players with just 8 artifacts in commander. 5 damage to anything is absolutely powerful, and this would be the best planeswalker removal card ever printed.. at 3 mana. The card would still be good if Rebellion dealt 3 damage, and it would feel more balanced. Discarding a card is not a huge obstacle in izzet.

Ink-Treader: I love the flavor text. The card is reasonable. But this creature card has no power or toughness.

Top 3:

1st: RaikouRider
2nd: Subject16
3rd: frogchild

[void_nothing]

Critiques

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netn10 - An alt win is nice but the Bolas mode on this card is way too powerful. Amass 3 and a card starting the turn you play? That's crazy efficient.

slimytrout - If I were to design a common Siege-style modal permanent, this is how I'd do it - and maybe a Vryn set would be able to have that theme - but I don't think that's how I'd do a modal theme at common at all. Things like the Ainok Guide cycle from Fate Reforged are better at common because they're one-shot.

bravelion83 - I like the parallelism of these effects - the one big knock against it is just how close the name is to Mirrodin Besieged, which is ALREADY this same kind of design.

RaikouRider - Whoa. Neat. I like the ways in which each mode works with the themes of the factions. The Zendikari mode is strong for sure; more than just landfall enabling, it's some powerful accel over time.

kwanyeegor-ii - Interesting stuff and I don't think one mode is objectively stronger than the other. Outright using faction keywords is maybe an overly obvious way to communicate the conflict but it works alright.

Subject16 - Hah! Very clever - great flavor text, nice modes, it's just that I don't see how this is a storyline conflict - more like one person's own conflict about how to live their life,

Gateways7 - Neat. Jxnny would love to cook up ways to seriously abuse the Monsters mode.

Top 3

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1. RaikouRider
2. Gateways7
3. kwanyeegor-ii

[RaikouRider]

Ink-Treader:
- Pride side: Idea is solid. I don't think the restriction is necessary but I see why it's there.
- Humility side: Most of the time this returns a fetch of some kind. Seems at its best in decks playing Trinket Mage. Soul Sisters variants could use it too.
I really want to vote for this thing, but you're missing power and toughness, so I can't. Sorry.
marioguy3:
- Stealth side: This is Leyline of Anticipation.
- Defiance: Making all your spells of the chosen type untargetable hasn't been done before. It's better than uncounterable - it means they can't be copied either.
This really feels like it should be a Simic card. I can see it in mono-blue, but this could easily be a Simic or even a hybrid card.
barbecube: I don't buy this at rare. This should either be three mana or be uncommon.
Henlock: Wow, what a pain this has to be to play around - all-star Limited uncommon for sure and would probably see play in aggro decks. Really like this one.
netn10:
- Ravnica side: As a designer, I would want this to trigger at upkeep instead of end step to give the table a turn to respond. As a player, I feel this is hard enough to set up that if you can win with this, you deserve it.
- Bolas side: Whose end step does this trigger at? I'm guessing yours to mirror the other mode, but it doesn't say on the card and I have to judge it as is. Sorry.
slimytrout:
- Ampryn side: It's a mana stone.
- Separtists: It's common colorless removal. Even at common, I think these two can probably be stapled together - I'm not really happy to play either of these cards in my draft deck. At 2 and ETBT I think this card is playable.
bravelion83:
- Mirrodin side: Costed about right and mirrors the faction. Signpost uncommon maybe?
- Phyrexia side: This is Moldervine Reclamation's exact text. Perhaps opposing life loss would be better?
I like the flavor of this one, but this should probably cost one more mana and give some added bonus on the Mirran side.

1) Henlock
2) netn10
3) marioguy3

[Henlock]

Just top

1. Voidnothing
2. Subject16
3. Gateways7

[Ink-Treader]

bravelion83

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It's some interesting parity to be sure. I feel like the Phyrexia side is significantly stronger than the Mirrodin side here, but hey, one could argue that's flavorfully accurate.

RaikouRider

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Both sides are ramp. The Eldrazi side has immediate power, but it feels weird that Scions/Spawn don't benefit. The Zendikar side is fine, but probably overshadowed by what the Eldrazi side can do.

kwanyeegor-ii

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This certainly works. Hard to evaluate, but it seems just about right power level wise, perhaps slightly weak at worst.

Subject16

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Cute card. The prejudice side is probably what'll see the most play, but the pride side will certainly have its moments.

Gateways7

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The Humans side is just right I feel. The Monsters side is also probably fine. The worst I can say is that the card isn't particularly red.

void_nothing

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Risky card. If it's getting played, it would almost exclusively be for Generosity, seeing as it's otherwise a worse Mountain. That being said, that's a harsh draw back.

frogchild

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Consulate is definitely strong here, but probably nothing to crazy. Rebellion on the other hand is very overpowered. Following up an artifact ETB by turning a card into a grenade is insane at this cost. The damage needs to come down to 3 at least, which would still be quite strong.

Top 3

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1. Gateways7
2. bravelion83
3. Subject16