MCC Frequently Asked Questions
(written by bravelion83 in July 2019, based on the old FAQ on MTGSalvation. Edited in August 2023 by void_nothing.)
What is the MCC?
The acronym stands for Monthly Card Contest, and that kinda says everything. It's a custom card creation contest that you can find every month in the MTGNexus Custom Card subforum. In it, players compete to create custom MTG cards based on different challenges in a series of elimination rounds. It's characterized by its high strictness and formality, that are a feature and not a bug. It's the most strict and formal custom card creation contest on MTGNexus. But don't be scared by this! We welcome everyone!
How many people can play in the MCC?
There is no limit to the number of players in round 1, though an old guideline said 10 x the number of people who sign up as judges. Nobody has ever been turned away in the whole history of this contest on MTGSalvation, and I don't expect that to happen here on MTGNexus either.
How do I participate in the MCC as a player?
Just submit a card in round 1 and you're in. Later rounds are only open to players who advanced from
earlier rounds.
Can I join the current MCC that is in progress?
Only in round 1. Not in later rounds. If you miss round 1 on one month, you will have to wait until the next month. I'm sorry. But while you wait, why don't you check the other contests that are going on around here?
Is a signup required as a player?
No. Anyone can post in round 1 as a player. Your post in round 1 counts as your signup as a player for the month.
Is a signup required as a judge?
Yes. If you want to be a judge for the month, you will have to sign up in the "judge signup thread" when signups are open (until we get enough judges or until the design deadline of round 1, whichever comes first).
Grammar and spelling have nothing to do with design, why should I be docked points for it?
True, spelling has no reflection on your abilities as a designer. But the fact of the matter is that those sorts of errors are both impossible to ignore and easy to correct. We could go on and on about this, or you could take a small fraction of the amount of time it would take to post a complain about it to just check over your card when you submit it. Also, while misprints and typos do happen sometimes in real MTG too, remember that Wizards has a whole team of editors checking every card before it leaves the building. They pay attention to these things, and so should we.
Can I include Design notes/Flavor notes/Art description?
No, unless the round challenges
specifically and explicitly ask for it. Cards submitted in the MCC should be evaluated as though they're being taken out of a booster pack and seen for the first time. All the elements of the card should be able to stand on their own. Another reason for this rule to be inflexible is to avoid giving a potentially unfair advantage to native or fluent English speakers.
Do the cards I submit in the MCC need to be in English?
Yes,
with no exception. If you're not a native English speaker, don't worry and just do the best you can. If it can encourage you, the person writing these very notes is not a native English speaker.
Which wording are we using?
Always the most up‐to‐date as possible. If a previewed card reveals a new wording, between that preview and its set's Prerelease you can use either the old or the new wording. After the Prerelease, that is after we all have had a chance to play with the real physical card, only the new wording will be accepted, and if you still use the old one, your card will be penalized in Quality.
What is a render and how do I make one?
A render is a mockup of your card with art. To make one, you may use the
MTGNexus Custom Card & Set Creator tool, or you may use one of the common free downloadable programs such as Magic Set Editor (MSE).
Are renders required?
No. They are optional but not required.
Do I need artist credit if I choose to make a render?
Yes, always. If you have a render, you must credit the artist properly, possibly by name. The name given should be able to lead people to that artist without effort, so if you're pulling art off of DeviantArt or someplace similar you should include the URL where you've found the image at the very least.
Do you need to have a render to get a perfect score?
No. In fact, the render is just ignored during judging, and this is exactly one of the reasons why. We don't want to require a render to get a perfect score because that would penalize people who can't see images in a potentially unfair way. Also, while art is certainly an important part of a MTG card, this is a contest about your skills in custom card design, not about your skills in using card rendering or image elaboration software.
If I don't submit a render can I make a text card with 15 lines?
No. Both players and judges are heavily encouraged to use the Nexus Custom Card & Set creator tool or software like Magic Set Editor (MSE) to verify whether you're dealing with microtext. In that case, point deductions will be inevitable. As a guideline, remember that the card with the smallest text that has been actually printed in the M15 frame is
Animate Dead from EMA: 10 lines of text with two line breaks.
How do I become a judge?
To limit complaints about scores, we want to make sure that our judgings are all up to certain standards. This isn't meant as some sort of punishment or criticism of potential judges, just as a way to keep things as civil and fair as possible. See the "how you can become a judge" paragraph in the MCC guidelines for more info.
How do I become a host?
See the "how you can become host" paragraph in the MCC guidelines for more info.
What do I get for judging or hosting an MCC?
You don't receive anything tangible, just the pride for doing it and knowing that you just were a big help in running an event.
Can I judge and play (or host and play) in the same MCC?
No,
with no exception.
I feel that the score my card received was completely unfair! What should I do to challenge it?
First, in this contest "completely unfair" and "challenge" are just bad words. Judgments are final as of the judging deadline. Sometimes they won't be perfect, but that's ok. We are humans, perfection doesn't belong to either ourselves or the world we live in. What you can do is sending a pm to the judge explaining your reasons in a polite and civil way, but don't expect anything to change. The judges aren't required to adjust or change their judgments based on your pm, but they can if they want and if the judging deadline hasn't passed yet.
Okay, maybe my card wasn't the best, but my opponent's card was horrific and it beat mine! Can I challenge the score of my opponent's card?
No. Again, you can send a polite and civil pm to the judge, but don't expect anything to change. In this case specifically, please contact the judge via pm and NOT in the discussion thread. Discussing an opponent's card is, on the surface, just as valid as discussing your own, but the potential bad feelings just aren't worth it.
Yes I know, I was late to the round, but I had a really important engagement and my internet glitched on me when I got home (or whatever other excuse) just in time to post my card. Can you accept it, please?
No. The design deadline is there for a reason. Remember that real life always comes first, and that this is just a game. There are more important things in life, and those must always take priority. If you know you will have a conflict ahead of time, you may ask the organizer for an extension via post or PM, and most of the time short extensions of a day or two can easily be granted. Don't worry if you miss a deadline, because we hope we'll see you again next month.
Can I edit my card even after I have submitted it?
If the design deadline hasn't passed yet, then sure, edit whatever you want in your submission, or even change it completely. If the design deadline has already passed, no. In fact, if you edit your submission post in any way after the design deadline has passed, that's a cause of DQ.
I'm trying to make my card work but I just can't get the wording right. What should I do?
The rules gurus and the MCC judges are allowed to help you on your card text, preferably via pm. You may identify rules gurus on the site by a purple badge on their profiles. Any other kind of external help is not allowed.
Can I get help on other parts of my card?
No. MCC cards must be created on your own, meaning that design, balancing, and any other part of your submission must be your idea and yours alone. The only exception is the one in the previous question.
Where can I learn about MTG card design in general?
You can find all kinds of useful material on the internet. Personally, I advise following Mark Rosewater (Maro for short), MTG's current Head Designer, who writes articles (Making Magic) and does podcasts (Drive to Work) about it. You can find all his articles and podcasts on the official MTG Wizards website. He also has a Tumblr blog (Blogatog) where he answers all kinds of questions about MTG design and more.
Thanks for reading. Hopefully you've been to find in these guidelines and FAQs the answer to your questions. If you didn't, or have any more questions, feel free to ask in the discussion thread.
See you in the MCC!