June MCC, Finals - Written Within

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void_nothing
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Post by void_nothing » 2 years ago

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Banner based on Blex, Vexing Pest // Search for Blex by Ekaterina Burmak and Wizards of the Coast. Thanks to bravelion83 for the "Core Set Style" MCC Logo
June MCC, Round 4 - Written Within

Welcome to the June MCC! It's Subtype Groups Month here at the MCC.

Main Challenge: Design an enchantment card that is an Aura Cartouche, Aura Curse, or Aura Rune.
Subchallenge 1: Your card is legendary
Subchallenge 2: Your card's mana value is 4 or greater

DEADLINES

Design deadline: Monday, July 19th 23:59 EDT

Judging deadline: Thursday, July 22nd 23:59 EDT

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MCC Rubric
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Design
(X/3) Appeal - Do the different player psychographics (Timmy/Johhny/Spike) have a use for the card?
(X/3) Elegance - Is the card easily understandable at a glance? Do all the flavor and mechanics combined as a whole make sense?

Development
(X/3) Viability - How well does the card fit into the color wheel? Does it break or bend the rules of the game? Is it the appropriate rarity?
(X/3) Balance - Does the card have a power level appropriate for contemporary constructed/limited environments without breaking them? Does it play well in casual and multiplayer formats? Does it create or fit into a deck/archetype? Does it create an oppressive environment?

Creativity
(X/3) Uniqueness - Has a card like this ever been printed before? Does it use new mechanics, ideas, or design space? Does it combine old ideas in a new way? Overall, does it feel "fresh"?
(X/3) Flavor - Does the name seem realistic for a card? Does the flavor text sound professional? Do all the flavor elements synch together to please Vorthos players?

Polish
(X/3) Quality - Points deducted for incorrect spelling, grammar, and templating.
(X/2) Main Challenge (*) - Was the main challenge satisfied? Was it approached in a unique or interesting way? Does the card fit the intent of the challenge?
(X/2) Subchallenges - One point awarded per satisfied subchallenge condition.

Total: X/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
Judges:
void_nothing
Subject16
StonerOfKruphix

Players:
@slimytrout
@RaikouRider
@Ink-Treader
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Ink-Treader
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Post by Ink-Treader » 2 years ago

Survivor's Cartouche 2RR
Enchantment - Aura Cartouche (R)
Flash
Enchant creature you control
When Survivor's Cartouche enters the battlefield, you may change the targets of each spell or ability that targets enchanted creature.
Enchanted creature gets +3/+2 and has haste and "When this creature the leaves the battlefield, if it isn't a token, create a token copy of this creature with a token copy of Survivor's Cartouche attached to it."

slimytrout
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Post by slimytrout » 2 years ago

The Curse of the Alteides 2BBB
Legendary Enchantment - Aura Curse (R)
Enchant player
Whenever enchanted player casts a creature spell, they sacrifice a creature.
Generations of sons, each doomed to kill his own father.

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void_nothing
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Post by void_nothing » 2 years ago

@RaikouRider? Checking in - everyone has a 24-hour extension from this point.
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Important Facts: Colorless is not a color, Wastes is not a land type, Changeling is not a creature type

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void_nothing
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Post by void_nothing » 2 years ago

Okay, haven't heard from RaikouRider - I am closing the round. Judges you know what to do
Psst, check the second page of Custom Card Contests & Games! Because of the daily contests, a lot of games fall down to there.

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Important Facts: Colorless is not a color, Wastes is not a land type, Changeling is not a creature type

StonerOfKruphix
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Post by StonerOfKruphix » 2 years ago

Judging done. Congratulations to both finalists, very nice designs!

Ink-Treader
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Ink-Treader wrote:
2 years ago
Survivor's Cartouche 2RR
Enchantment - Aura Cartouche (R)
Flash
Enchant creature you control
When Survivor's Cartouche enters the battlefield, you may change the targets of each spell or ability that targets enchanted creature.
Enchanted creature gets +3/+2 and has haste and "When this creature the leaves the battlefield, if it isn't a token, create a token copy of this creature with a token copy of Survivor's Cartouche attached to it."
Design
(2/3) Appeal - Between all of its effects and the buffs, this is definitely a Txmmy card. Jxnny might use it for some protection/synergy, as does Spike, but it's too linear for the first and too costly for the last.
(2/3) Elegance - The card in itself is a bit crowded and it essentially does three different things, so this might cause some confusion.

Development
(2.5/3) Viability - Power level-wise, this absolutely has to be at least a rare, just for its multiplicity of effects. About these effects, redirecting spells and giving haste are all red things, but the last ability (making a token copy) definitely feels more white (or blue) than red to me. It's not that red hasn't already done this before, but usually the token would be temporary, so that's why I'm knocking just half a point.
(3/3) Balance - The card is strong without being broken. This would be a high pick in limited for its versatility and the blowouts it would ensure. I don't think this would see play in constructed formats though: the effects might be strong, but four mana is a heavy investment for an Aura. Still, maybe some fringe deck has some interest in it or it could be used as a sideboard card against a removal-heavy deck.

Creativity
(2.5/3) Uniqueness - While most of the individual parts of the card are something that we've already seen in the past, the combination of all of them makes this a pretty fresh design.
(2/3) Flavor - Yeah, I get that there's no room on the card for flavor text, but the fact that this is a cartouche raises more questions than answers: If the cartouches were issued by the city of Amonkhet and it was all in preparation for the eternalization of its inhabitants (after all the cartouches "store" the abilities of their owner), who's giving these out now? Hazoret? And why would she give something that she knows is evil (at least, has been in the past) to the survivors that are with her? So many questions!

Polish
(3/3) Quality - All correct here.
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) - Check.
(1/2) Subchallenges - Not legendary, but it costs 4 mana.

Total: 20/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
slimytrout
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slimytrout wrote:
2 years ago
The Curse of the Alteides 2BBB
Legendary Enchantment - Aura Curse (R)
Enchant player
Whenever enchanted player casts a creature spell, they sacrifice a creature.
Generations of sons, each doomed to kill his own father.
Design
(2/3) Appeal - Jxnny might like the synergies this could have if they enchant themselves. It's huge and it's removal in Txmmy's mind. Spike dislikes how swingy this could be because of its heavy mana investment and the fact that its value scales based on the matchup, but knows that the effect is pretty strong.
(3/3) Elegance - The card is very sleek and simple to understand with a single read.

Development
(3/3) Viability - I couldn't think of a more appropriate rarity and color for this effect, so full marks here.
(2/3) Balance - This kind of card is hard to evaluate properly in a vacuum. For starters, you could always run the risk of topdecking this in the late game, and if you're behind on the board, it's a pretty bad draw. Or, in the opposite case, you could slam this on an empty board, forever locking your opponent out of having more than one creature on the board for the rest of the game (of course, your opponent could destroy this or create some tokens to get around the sacrifice effect). Because of how swingy this can be I don't think it would be a first pick in draft, but I could see this getting played in constructed, maybe by some control decks.

Creativity
(2.5/3) Uniqueness - This design heavily threads on the many black "punisher" enchantments that have been around (like Lethal Vapors, Cruel Reality or Nether Void), but it manages to do its own thing. This kinda strikes me as a reverse-Grave Pact.
(3/3) Flavor - As a fan of Greek mythology, this is just perfect. The flavor text is amazing and I love how concisely it tells you a tragic story.

Polish
(3/3) Quality - All correct here.
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) - Check.
(2/2) Subchallenges - Double check.

Total: 22.5/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
Results
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slimytrout 22.5
Ink-Treader 20

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void_nothing
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Post by void_nothing » 2 years ago

Ink-Treader
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Design
(2.5/3) Appeal - Txmmy likes splashy Auras. Jxnny likes all of the unusual things this card does and wants to play with the many moving parts. Spike always has a hard time justifying Auras but this card helps against removal in two different ways, so...
(1/3) Elegance - Very wordy, and creates a complex token that often will not have a relevant ETB ability... attached to another token.

Development
(2.5/3) Viability - Definitely rare. Changing targets is red, it's debatable whether that recursion ability is red though.
(3/3) Balance - Does a lot, but for a four-mana Aura you had better get a lot in order to justify the investment plus the risk. There is certainly less risk here than with other Auras, however.

Creativity
(2/3) Uniqueness - Not many target-changing effects use the Sideswipe version. The recursion ability is new but is basically a super-totem armor.
(2.5/3) Flavor - Totally workable; definitely conveys the idea of surviving and red is a color I'd heavily associate with Amonkhet's holdouts due to Hazoret leading them.

Polish
(3/3) Quality - Looks good.
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) - Done.
(1/2) Subchallenges - Not legendary.

Total: 19.5/25
slimytrout
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Design
(2/3) Appeal - While Txmmy typically does not like Stax, they DO like Curses. This is maybe too much of a blunt instrument for Jxnny but there are a lot of interactions with both cast triggers and death triggers. Spike is all over this card.
(3/3) Elegance - Hard to argue with that.

Development
(3/3) Viability - Definitely black, definitely rare and you can even argue for mythic.
(2.5/3) Balance - Really strong stuff - quite pushed even - but thankfully this should never leave the cursed player with no creatures and no way to get more. Very nicely tuned wording.

Creativity
(1.5/3) Uniqueness - An effect that has not been done before but that is nonetheless very simple. The closest direct precedent is Aether Barrier, how's that for obscure?
(2/3) Flavor - The name and flavor are kind of on the nose to the original myths - but hey, a lot of stuff on Theros is. I've never liked that, unfortunately, but you picked a lesser-known myth, at least in modern times, and it's one that very much fits the idea of a Curse.

Polish
(3/3) Quality - Looks good.
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) - Done.
(2/2) Subchallenges - And done.

Total: 21/25
Psst, check the second page of Custom Card Contests & Games! Because of the daily contests, a lot of games fall down to there.

The greatest (fake) pro wrestling on the internet - Collaborative Create-A-Booster - My random creations (updated regularly)

Important Facts: Colorless is not a color, Wastes is not a land type, Changeling is not a creature type

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void_nothing
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Post by void_nothing » 2 years ago

Alright, not having heard from our third judge -

Ink-Treader 20+19.5=39.5
slimytrout 22.5+21=43.5

Congratulations to @slimytrout!
Psst, check the second page of Custom Card Contests & Games! Because of the daily contests, a lot of games fall down to there.

The greatest (fake) pro wrestling on the internet - Collaborative Create-A-Booster - My random creations (updated regularly)

Important Facts: Colorless is not a color, Wastes is not a land type, Changeling is not a creature type

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