NEXUS FLAMINGO ☆ Exclusively For Custom Card Connoisseurs and Gnomes

[Krishnath]

With a challenge like this, you have to ask yourself, what is a monster? A dragon is quite clearly a monster, but so is a war criminal. Something to think about.

But here's a classic from the early days of magic, but in a new form.

The Baron 2UBR
Legendary Creature - Vampire Noble
Flying, Ward - Sacrifice a creature and pay 2 life.
Whenever a creature dies in a turn in which a vampire you control dealt damage to it, put a +1/+1 counter on that vampire and on The Baron.
T, Tap five untapped vampire creatures you control: Gain control of target creature, it becomes a blacck vampire in addition to its other colors and types.
5/5

I honestly like this version better than the one we got in CL.

IIW: Let's go on an adventure (as in the card type).

[chetoos]

special 24 hour since last post bonus entry:
Hulking Lungfish 4UB
Creature - Fish Mutant
When Hulking Lungfish enters the battlefield, exile target creature an opponent controls until Hulking Lungfish leaves the battlefield
xub: put a creature card with mana value X exiled by Hulking Lungfish into its owner's graveyard. Create an x/x colorless construct artifact creature token\
4/6

IIW: Psychonauts!

[Cythare]

Fury of the Alpha 2RG
Sorcery (R)
Target creature you control fights target creature you don't control. Then, if the creature you control dealt excess damage, choose one:
• Put a number of +1/+1 counters on the creature you control equal to the excess damage dealt.
• Remove all damage marked on the creature you don't control and gain control of it if its mana value is less than or equal to the excess damage dealt.

[Krishnath]

@Cythare the second ability of Fury of the Alpha is a color pie break. Stealing something permanently is only in blue (primary) and black (secondary).

[Sporegorger_Dragon]

Golos, Who Must Not Return
5
Legendary Creature - Horror
When Golos, Who Must Not Return enters the battlefield, sacrifice all lands you control.
wubrg: Adapt 5
5/5


IIW: Massive color pie break (ie red lifegain)

[Ulka]

Golos, Who Must Not Return
5
Legendary Creature - Horror
When Golos, Who Must Not Return enters the battlefield, sacrifice all lands you control.
wubrg: Adapt 5
5/5


IIW: Massive color pie break (ie red lifegain)

I need to make its partner:

Worldfire Returned
Suspend 9 - R
Worldfire can not be cast unless a time counter was removed from it this turn.
Exile all permanents. Exile all cards from all hands and graveyards. Each player's life total becomes 1.

[vishamon]

@Cythare the second ability of Fury of the Alpha is a color pie break. Stealing something permanently is only in blue (primary) and black (secondary).

Crown of Empires is colorless.
Red has a few more conditionally limited versions of this effect. (Hellkite Tyrant?)
I know old cards often don't follow color pie, but Aladdin and Debt of Loyalty also exist.

[Megiddo]

Golos, Who Must Not Return
5
Legendary Creature - Horror
When Golos, Who Must Not Return enters the battlefield, sacrifice all lands you control.
wubrg: Adapt 5
5/5


IIW: Massive color pie break (ie red lifegain)

I need to make its partner:

Worldfire Returned
Suspend 9 - R
Worldfire can not be cast unless a time counter was removed from it this turn.
Exile all permanents. Exile all cards from all hands and graveyards. Each player's life total becomes 1.

let's check those price charts...

oh, a 900% price increase since the announcement for foils? and 1800% for nonfoils? very cool

[Krishnath]

@Cythare the second ability of Fury of the Alpha is a color pie break. Stealing something permanently is only in blue (primary) and black (secondary).

Crown of Empires is colorless.
Red has a few more conditionally limited versions of this effect. (Hellkite Tyrant?)
I know old cards often don't follow color pie, but Aladdin and Debt of Loyalty also exist.

Crown of Empires requires two additional cards to steal permanently, and we already know that colorless can do anything, but poorly. So that is a VERY bad example, and both Aladdin and Debt of Loyalty are colorpie breaks, and have been for a long time. If it is older than 8th edition, then it is not a reliable example as a baseline.

[Cythare]

@Cythare the second ability of Fury of the Alpha is a color pie break. Stealing something permanently is only in blue (primary) and black (secondary).

It's a damage-limited and cmc-limited version of the effect that was flavored to be compatible with RG. Given the quantity of riders on the effect, it feels distinctly red. While the color pie exists for average use cases, this version wouldn't make sense in either of the primary colors, and custom cards can bend the pie if it's done in a way that makes sense for the color/effect and doesn't encroach on the existing colors' access to it.

I don't see any issue with this effect as-written. The riders I used made more sense in the context of the effect than just a time-limited writing, and adding both was way too many words and way too weak of an effect.

[Krishnath]

@Cythare the second ability of Fury of the Alpha is a color pie break. Stealing something permanently is only in blue (primary) and black (secondary).

It's a damage-limited and cmc-limited version of the effect that was flavored to be compatible with RG. Given the quantity of riders on the effect, it feels distinctly red. While the color pie exists for average use cases, this version wouldn't make sense in either of the primary colors, and custom cards can bend the pie if it's done in a way that makes sense for the color/effect and doesn't encroach on the existing colors' access to it.

I don't see any issue with this effect as-written.

Doesn't actually matter how it is written. It is a color pie break. Red and Green can not steal permanents. You need blue or black for that (or a very expensive colorless card.)

[chetoos]

@NinjaCaterpie judge?

[spacemonaut]

Village Champion 1W
Creature — Human Coward (U)
First strike
If it's neither day nor night, it becomes day as Village Champion enters the battlefield.
As long as it's day, Village Champion gets +3/+0.
"I'll show those fiends who's boss!"
0/3


IIW: a really awful kitchen. just the worst

[Ulka]

@Cythare the second ability of Fury of the Alpha is a color pie break. Stealing something permanently is only in blue (primary) and black (secondary).

It's a damage-limited and cmc-limited version of the effect that was flavored to be compatible with RG. Given the quantity of riders on the effect, it feels distinctly red. While the color pie exists for average use cases, this version wouldn't make sense in either of the primary colors, and custom cards can bend the pie if it's done in a way that makes sense for the color/effect and doesn't encroach on the existing colors' access to it.

I don't see any issue with this effect as-written.

Doesn't actually matter how it is written. It is a color pie break. Red and Green can not steal permanents. You need blue or black for that (or a very expensive colorless card.)

Its a bend as there has been precedent in other cards such as Hellkite Tyrant and Aladdin. That said its a custom card design and honestly if you design a card with a bend or break, cool its a uniquer card all for it. We don't have to be limited by the restrictions of what is in color or what the level of the break/bend is and that honestly is some of the fun of the contests at least for me.

That's my two cents.

[Krishnath]

It's a damage-limited and cmc-limited version of the effect that was flavored to be compatible with RG. Given the quantity of riders on the effect, it feels distinctly red. While the color pie exists for average use cases, this version wouldn't make sense in either of the primary colors, and custom cards can bend the pie if it's done in a way that makes sense for the color/effect and doesn't encroach on the existing colors' access to it.

I don't see any issue with this effect as-written.

Doesn't actually matter how it is written. It is a color pie break. Red and Green can not steal permanents. You need blue or black for that (or a very expensive colorless card.)

Its a bend as there has been precedent in other cards such as Hellkite Tyrant and Aladdin. That said its a custom card design and honestly if you design a card with a bend or break, cool its a uniquer card all for it. We don't have to be limited by the restrictions of what is in color or what the level of the break/bend is and that honestly is some of the fun of the contests at least for me.

That's my two cents.

That is artifacts, not creatures. Red and green can not permanently steal creatures. There is no discussing this, it is the literal word of MaRo himself. Red steals creatures temporarily, and green can't do it at all.

[Cythare]

I mean, I also appreciate the original note that this is a break, but at the end of the day this is a custom card creation game on a forum, and I have zero interest in changing my card. I'm just here for the fun of it and don't need to be lectured. Beyond the first note, additional pushback just makes me angry at you and not appreciative of the feedback that my card continues to be out-of-pie.

I made up a card for a challenge for the judge to review, and when there's another challenge, I'll do the same.

You are right that there is no discussing it - it's my design and if the judge doesn't like it, it'll stay here on this page of the forum and won't directly impact the game and we'll all move on.

[lookingupanddown]

Noble Paladin 2WW
Creature - Human Knight (Rare)
First strike
1W, : Destroy target creature with power 4 or greater. If there are five or more creatures in a graveyard, transform Noble Paladin. Otherwise, exile it. Return it to the battlefield tapped at the beginning of the next end step. instead.
"I fight so those who cannot defend themselves can sleep at night, knowing they are safe. I fight monsters because no one else has to."
3/2
//
Imperious Blackguard
⬤ Creature - Human Knight Horror (Rare)
Menace
: Destroy target creature. You lose 1 life.
Whenever a creature dies, put a +1/+1 counter on Imperious Blackguard.
"I fight so I may sow fear in those who do not already fear me. I fight monsters because I am the greatest of them all."
4/4

IIW: creature type Dreadnought

[Megiddo]

Furious Alpha 3RG
Creature — Beast {M}
Trample
When Furious Alpha enters the battlefield, it fights target creature you don't control. If Furious Alpha deals excess damage to that creature, you may discard an artifact card with mana value 7 or greater. If you do, remove all damage marked on the creature you don't control and gain control of it.
5/5

IIW: Bend—but don't break—the color pie. Furthest without going over wins.

[KoolKoal]

Throwback best monster

Big Tree
Creature - Plant (U)
Big Tree can't attack or block.
5/5

IIW:

[NinjaCaterpie]

SPOILER

Show

Hide

I probably should have used skull raid wording. ""If less than 2 nonland cards..."

Entry:
One who hunts monsters 1W
Creature - Human Warrior
First Strike
Whenever a non-human creature an opponent controls dies, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature. Then, you may pay XBB, where X is 5 minus the number of +1/+1 counters on this creature. If you do, transform this creature and remove all +1/+1 counters on it.
"I will protect my town from the monsters that plague it."
2/2
/////
Monstrous Hunter (Color indicator: Black)
Creature - Human Assassin
Deathtouch
Whenever one or more creatures die, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature. This ability only triggers twice each turn.
2B, Sacrifice one other creature: Destroy target creature. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.
"Even if I have to kill them all to do it."
3/3

IIW: Psychonauts

Interesting card; interesting flavour. Though I feel the payoff (of swapping a potentially 7/7 into a bone splinters on a stick) isn't quite there. It probably could have gotten away with not dropping the counters.

huh it never posted my post for the last challenge.... and this is why I don't post via mobile.

Anyway on to this current challenge:

Starving Cannibal BR
Creature - Human (U)
Whenever another Human creature dies, create a food.
Whenever you sacrifice a food, transform Starving Cannibal.
The bitter cold of winter had taken everything from Igor but his hunger
1/1

------------

The Wendigo
Legendary Snow Creature - Beast Horror
First Strike, Shroud
The Wendigo must attack each turn if able.
Whenever a creature dealt combat damage by The Wendigo dies, create a food and put a +1/+1 counter on The Wendigo.
For feasting on its own kind, the Wendigo is cursed to never be satiated
5/5


IIW: Innistrad: Monster of the Week

Horrible. I love it. Immaculate flavour (I feel like that's the wrong word to use here...). You definitely hit all the beats, though it might be a bit too easy to transform into a massive first-striking beast.

With a challenge like this, you have to ask yourself, what is a monster? A dragon is quite clearly a monster, but so is a war criminal. Something to think about.

But here's a classic from the early days of magic, but in a new form.

The Baron 2UBR
Legendary Creature - Vampire Noble
Flying, Ward - Sacrifice a creature and pay 2 life.
Whenever a creature dies in a turn in which a vampire you control dealt damage to it, put a +1/+1 counter on that vampire and on The Baron.
T, Tap five untapped vampire creatures you control: Gain control of target creature, it becomes a blacck vampire in addition to its other colors and types.
5/5

I honestly like this version better than the one we got in CL.

IIW: Let's go on an adventure (as in the card type).

This is a very cool and flavourful lord effect, though I feel like it should also / alternatively have had the iconic player drain. The second ability being a worse Captivating Vampire is a bit sad. Tapping itself prevents you from activating it multiple times a turn, which I feel is part of the fantasy. I also don't know enough about big S to know if he would flavourfully fit into Grixis - he always struck me as very mono-black. The card doesn't really need the extra colours either.

special 24 hour since last post bonus entry:
Hulking Lungfish 4UB
Creature - Fish Mutant
When Hulking Lungfish enters the battlefield, exile target creature an opponent controls until Hulking Lungfish leaves the battlefield
xub: put a creature card with mana value X exiled by Hulking Lungfish into its owner's graveyard. Create an x/x colorless construct artifact creature token\
4/6

IIW: Psychonauts!

Neato, more of that Gelatinous Cube tech. Flavour works solid here, though I don't see where the clone copy comes from in the wiki (might be tied to the bigger Psychonauts plot but I haven't played it)

Fury of the Alpha 2RG
Sorcery (R)
Target creature you control fights target creature you don't control. Then, if the creature you control dealt excess damage, choose one:
• Put a number of +1/+1 counters on the creature you control equal to the excess damage dealt.
• Remove all damage marked on the creature you don't control and gain control of it if its mana value is less than or equal to the excess damage dealt.

I don't want to chime too much into the colour pie discussions, but I think this flavourfully fits as an extension of Threaten effects and does have some mild precedence in Opportunistic Dragon. It's a strong bend in terms of stretching an ability that already exists in the colour, but it's somewhat excusable based on how hard it is to execute. It probably could have gone with some kind of temporary-but-long threaten duration though.

Tell you what it definitely IS a bend of though - the challenge. This isn't a monster or a hunter, just vaguely monster-adjacent (and could easily fit in a world with just normal animals, or even have Surrak Dragonclaw on the art)

Golos, Who Must Not Return
5
Legendary Creature - Horror
When Golos, Who Must Not Return enters the battlefield, sacrifice all lands you control.
wubrg: Adapt 5
5/5


IIW: Massive color pie break (ie red lifegain)

lol. Atrocious.

I need to make its partner:

Worldfire Returned
Suspend 9 - R
Worldfire can not be cast unless a time counter was removed from it this turn.
Exile all permanents. Exile all cards from all hands and graveyards. Each player's life total becomes 1.

I believed the social contract and robust pre-challenge discussions would have kept Worldfire out of custom card challenges in which it doesn't belong.

I was wrong.

For this reason, Worldfire is banned in Standard NinjaCaterpie challenges.

Village Champion 1W
Creature — Human Coward (U)
First strike
If it's neither day nor night, it becomes day as Village Champion enters the battlefield.
As long as it's day, Village Champion gets +3/+0.
"I'll show those fiends who's boss!"
0/3


IIW: a really awful kitchen. just the worst

Cute, but doesn't really sound like he hunts much :^)

Noble Paladin 2WW
Creature - Human Knight (Rare)
First strike
1W, : Destroy target creature with power 4 or greater. If there are five or more creatures in a graveyard, transform Noble Paladin. Otherwise, exile it. Return it to the battlefield tapped at the beginning of the next end step. instead.
"I fight so those who cannot defend themselves can sleep at night, knowing they are safe. I fight monsters because no one else has to."
3/2
//
Imperious Blackguard
⬤ Creature - Human Knight Horror (Rare)
Menace
: Destroy target creature. You lose 1 life.
Whenever a creature dies, put a +1/+1 counter on Imperious Blackguard.
"I fight so I may sow fear in those who do not already fear me. I fight monsters because I am the greatest of them all."
4/4

IIW: creature type Dreadnought

Another one! He who fights monsters becoming a monster. It's good. I feel like repeatable destruction on a pretty decent stick (which can dodge removal by blinking at the same time?) is potentially quite solid. I feel like that blink ability doesn't do what you wanted it to.

Winner: Ulka
Next: Innistrad: Monster of the Week

ehm

[Krishnath]

This is a very cool and flavourful lord effect, though I feel like it should also / alternatively have had the iconic player drain. The second ability being a worse Captivating Vampire is a bit sad. Tapping itself prevents you from activating it multiple times a turn, which I feel is part of the fantasy. I also don't know enough about big S to know if he would flavourfully fit into Grixis - he always struck me as very mono-black. The card doesn't really need the extra colours either.

His castle taps for colorless, black, red, and blue, so yes. He also has minions of all three colors (although most of them are black aligned.). The Dark Maze is also part of his realm, and it is very blue aligned. As such an argument can easily be made for him being Grixis (plus it makes him a nice alternative "vampire lord" to Edgar Markov, covering the color he does not.)

[chetoos]

Monster of the week? What show is more quintessentially Monster of the Week than Buffy?

Angelic Vampire 2WB
Creature - Vampire Warrior
Lifelink, first strike
Pay 4 life: Another target creature gains indestructible until end of turn.
True happiness - At the beginning of each end step, if your life total is at least 5 higher than it was at the start of this turn, transform Angelic Vampire
3/3
///
Soulless Monster (color indicator: black)
Creature - Vampire Assassin
Menace, First Strike
At the beginning of your upkeep, you lose 5 life unless you sacrifice a creature.
Sacrifice a creature: Put a +1/+1 counter on Soulless Monster
At the beginning of your end step, you may pay 1WB and exile a creature card from your graveyard. If you do, transform Soulless Monster
5/5


Witch of the Willows 2GW
Creature - Human Warlock
Hexproof from Black
Coven - Whenever Witch of the Willows attacks, if you control three or more creatures with different powers, put a +1/+1 counter on each of three target creatures
2/4


Thalia, Vampire Slayer 2W
Legendary Creature - Human Soldier
First Strike
If a vampire creature card an opponent owns would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, exile it instead.
Instants and sorceries your opponents cast that target a creature you control or that have mana value 4 or more cost 2 more to cast.
3/2

And, if you want an actual monster of the week, how about from Normal Again?
Visions of a better world 1UUB
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant Creature
You can't choose an untapped creature as this spell's target as you cast it.
Enchanted creature has haste
As long as it's your turn, you control enchanted creature.
As long as it's not your turn, enchanted creature gets -2/-0.
"Come to us, Thalia, your world is safe, you have nothing to fear here, that other world is just a dream."


IIW: Psychonauts

[Sporegorger_Dragon]

Old Pumpkinhead
4
Artifact Creature - Scarecrow (U)
Defender
Daybound
0/4
Farmer Greg could've sworn he didn't put the scarecrow there...
=============
=============
Stalking Reaper
Artifact Creature - Scarecrow Horror
Whenever a creature dealt damage by Stalking Reaper this turn dies, choose one:
-Draw a card.
-Put a +1/+1 counter on Stalking Reaper.
Nightbound
...in fact, it seemed to be moving closer to the house each night.
4/4


Puzzeto, the Torture Puppeteer
[The Jigsaw Killer]
wub
Legendary Creature - Human Artificer
Each Equipment has "Equipped creature can't attack or block" and "At the beginning of your upkeep, put a -1/-1 counter on equipped creature, then its controller loses 1 life for each counter it has."
Each Aura has "Enchanted creature can't attack or block" and "At the beginning of your upkeep, put a -1/-1 counter on enchanted creature, then its controller loses 1 life for each counter it has."
3, Pay 1 life: Return target Aura or Equipment attached to a creature to its owner's hand. You lose life equal to its mana value. Any player may activate this ability.
0/1


IIW: Birds

[Krishnath]

Grotesque Scene 1B
Enchantment (R)
Whenever one or more creatures die, create a clue token.
Sacrifice three clue tokens: Transform Grotesque Scene.
"It was neither a vampire nor a werewolf who killed this victim." - Ambrus, Sigardian Investigator.
//
Masked Murderer
Creature - Human Horror Assassin
Deathtouch, Menace, Ward - Pay 3 life.
Whenever a creature dies in the same turn as it was dealt damage by Masked Murderer, create a clue token.
1B, Sacrifice a creature: Create a clue token, then transform Masked Murderer
2/5

IIW: Let's go on an adventure (as in the card type).

[Megiddo]

Drainer of Hope 3U
Creature — Horror {R}
Emerge 6UU
When you cast this spell for its Emerge cost, create three 1/1 colorless Horror Scion creature tokens. They have "Sacrifice this creature: Add C."
Sacrifice a Scion: Tap target creature.
4/4

IIW: Something using one of the Arena-only digital mechanics. Or, make your own.