February CCL, Signups/Round 1: The Infernal Machine

[void_nothing]

CCL February Signups/Round 1

"The Infernal Machine"


Soul of New Phyrexia, taken from Art of MtG, by Daarken 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 Unusual Subtypes Month here at the CCL. Let's make some unique typelines.

Challenge

Design an artifact creature card that has at least one creature type that has never been in an artifact creature's typeline.

Clarifications

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• Make sure to include a rarity.

Anyone can enter this first round! Your submissions are due Tuesday, February 8th, 23:59 EST.

Schedule

• Round 1 — Open to Everyone (February 1st-8th)
• Round 2 — Open to Everyone (February 9th-16th)
• Rounds 1 and 2 Critiques (Due February 18th)
• Top 8 — Open to top 8 finishers (February 19th–22nd)
• Top 8 Critiques (Due February 24th)
• Top 4 — Open to top 4 finishers (February 25th–28th)
• Top 4 Critiques (Due February 30th)
• Final (March, 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.

[Ink-Treader]

Steel Harridan 4
Artifact Creature - Harpy (U)
Flying
Whenever Steel Harridan deals combat damage to a player, that player sacrifices a token and you create a Treasure token.
Mirthless harassment.
3/2

[netn10]

Gutless Effigy 3
Artifact Creature - Scarecrow Coward (Uncommon)
Gutless Effigy can't attack or block.
At the beginning of your upkeep, if Gutless Effigy has 5 or more power, transform it.
"If only I had the courage to visit Chulane... Please bring him to me..."
4/4
////
Search for Heart 2
Sorcery - Adventure (Uncommon)
The next creature you cast this turn enters the battlefield with an additional +1/+1 counter on it.
//// Backside ////
Bravest Effigy
Artifact Creature - Scarecrow Warrior (Uncommon)
Trample, vigilance
"I did not grant you any wish nor waved any wands. The courage was always within you, all you had to do is believe and all I had to do is lie."
- Chulane, First Wizard of Eldraine
4/4

[kwanyeegor-ii]

Clockwork Hippopotamus 3
Artifact Creature - Hippo (Uncommon)
Ward 3
Clockwork Hippopotamus enters the battlefield with three +1/+1 counters on it.
Whenever Clockwork Hippopotamus attacks or blocks, remove a +1/+1 counter from it at end of combat.
T: Put a +1/+1 counter on Clockwork Hippopotamus.
Sacrifice two other artifacts: Untap Clockwork Hippopotamus.
0/0

[slimytrout]

Bronze Bull 1BR
Artifact Creature - Ox Construct (U)
Haste
When Bronze Bull enters the battlefield, choose target creature an opponent controls. That creature can't block for as long as you control Bronze Bull.
3/3

[Henlock]

Moatmaw Machine 3
Artifact Creature - Crocodile Construct (u)
Flash
When Moatmaw Machine enters the battlefield, it deals 2 damage to target attacking creature without flying.
2/3

[marioguy3]

Glass Encased Eye
Artifact Creature - Eye (Uncommon)
Glass Encased Eye enters the battlefield with an ice counter on it.
Glass Encased Eye has defender and indestructible as long as it has an ice counter on it.
Whenever a player casts a red spell that targets Glass Encased Eye, remove an ice counter from Glass Encased Ice. If you do, it deals 2 damage to any target.
4/4

[MonoRedMage]

Tyrite Phoenix 2RRR
Artifact Creature - Phoenix {M}
Flying
Tyrite Phoenix's power is equal to twice the number of artifacts you control.
When Tyrite Phoenix dies, put an egg counter on a nonland permanent you control and two nonland permanents your opponents control.
At the beginning of your upkeep, if Tyrite Phoenix is in your graveyard, destroy target permanent with an egg counter on it chosen at random. When a permanent you control is destroyed this way, return Tyrite Phoenix to the battlefield.
A magnificent yet dangerous creation of Axgardian engineering.
*/3

[void_nothing]

This round is extended - if you're thinking of entering, please do so!

[void_nothing]

Okay, closing the round - please critique and post a top 3 of every other contestant. Second round should come sometime tomorrow.

[Henlock]

in progress

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Ink Treader - 3/2 flier for is very nice rate (I've been very fond of snare thopter), and the damage trigger is quite interesting. The creature type fits quite welm here, it does feel like some nasty creature with magpie-like inclinations for messing with your stuff.

nrtn10- Well. well. Here we have a very interesting flavor and the creature type is used to tell a story. The combination of adventure and double face might be a bit a lot, but in a flavor-oriented challenge like this one it is something that's more of a background issue.

.kwanyegor- Lots of thinga going on for an uncommon, ward probaby is too much, considering that this is a manaless sacrifice outlet for artifacts. Flavorwise, This doesn't feel specifically like a hippo, but there's the tradition of clockwork fauna with +1/+1 counters.

slimytrout- Ribgs the bell of the Greek bull, mexhanically is a bit more blurry to see. Nice stats with a nice style of removal.

Matioguy - This blocks very well, althought it hits the table pretty late. Its role might be pretty good. actually. Sitting there as a hhard-to-deal blocked while you stabilize and be turned into offense.

Monoredmage- An artifact phoenix with a cool minigame builyñt in. Pretty cool.

[kwanyeegor-ii]

crits

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Steel Harridan 4
Artifact Creature - Harpy (U)
Flying
Whenever Steel Harridan deals combat damage to a player, that player sacrifices a token and you create a Treasure token.
Mirthless harassment.
3/2

Flavor looks good. I like the utility of forcing a token sac

Gutless Effigy 3
Artifact Creature - Scarecrow Coward (Uncommon)
Gutless Effigy can't attack or block.
At the beginning of your upkeep, if Gutless Effigy has 5 or more power, transform it.
"If only I had the courage to visit Chulane... Please bring him to me..."
4/4
////
Search for Heart 2
Sorcery - Adventure (Uncommon)
The next creature you cast this turn enters the battlefield with an additional +1/+1 counter on it.
//// Backside ////
Bravest Effigy
Artifact Creature - Scarecrow Warrior (Uncommon)
Trample, vigilance
"I did not grant you any wish nor waved any wands. The courage was always within you, all you had to do is believe and all I had to do is lie."
- Chulane, First Wizard of Eldraine
4/4

p much no reason to play this without the adventure right? Flavorful but wish it was a little differnt

Bronze Bull 1BR
Artifact Creature - Ox Construct (U)
Haste
When Bronze Bull enters the battlefield, choose target creature an opponent controls. That creature can't block for as long as you control Bronze Bull.
3/3

Anoither good flavor card. fair for uncommon and 3 mana. looks like a good limited pick

Moatmaw Machine 3
Artifact Creature - Crocodile Construct (u)
Flash
When Moatmaw Machine enters the battlefield, it deals 2 damage to target attacking creature without flying.
2/3

4 for 4 good flavor lol. very simple, definitely efficient cost

Glass Encased Eye
Artifact Creature - Eye (Uncommon)
Glass Encased Eye enters the battlefield with an ice counter on it.
Glass Encased Eye has defender and indestructible as long as it has an ice counter on it.
Whenever a player casts a red spell that targets Glass Encased Eye, remove an ice counter from Glass Encased Ice. If you do, it deals 2 damage to any target.
4/4

Why is it a GLASS encased eye that has an ICE counter? that bothers me lol

Tyrite Phoenix 2RRR
Artifact Creature - Phoenix {M}
Flying
Tyrite Phoenix's power is equal to twice the number of artifacts you control.
When Tyrite Phoenix dies, put an egg counter on a nonland permanent you control and two nonland permanents your opponents control.
At the beginning of your upkeep, if Tyrite Phoenix is in your graveyard, destroy target permanent with an egg counter on it chosen at random. When a permanent you control is destroyed this way, return Tyrite Phoenix to the battlefield.
A magnificent yet dangerous creation of Axgardian engineering.
*/3

Pretty cool card, I like the axgard dwarfs reference, yet complicated

top

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1 ink-treader
2 slimytrout
3 henlock

[Ink-Treader]

netn10

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This is probably above rate in a Limited context, being a 5/5 with trample and vigilance for 5, even with the small delay where it can't block. Otherwise, I like it fine; it's a very cute reference.

kwanyeegor-ii

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Five seperate lines of text is a bit much, though not unprecedented. Not too bad. The cost to untap feels a little excessive, but this is an alright package as is.

slimytrout

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Pretty neat. This probably doesn't need black to be functional. This does feel a little off from the stories of the 'brazen bull', as it was more of an execution device.

Henlock

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Solid utility. Not much else to say, though it might be rather good in a Limited context.

marioguy3

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This is weirdly specific in its functionality. I wish it had some relevant keywords after being unfrozen.

MonoRedMage

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Capricious Efreet vibes from that last ability. No haste keeps this from being too crazy, but it's still very nasty if it gets to swing. "twice" feels excessive here.

Top 3

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1. slimytrout
2. netn10
3. Henlock

[slimytrout]

Ink-Treader

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Sacrifices a token is generally a low-impact ability. It's probably gotten a bit stronger in recent years as tokens (especially noncreature ones) have further proliferated, but still has about a 50% chance of doing nothing and another 40% chance of getting rid of a 1/1 or a Treasure. So mostly it's a 4-mana 3/2 that makes a Treasure when it hits, which is okay.

netn10

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5-mana 5/5 trample vigilance that effectively ETBT is quite solid, and has other flexibility as well. I wish the flavor text was a little less of a direct copy though.

kwanyeegor-ii

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Is this a Hungry Hungry Hippos reference? It certainly fits within the tradition of Clockwork creatures, but there is a reason the last cycle of those is from Mirrodin -- it usually isn't that fun to be afraid to use your creatures. Still, the fact that it can replenish itself is a nice touch.

Henlock

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Not the most exciting card, but probably fine in limited and the flavor is nice.

marioguy3

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Is it encased in ice or in glass? And why is an eye an artifact? I just don't get it.

MonoRedMage

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Hmm. Definitely an interesting card, and hard to peg exactly how strong it is. I do worry that it would lead to some unpleasant play patterns where your opponent can't afford to let it hit them ("twice"!) and also can't afford to kill it.

Ink-Treader

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T3

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1. Ink-Treader
2. netn10
3. kwanyeegor-ii

[marioguy3]

Ink-Treader: I am harpy to say that your card is covered with artific goodness.

netn10: Ambitious card for sure. Not sure what to think with the mechanics of it in my short time to get this critique in.

kwanyeegor-ii: Winner is you for creating the absolute best artifact creature type.

slimytrout: This card is pretty slick. I like this stopping of blocking thing going on with the beast.

Henlock: This thing is quite the interesting battler. Chomp.

MonoRedMage: A card that isnt quite as complicated as it appears on first glance. This card should not destroy enchantments though in red. You gotta choose "nonenchantment permanent" for it to work in color pie.

top 3:

3rd place: Ink-Treader
2nd place: slimytrout
1st place: kwanyeegor-ii