CCL August, Top 6/Round 3: The Best Things in Life Are...

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void_nothing
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Post by void_nothing » 2 years ago

CCL August Top 6/Round 3

"The Best Things in Life Are..."


Image
Great Whale, taken from EchoMTG, by Bob Eggleton 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 Maligned Mechanics Month here at the CCL. We will be seeing how best to fix mechanical themes that were not very successful.

Challenge
Design an Urza's block style "free spell". This means a nonland card that untaps lands equal to its mana value when you cast it or when it enters the battlefield.
Clarifications
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  • Make sure to include a rarity.
Your submissions are due Friday, August 27th, 23:59 EST.
Contestants:
@Ink-Treader
@Henlock
@RaikouRider
@Subject16
@netn10
@slimytrout

Schedule
  • Round 1 — Open to Everyone (August 1st-8th)
  • Round 2 — Open to Everyone (August 11th-17th)
  • Rounds 1 and 2 Critiques (Due August 19th)
  • Top 6 — Open to top 6 finishers (August 24th–27th)
  • Top 6 Critiques (Due August 29th)
  • Top 4 — Open to top 4 finishers (August 30th–September 2nd)
  • Top 4 Critiques (Due September 4th)
  • Final (September, winner determined by public poll)
Please note: For this month we will continue asking first and second round contestants to evaluate seven other contestants during the critique and top 3 period, in order to increase the total number of evaluations each contestant gets.
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

netn10
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Post by netn10 » 2 years ago

Recharge Laylines R
Instant (Rare)
Until end of turn, whenever you untap one or more lands, you may discard that many cards. If you do, draw that many cards.
Untap target land.

slimytrout
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Post by slimytrout » 2 years ago

Rejuvenation Druid 1GG
Creature - Elf Druid (U)
Whenever Rejuvenation Druid enters the battlefield or attacks, untap up to three lands.
1GG: Rejuvenation Druid gets +2/+2 until end of turn.
"I renew the land, and it renews me."
2/2

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Subject16
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Post by Subject16 » 2 years ago

Brain Teaser U
Artifact (C)
When Brain Teaser enters the battlefield, untap up to one target land.
U, T, Sacrifice Brain Teaser: Scry 1, then draw a card.
Urza scoffed at his apprentice. "What good is a toy when we're at war?"

Ink-Treader
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Post by Ink-Treader » 2 years ago

Fetid Wanderer 3BB
Creature - Wraith (U)
When Fetid Wanderer enters the battlefield, if it was cast from your hand, untap up to five lands you control. Otherwise, untap up to five basic Swamps you control instead.
Escape—5, Exile five other cards from your graveyard.
5/1
Last edited by Ink-Treader 2 years ago, edited 2 times in total.

Henlock
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Post by Henlock » 2 years ago

Jeskai Teachings 2u
Instant (r)
Creatures you control gain prowess until end of turn.
Untap up to three lands.

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Post by RaikouRider » 2 years ago

Desperate Delve XRR
Sorcery {R}
This spell can't be countered.
As an additional cost to cast this spell, discard X cards.
Draw X cards and untap up to X plus two lands.

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Post by Henlock » 2 years ago

We have the six entries now. Is it OK if we start with criques?

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Post by void_nothing » 2 years ago

Henlock wrote:
2 years ago
We have the six entries now. Is it OK if we start with criques?
Yes, please critique and top 3 everyone else.
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

Henlock
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Post by Henlock » 2 years ago

in progress
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netn10: So a free rummage that can let you rummage further if lands get untapped. This is something tjat works with lots of.small triggers, as a big untap.ala Early Harvest might find you with no.enoigh cards to rummage, and this leaves you down a card. Freed from the Real plus + [card]Argothian Elder nts you a win prpvided you habe two cards in hand and a spell such as blue Sun's Zenith to win on the spot. I wonder what kind of deck (I'm.thinking.of.commander) can run a Freed from the real.package and also red, but this is of course a very good piece in that package. The other deck I am thinking about.now that could benefit for this effect is the arcane deck that runs psychic puppetry as a way to untap lands that can produce several mana. Of course, it's a pauper deck but this os an effect that can give some.consistency to a casual version. All around a combo tool that looks intrtesting and gets you thinking about what to do with it. On design, well, I was expecting all submissions to be blue or probably bled to green, so seeing this effect on red makes me.wonder if red wouldn"t have gone with "add ". In this card in particular that is impossible, yet still feels quite OK.

slimytrout: I do not think.uncommon is where this should be, specially because of the on-attack trigger. A three mana ramp.on turn four is quite dramatic. Of course this has the safety on not allowing you to use all the mana in one go, but doublespelling an extra 3 drop and then a 3 and a 4 next turn can get scary. I like it that tjis is worse with traditional creature ramp and that it demands you to attack, but also being a mana sink is a bit too much. Creature decks have a lot of consistency to take advantage of this.

Subject16: So a little cantrip for artifact sinergies looks nice. Witching Well saw its share of play and this reminds me a lot of it. The untap makes it an honorary cheerio, and it has no way to benefit from cost reductions.

Ink Treader: While this might feel a bit off in black the escape clause makes it very "delvish". It's a bit odd that you can untap swamps when you escape it with generic, but I like this idea quite a bit.

RaikouRaider- Very powerful.rummage effect. Uncounterability doesn't usually matter much apart of the blue hosing. This is probably too effective as it gives you cards and mana for.not much cost.
1. netn10
2. InkTreader
3. Subject16
Last edited by Henlock 2 years ago, edited 1 time in total.

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Post by Ink-Treader » 2 years ago

Henlock
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Probably the best way to make temporary mass prowess worth it. I wonder if it could get away with cantripping.
RaikouRider
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Can do quite a lot, being a 'free' rummage, and being uncounterable makes it very safe. This might be too good.
Subject16
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Nice and cute card. Sorcery speed Opt with artifact synergy feels fine.
netn10
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This is a card that feels undercosted, but is likely isn't in practice. It definitely takes some effort to take advantage of (though casting multiples would be damn silly, and fun).
slimytrout
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Feels a little strong, mostly for the attack trigger. I do like how it helps with the activated ability, but think it would be safer if it was on combat damage with a player. Being easily flickerable also ups its potential strength.
Top 3
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1. Subject16
2. netn10
3. Henlock

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Post by void_nothing » 2 years ago

Please get your critiques in!
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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Post by void_nothing » 2 years ago

We need more than two sets of scores, please at least get a top 3 in.
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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Post by Subject16 » 2 years ago

crits
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netn10: I like that this can set up some big filtering options, but red isn't really a color for untapping lands, so I'm not sure how far a card like this could be pushed.

slimytrout: Very strong uncommon, at first glance I thought this could be problematic, but having to attack for it to work is good, even if it can become up to a 6/6 in one turn with little mana investment.

Ink-Treader: The wording of the "otherwise" here seems for this to work regardless of how it enters (like standard reanimation would work for it). I feel like that could be a bit problematic, but I really like the potential it has.

Henlock: This I love. A free spell that doesn't do anything on its own, but that helps push your board to a more deadly state. Feels very Jeskai to me.

RaikouRider: Very strong card, as it's a free hand-sculpting at higher CMCs. Cards like this are usually weak to countermagic, so the uncounterability pushes this card from a high-risk/reward card to just pure value, and honestly I don't know if I prefer it that way or not.
Top 3:
1. Henlock
2. slimytrout
3. Ink-Treader

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Post by RaikouRider » 2 years ago

I must preface by saying this was a very difficult mechanic to work with; this mechanic may be even more broken than Phyrexian mana.

netn10: This looks like a better version of my submission, and far more balanced too. These kinds of effects have to be monitored very closely. Even something like Frantic Search is banned in Legacy. I think, as benign as this effect is, it's probably still too good for big formats.

slimytrout: Yet another reason why Deadeye Navigator is a problem card and needs to be removed from the format. This card actually fits the challenge well as green is the only color in the modern color pie allowed to untap lands. This is a very high Limited pick and would probably see play in Legacy elves just as a way to untap Cradle.

Sunject16: This is a home run of a submission. You created a "free" blue spell that storm wouldn't want to play! Pretty sure due to its free nature, this would find a home in Affinity. The flavor text was a good laugh.

Ink-Treader: I would say this doesn't fit the spirit of the challenge, but it fits the letter for sure. Creative way to keep this in pie by making it untap only basic Swamps except on cast. The rest of the card is not too noteworthy - it's a french vanilla, after all! The escape cost is probably correct.

Henlock: This is a really neat sideboard card for decks with Monastery Mentor. This lets those decks get quite out of hand. I don't think this sees play in too many other places. Maybe a Kykar commander deck wants this?

This was very hard to decide on.

1) Subject16
2) slimytrout
3) Henlock

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Post by slimytrout » 2 years ago

netn10
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Pure storm card. I like how it actually interacts with the untapping of lands, but I do worry about it plus Turnabout or High Tide.
Subject16
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I really like it. No notes.
Ink-Treader
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Needs to be played in a black deck, which is nice, but it actually doesn't feel all that black to untap lands, so a bit of a mixed bag.
Henlock
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Looks cool in a spellslinger deck. The fact that it doesn't cantrip makes it a lot weaker, but I'm sure some Johnnies would find a way to make it work.
RaikouRider
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It does have some limits, but ultimately it's pretty much free filtering, which is a bit scary. I would be very worried about printing this into any format with storm as a viable archetype.
T3
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1. Subject16
2. Henlock
3. netn10

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Post by void_nothing » 2 years ago

And your top 4 -

Subject16
Henlock
netn10
slimytrout

Round to come early tomorrow!
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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