September CCL, Top 8/Round 3: As Opposed

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void_nothing
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Post by void_nothing » 4 years ago

CCL September Top 8

"As Opposed"


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Disciple of Malice, taken from EchoMTG, by Matt Cavotta 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 time for Elements Month to return with a vengeance! Last appearing over two years ago on MTGSalvation, this flavor-based month of challenges is a guaranteed fun, if strange, time. All will be explained below, but let's get on with the show.

The magic of the natural elements is some of the most primal and mysterious there is - simplistic though it may seem, appearances can be deceiving, and the "elements" can include more abstract and powerful forces than most mages imagine.

This month, you'll be theming design around your picks from the following lists. Choose wisely, as your picks will carry over round-to-round.
White
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Light
Grain
Moon
Energy (Static)
Sand
Holy
Metal
Blue
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Water
Wind
Time
Energy (Potential)
Ice
Mist
Thought
Black
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Darkness
Void
Disease
Energy (Negative)
Blood
Poison
Soil
Red
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Fire
Stone
Speed
Energy (Kinetic)
Lightning
Dust
Magnetism
Green
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Wood
Storms
Life
Energy (Positive)
Seasons
Flesh
Wild
Challenge
Design a mirrored pair of monocolored cards. One card must be the color of your first round element's list and themed around your second round element, and the other must be the opposite.
Clarifications
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  • For example, assume you picked light and mist. You would then design a blue light-themed card and a white mist-themed card.
  • For everyone's convenience, please note both of the elements you picked in your post.
  • Make sure to include a rarity.
Contestants:
Ink-Treader
Krishnath
Subject16
kwanyeegor-ii
Henlock
Gateways7
bravelion83
netn10
Your submissions are due Sunday, September 22nd, 23:59 EST.
Schedule
  • Round 1 — Open to Everyone (September 1st-7th)
  • Round 2 — Open to Everyone (September 8th–14th)
  • Rounds 1 and 2 Critiques (Due September 16th)
  • Top 8 — Open to top 8 finishers (September 19th–22nd)
  • Top 8 Critiques (Due September 24th)
  • Top 4 — Open to top 4 finishers (September 25th–28th)
  • Top 4 Critiques (Due September 30th)
  • Final (End of month, winner determined by public poll)
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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bravelion83
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Post by bravelion83 » 4 years ago

Round 1 was soil (black list), round 2 added mist (blue list). So I need to make a black card about mist and a blue card about soil that mirror each other.

Liquefying Soil XUU
Instant(R)
Up to X target creatures each get -X/-0 until end of turn.
"This is what happens when underground water infiltrates the most superficial layer of soil, often after an earthquake. Not exactly quicksands, and not exactly mud, but as effective as those in imprisoning people, if not even more."
—Leno Borsik, environmental scientist


Corrosive Mist XBB
Instant(R)
Up to X target creatures each get -0/-X until end of turn.
"This is what happens when acid rain saturates the atmosphere. Not exactly a toxic cloud, and not exactly poisonous gas, but as effective as those in killing people, if not even more."
—Leno Borsik, environmental scientist
Last edited by bravelion83 4 years ago, edited 1 time in total.
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Krishnath
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Post by Krishnath » 4 years ago

First element: Sand (white)
Second element: Dust (red)

Alright, this is going to be challenging, let's see.... Oh, I know!

Cloak of Dust 1W
Enchantment - Aura (uncommon)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +0/+2.
If a creature would deal combat damage to enchanted creature, prevent 1 of that damage.

Cloak of Sand 1R
Enchantment - Aura (uncommon)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +2/+0.
If enchanted creature would deal combat damage to a creature, Cloak of Sand deals 1 damage to that creature.
Notes
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Damn it was hard to get the wording right so that I could mirror it and have the cards do what I wanted them to do.
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Post by Subject16 » 4 years ago

Element 1: Dust (Red)
Element 2: Flesh (Green)

Dustmaker Exarch 2GG
Artifact Creature - Cleric (Uncommon)
When Dustmaker Exarch enters the battlefield, exile target artifact an opponent controls. You gain life equal to its converted mana cost.
"What Phyrexia doesn't want, it takes apart so none can use it against them."
-Koth of the Hammer

3/3

Fleshmaker Exarch 2RR
Artifact Creature - Cleric (Uncommon)
When Fleshmaker Exarch enters the battlefield, put a flesh counter on target artifact you control. It becomes a Horror artifact creature with power and toughness equal to its converted mana cost.
"What Phyrexia wants, it takes and twists until none can see it for what it once was."
-Koth of the Hammer

3/3
Last edited by Subject16 4 years ago, edited 1 time in total.

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Post by Ink-Treader » 4 years ago

Snow (Blue) and Storms (Green)

Blue Storms

From Raging Blizzards 4UU
Sorcery (R)
Reveal the top X cards of your library, where X is the number of snow permanents you control. You may cast an instant or sorcery card with converted mana cost five or less from among them without paying its mana cost. Then put each other instant or sorcery card revealed this way in your hand and the rest of the revealed cards on the bottom of your library in a random order.

Green Snow

Beneath Driven Snow 4GG
Sorcery (R)
Reveal the top X cards of your library, where X is the number of snow permanents you control. You may cast a creature spell with converted mana cost five or less from among them without paying its mana cost. Then put each other creature revealed this way in your hand and the rest of the revealed cards on the bottom of your library in a random order.
Old Designs. Don't judge these, though you may comment if you wish.
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Buried By the Storm 1UU
Instant (R)
Put target tapped creature into its owner's library just beneath the top X cards of that library, where X is the number of snow permanents you control.
As the blizzard descended upon him, Alvold thanked the ancestors for a peaceful sleep.

Rescued From the Frost 1GG
Sorcery (R)
Reveal the top X cards of your library, where X is the number of snow permanents you control. You may put a creature card from among them onto the battlefield tapped, and that creature doesn't untap during your next untap step. Put the rest of the cards revealed this way on the bottom of your library in a random order.
As the warriors pulled him up from beneath the snow, Alvold cursed the ancestors for the rude awakening.
Last edited by Ink-Treader 4 years ago, edited 13 times in total.

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Gateways7
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Post by Gateways7 » 4 years ago

Snow (Blue) and Seasons (Green)

Spring Elemental 1U
Creature - Elemental (uncommon)
Whenever Spring Elemental deals combat damage to a player, draw a card.
When Spring Elemental dies, search your library for a card named Winter Elemental and put it into your hand.
"In the beginning, all was growth and beauty. But it did not stay that way forever."
2/1

Winter Elemental 3GG
Creature - Elemental (uncommon)
Winter Elemental gets +1/+1 for each card in your hand.
When Winter Elemental dies, search your library for a card named Spring Elemental, reveal it, put it into your hand, and shuffle your library.
"In the end, all was sorrow and regret. But it did not stay that way forever."
0/0



Used my seasons card to represent spring and my snow card to represent winter to get a cycle of the seasons theme going here, hope you enjoy!

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Post by netn10 » 4 years ago

White - Moon
Black - Blood

So white blood and black moon.

Adanto Bloodshedder 2W
Creature - Vampire Cleric (Rare)
Lifelink
You may pay life for the first Vampire spell you cast each turn equal to its converted mana cost rather than pay its mana cost.
"May the Immortal Sun quench our thirst for blood."
1/1

Moonlight Dweller B
Creature - Vampire Mutant (Rare)
Lifelink
At the beginning of each upkeep, if a player cast two or more spells last turn, destroy Moonlight Dweller.
"May the Blessing of Avacyn break our need to hide from the sun."
3/3

kwanyeegor-ii
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Post by kwanyeegor-ii » 4 years ago

Red ice

Through the Ice and Snow 3RR
Enchantment (Rare)
Creatures you control have trample
Whenever a creature you control deals damage to a player, put a charge counter on Through the Ice and Snow
Remove a charge counter from Through the Ice and Snow: Target creature gets +1/+0 and gains haste and protection from blue until end of turn
Constant speed is the way to conquer

Blue energy (kinetic)

Through the Wreck and Rage 3UU
Enchantment (Rare)
Creatures you control have flying
Whenever a creature you control deals damage to a player, put a charge counter on Through the Wreck and Rage
Remove a charge counter from Through the Wreck and Rage: Target creature gets +0/+1 and gains prowess and protection from red until end of turn
Constant pressure is the way to survive
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Post by Henlock » 4 years ago

Need a small extensiin of an hour or so if possible

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Post by void_nothing » 4 years ago

Not an issue. You can have it.
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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Post by Henlock » 4 years ago

Thanks!

Green Grain...

Early Bread g
Sorcery (u)
If Early Bread is in your opening hand, you may reveal it. If you do, create a Food token at the beginning of your first end step if you control no Food tokens.
Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature for each Food you control.

and White Seasons

Vintage Celebration w
Sorcery (u)
If Vintage Celebration is in your opening hand, you may reveal it. If you do, create a Food token at the beginning of your first end step if you control no Food tokens.
Create a 1/1 white Human Peasant token for each Food you control.

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Post by void_nothing » 4 years ago

And there we have it. The round is closed; please critique and top 3 everyone else.
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Post by bravelion83 » 4 years ago

Done.
Krishnath
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Krishnath wrote:
4 years ago
First element: Sand (white)
Second element: Dust (red)

Cloak of Dust 1W
Enchantment - Aura (uncommon)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +0/+2.
If a creature would deal combat damage to enchanted creature, prevent 1 of that damage.

Cloak of Sand 1R
Enchantment - Aura (uncommon)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +2/+0.
If enchanted creature would deal combat damage to a creature, Cloak of Sand deals 1 damage to that creature.
Damn it was hard to get the wording right so that I could mirror it and have the cards do what I wanted them to do.
In fact it's not right. :) Cloak of Dust has no problems, but Cloak of Sand's last ability doesn't work as is. It's half replacement effect (a kind of static ability), half triggered ability. If it's meant to be the former, the word "instead" is missing at the end. As is the game sees an event trying to be replaced but it doesn't know with what. If it's meant to be the latter, it should begin with "When", probably "When enchanted creature deals combat damage to a creature, etc..." Whichever one you choose is very relevant, because there's a huge difference: if it's a replacement effect, the receiving creature doesn't take any combat damage, but just a single point of damage from the Cloak. If it's a triggered ability, it still takes the combat damage and then the point of damage from the Cloak in addition to that.
Subject16
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Subject16 wrote:
4 years ago
Element 1: Dust (Red)
Element 2: Flesh (Green)

Dustmaker Exarch 2GG
Artifact Creature - Cleric (Uncommon)
When Dustmaker Exarch enters the battlefield, exile target artifact an opponent controls. You gain life equal to its converted mana cost.
"What Phyrexia doesn't want, it takes apart so none can use it against them."
-Koth of the Hammer

3/3

Fleshmaker Exarch 2RR
Artifact Creature - Cleric (Uncommon)
When Fleshmaker Exarch enters the battlefield, put a flesh counter on target artifact you control. It becomes a Horror artifact creature with power and toughness equal to its converted mana cost.
"What Phyrexia wants, it takes and twists until none can see it for what it once was."
-Koth of the Hammer

3/3
The mirror is there in the name and flavor text, but not really in the rules text. Those are just two effects interacting with artifacts, they're neither the same nor the opposite of one another. Also, the word "Exarch" is too evocative of the original cycle from New Phyrexia. My first reaction was "these aren't Exarchs!" An Exarch from New Phyrexia should have a modal ETB ability with mirroring modes. I would have either followed that model, or use a different word in the card names.
Ink-Treader
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Ink-Treader wrote:
4 years ago
Snow (Blue) and Storms (Green)

From Raging Blizzards 4UU
Sorcery (R)
Reveal the top X cards of your library, where X is the number of snow permanents you control. You may cast an instant or sorcery card with converted mana cost five or less from among them without paying its mana cost. Then put each other instant or sorcery card revealed this way in your hand and the rest of the revealed cards on the bottom of your library in a random order.

Beneath Driven Snow 4GG
Sorcery (R)
Reveal the top X cards of your library, where X is the number of snow permanents you control. You may cast a creature spell with converted mana cost five or less from among them without paying its mana cost. Then put each other creature revealed this way in your hand and the rest of the revealed cards on the bottom of your library in a random order.
I really like these. Excellent work. Tight mirror, correct themes, perfectly functional, reasonably costed, not a single Quality mistake. I only wish the text could be shorter to make room for some short flavor text.
Gateways7
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Gateways7 wrote:
4 years ago
Snow (Blue) and Seasons (Green)

Spring Elemental 1U
Creature - Elemental (uncommon)
Whenever Spring Elemental deals combat damage to a player, draw a card.
When Spring Elemental dies, search your library for a card named Winter Elemental and put it into your hand.
"In the beginning, all was growth and beauty. But it did not stay that way forever."
2/1

Winter Elemental 3GG
Creature - Elemental (uncommon)
Winter Elemental gets +1/+1 for each card in your hand.
When Winter Elemental dies, search your library for a card named Spring Elemental, reveal it, put it into your hand, and shuffle your library.
"In the end, all was sorrow and regret. But it did not stay that way forever."
0/0
Used my seasons card to represent spring and my snow card to represent winter to get a cycle of the seasons theme going here, hope you enjoy!
These are more like two cards about "seasons". Yes, winter is the season of snow, but it just feels too weak of a link to me. I'd also be quite interested in seeing the other two cards of the cycle that these cards imply. Would the summer and autumn cards be a mirror of each other but different? I hope so, because otherwise, if the "search your library" ability is there on those too, I think the cycle should be "Winter Elemental finds Spring Elemental (which is the case here), that finds Summer Elemental (which is not the case here), that finds Autumn Elemental, that finds Winter Elemental." Except for these remarks, this submission is quite good and I like the cards if you take each one by itself in a vacuum. All those things I was mentioning are just derived from the "mirrored pair" requirement of the challenge. Quality mistakes: "then shuffle", and most of all the blue card doesn't shuffle after searching! This is a serious mistake, but also probably just an oversight.
netn10
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netn10 wrote:
4 years ago
White - Moon
Black - Blood

Adanto Bloodshedder 2W
Creature - Vampire Cleric (Rare)
Lifelink
You may pay life for the first Vampire spell you cast each turn equal to its converted mana cost rather than pay its mana cost.
"May the Immortal Sun quench our thirst for blood."
1/1

Moonlight Dweller B
Creature - Vampire Mutant (Rare)
Lifelink
At the beginning of each upkeep, if a player cast two or more spells last turn, destroy Moonlight Dweller.
"May the Blessing of Avacyn break our need to hide from the sun."
3/3
I don't think this submission fully meets the challenge. The cards taken each by themselves are perfectly fine, but where's the mirror? Only the "May the..." flavor text? The challenge asked for some kind of mechanical mirror, and except for both cards having lifelink (not a real link, most sets have multiple cards with lifelink already), there is none here. I also don't feel like there is any kind of obvious duality between Ixalan and Innistrad. If I had to vote for the cards separately, I would definitely vote for them. But not as a mirrored pair.
kwanyeegor-ii
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kwanyeegor-ii wrote:
4 years ago
Red ice

Through the Ice and Snow 3RR
Enchantment (Rare)
Creatures you control have trample
Whenever a creature you control deals damage to a player, put a charge counter on Through the Ice and Snow
Remove a charge counter from Through the Ice and Snow: Target creature gets +1/+0 and gains haste and protection from blue until end of turn
Constant speed is the way to conquer

Blue energy (kinetic)

Through the Wreck and Rage 3UU
Enchantment (Rare)
Creatures you control have flying
Whenever a creature you control deals damage to a player, put a charge counter on Through the Wreck and Rage
Remove a charge counter from Through the Wreck and Rage: Target creature gets +0/+1 and gains prowess and protection from red until end of turn
Constant pressure is the way to survive
The usual Quality mistakes, always the same. Names not bolded, and a period missing at the end of each sentence, for a total of 8 missing periods. In the MCC this would just be a full zero in Quality. No big problems in the designs themselves: the mirror is there, the cards make sense both mechanically and flavorfully. But I would have totally exchanged the flavor texts. Reading about speed not on the card that was supposed to be themed around kinetic energy but on the other one just feels wrong to me. And the word "pressure" makes me think more of a huge column of ice or snow than rage.
Henlock
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Henlock wrote:
4 years ago
Green Grain...

Early Bread g
Sorcery (u)
If Early Bread is in your opening hand, you may reveal it. If you do, create a Food token at the beginning of your first end step if you control no Food tokens.
Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature for each Food you control.

and White Seasons

Vintage Celebration w
Sorcery (u)
If Vintage Celebration is in your opening hand, you may reveal it. If you do, create a Food token at the beginning of your first end step if you control no Food tokens.
Create a 1/1 white Human Peasant token for each Food you control.
Ok, the mechanics from Eldraine clearly made your work easier, especially the Food artifact subtype. I'm pointing this out because I've seen and heard way too many people in these days calling it a "creature type". No, it's an "artifact type"! Gingerbrute has an artifact subtype (Food) and a creature one (Golem). Notice the order of the type line: first Artifact then Creature, first Food then Golem. It's not by chance. Anyway, back to the cards.
I'd be curious to see what you would have come up with if the mechanics from ELD hadn't been revealed yet. Anyway, now we know the whole set, so no problems with just using the new mechanics from it. Nice cards, nice mirror, perfectly functional, no Quality mistakes. I only wish there were some possibly mirrored flavor text.
Top 3
1st place: Ink-Treader
2nd place: Henlock
3rd place: Gateways7
Author of the MCC Guidelines and FAQ. | For my projects, including Jeff Lionheart, my murder mystery story "One pierced heart, two mindful horns", and republished articles from my series "The Lion's Lair", see Leo's content index (Last updated on March 24th 2024 - Added OPHTMH Episode 4).
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Krishnath
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Post by Krishnath » 4 years ago

bravelion83
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bravelion83 wrote:
4 years ago
Round 1 was soil (black list), round 2 added mist (blue list). So I need to make a black card about mist and a blue card about soil that mirror each other.

Liquefying Soil XUU
Instant(R)
Up to X target creatures each get -X/-0 until end of turn.
"This is what happens when underground water infiltrates the most superficial layer of soil, often after an earthquake. Not exactly quicksands, and not exactly mud, but as effective as those in imprisoning people, if not even more."
—Leno Borsik, environmental scientist


Corrosive Mist XBB
Instant(R)
Up to X target creatures each get -0/-X until end of turn.
"This is what happens when acid rain saturates the atmosphere. Not exactly a toxic cloud, and not exactly poisonous gas, but as effective as those in killing people, if not even more."
—Leno Borsik, environmental scientist
Both cards look good, but only one major note, Liquefying Soil would be a horrible, horrible rare to open. It feels at most an uncommon, while Corrosive Mist is a very strong removal spell that most people who play black would be happy to open. Very unbalanced, although you did hit the feel of both elements.
Subject16
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Subject16 wrote:
4 years ago
Element 1: Dust (Red)
Element 2: Flesh (Green)

Dustmaker Exarch 2GG
Artifact Creature - Cleric (Uncommon)
When Dustmaker Exarch enters the battlefield, exile target artifact an opponent controls. You gain life equal to its converted mana cost.
"What Phyrexia doesn't want, it takes apart so none can use it against them."
-Koth of the Hammer

3/3

Fleshmaker Exarch 2RR
Artifact Creature - Cleric (Uncommon)
When Fleshmaker Exarch enters the battlefield, put a flesh counter on target artifact you control. It becomes a Horror artifact creature with power and toughness equal to its converted mana cost.
"What Phyrexia wants, it takes and twists until none can see it for what it once was."
-Koth of the Hammer

3/3
Although the cards aren't mirrored in abilities, they hit the flavor of Phyrexia perfectly. That said, Fleshmaker Exarch doesn't really feel like a red card, it feels like it really, really, really wants to be black, or arguably blue.
Ink-Treader
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Ink-Treader wrote:
4 years ago
Snow (Blue) and Storms (Green)

Blue Storms

From Raging Blizzards 4UU
Sorcery (R)
Reveal the top X cards of your library, where X is the number of snow permanents you control. You may cast an instant or sorcery card with converted mana cost five or less from among them without paying its mana cost. Then put each other instant or sorcery card revealed this way in your hand and the rest of the revealed cards on the bottom of your library in a random order.

Green Snow

Beneath Driven Snow 4GG
Sorcery (R)
Reveal the top X cards of your library, where X is the number of snow permanents you control. You may cast a creature spell with converted mana cost five or less from among them without paying its mana cost. Then put each other creature revealed this way in your hand and the rest of the revealed cards on the bottom of your library in a random order.
I really, really like these two, they capture both the colors and elements fairly well. After all, many creatures hide beneath the snows of winter, both small and large. And the raging blizzard really feels like something a spellcaster would exploit for their magic. Well done.
Gateways7
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Gateways7 wrote:
4 years ago
Snow (Blue) and Seasons (Green)

Spring Elemental 1U
Creature - Elemental (uncommon)
Whenever Spring Elemental deals combat damage to a player, draw a card.
When Spring Elemental dies, search your library for a card named Winter Elemental and put it into your hand.
"In the beginning, all was growth and beauty. But it did not stay that way forever."
2/1

Winter Elemental 3GG
Creature - Elemental (uncommon)
Winter Elemental gets +1/+1 for each card in your hand.
When Winter Elemental dies, search your library for a card named Spring Elemental, reveal it, put it into your hand, and shuffle your library.
"In the end, all was sorrow and regret. But it did not stay that way forever."
0/0

Used my seasons card to represent spring and my snow card to represent winter to get a cycle of the seasons theme going here, hope you enjoy!
While the cards themselves are nice, neither are mirrors, nor do they feel like they are representing the elements chosen. It feels like you just tacked two arbitrary seasons that were tangentially related to your card concepts onto existing card designs and called it good enough.
netn10
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netn10 wrote:
4 years ago
White - Moon
Black - Blood

So white blood and black moon.

Adanto Bloodshedder 2W
Creature - Vampire Cleric (Rare)
Lifelink
You may pay life for the first Vampire spell you cast each turn equal to its converted mana cost rather than pay its mana cost.
"May the Immortal Sun quench our thirst for blood."
1/1

Moonlight Dweller B
Creature - Vampire Mutant (Rare)
Lifelink
At the beginning of each upkeep, if a player cast two or more spells last turn, destroy Moonlight Dweller.
"May the Blessing of Avacyn break our need to hide from the sun."
3/3
These do not feel like mirrors at all. Although they the catch the chosen elements nicely, there is no connection between the two cards other than rarity, lifelink, and them both being vampires. But there are no mirroring of abilities, no coherence between the two.
kwanyeegor-ii
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kwanyeegor-ii wrote:
4 years ago
Red ice

Through the Ice and Snow 3RR
Enchantment (Rare)
Creatures you control have trample
Whenever a creature you control deals damage to a player, put a charge counter on Through the Ice and Snow
Remove a charge counter from Through the Ice and Snow: Target creature gets +1/+0 and gains haste and protection from blue until end of turn
Constant speed is the way to conquer

Blue energy (kinetic)

Through the Wreck and Rage 3UU
Enchantment (Rare)
Creatures you control have flying
Whenever a creature you control deals damage to a player, put a charge counter on Through the Wreck and Rage
Remove a charge counter from Through the Wreck and Rage: Target creature gets +0/+1 and gains prowess and protection from red until end of turn
Constant pressure is the way to survive
Good mirroring, and good representation of the elements chosen. The enchantments could probably have been slightly cheaper to cast without issue, but that is a minor complains. Both cards really lean into their colors and elements, although I am curious to the choice of prowess for the blue activated ability. All in all, I like them.
Henlock
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Henlock wrote:
4 years ago
Thanks!

Green Grain...

Early Bread g
Sorcery (u)
If Early Bread is in your opening hand, you may reveal it. If you do, create a Food token at the beginning of your first end step if you control no Food tokens.
Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature for each Food you control.

and White Seasons

Vintage Celebration w
Sorcery (u)
If Vintage Celebration is in your opening hand, you may reveal it. If you do, create a Food token at the beginning of your first end step if you control no Food tokens.
Create a 1/1 white Human Peasant token for each Food you control.

Good mirror, counter generation vs. token generation. I like how the spells become potentially more powerful the longer you refrain from casting them. Cast them on the first turn, and nothing really happens, cast them on your second you get a +1/+1 counter or a 1/1 creature. Later in the game, when you have many food tokens, they could potentially change the boardstate completely. Lots of strategy built into what are relatively simple effects. I like that you chose to mirror the names in a way as well, with Early being mirrored with Vintage, meaning in this case old. I also like that you chose Vintage as a somewhat generic name to represent a seasonal celebration. I could see something like that being celebrated in Autumn after the harvest, or in the middle of Winter. Lots of cool little details in the cards.
#1: Henlock
#2: Ink-Treader
#3: kwanyeegor-ii
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Post by Ink-Treader » 4 years ago

bravelion83
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A simple and clean approach. I can appreciate that blue soil was probably a massive pain to design for. I just wish Liquefying Soil weren't so underpowered compared to Corrosive Mist.
Krishnath
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Some flavor text could have gone a long way, but I can agree that dust inspires a more defensive feel and sand more offensive.I wonder if Cloak of Dust could have gotten away with blocking a point of noncombat damage. Still a mirror, but a bit more useful (and a little less mathy for combat)
Subject16
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I like this pair. The red one is something red has never done before... but I feel like it could get away with it.
Gateways7
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Mirrored pairs traditionally share a CMC, but beyond that... these aren't bad. They really want to be cycle of 4 though. As far as shared CMC goes... maybe if the Spring drew cards equal to the damage it dealt, it could justify being bigger in power and CMC.
netn10
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Mirrored pairs traditionally share a CMC. I can see the idea of how they're mirrored, but it feels too disconnected (flipped p/t and CMCs, Adanto Bloodshedder benefiting the first spell, while Moonlight Dweller is destroyed if more than one spell is cast)
kwanyeegor-ii
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Neat pair of enchantments. I rather like how even though Through the Ice and Snow offers a weaker keyword with the activated ability, it gives the more valuable + to power over Through the Wreck and Rage's toughness.
Henlock
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I really like these. Even with multiples in hand, they can't make more than one food. They could maybe cost 1 more because the potential payoff in a Food theme is very high.
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Post by Gateways7 » 4 years ago

SPOILER
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Bravelion83: These cards are so wildly different in power level it's not funny - the blue is a one-sided fog effect and the black is a cheaper Garruk's Wake on most boards. That said, it is a cool, simplistic concept, and I like the flavor you added to make them feel like opposites.

Krishnath: To quote you, "While the cards themselves are nice, neither are mirrors, nor do they feel like they are representing the elements chosen. It feels like you just tacked two arbitrary seasons effects that were tangentially related to your card concepts onto existing card designs and called it good enough." Also, it should just be +3/+0 and +0/+3 - the difference would barely come up and it's probably better to leave it simpler.

Subject16: These don't really feel like a flavorful pair, but in terms of the cards individually they're both fairly priced, in color, and seem like they'd be fun gameplay.

Ink-Treader: Pasting this in MSE shows that this is too much text to be putting on a card, and the effects themselves could have very easily been similar without being wordy. As for what the cards do, they both feel pretty strong because of that free cast and the fact that most lands can just be snow anyways.

Gateways7: Perfect, gold star, give me your money.

Netn10: This is a really cool take on Vampire tribal, and I am a massive fan of Adanto Bloodletter, as the effect is really interesting, and I like bringing the traditional Werewolf ability to Vampires as well, as they are similarly not fans of the sun. Love it!

Kwanyeegor-ii: Similarly to Ink-Treader's entry, there are too many words on these cards, and it feels convoluted without much benefit. Furthermore, the instant speed "pro-color" is incredibly busted against decks of those colors, because it gives all of your creatures perpetual immunity to removal spells, which is just unfun.

Henlock: While I think this is a cool and interesting idea, my only problem is that I don't think they should be uncommon (because of the nature of before-game effects). Also, Vintage Celebration should probably cost 1W, I think it's pretty strong as is.

1. Netn10
2. Henlock
3. Subject16

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Post by kwanyeegor-ii » 4 years ago

Ink-Treader - recent cards similar to these make me want for them to say "cmc x or less" instead of 5, but otherwise cool splashy cards imo

Krishnath - cloak of sand is way more powerful here, being possibly removal that gets past first strike, whereas the other is mostly just going to say +0/+3 which is a bad deal for two mana

Subject16 - completely awesome cards with phyrexian flavor that match up, good job

Henlock - love these both, weird that it makes the tokens at end step and not upkeep but otherwise really interesting and flavorful cards that are also obv very strong

Gateways7 - Interesting complements but I think spring elemental is a bit too efficient at 2cmc for a 2 power ophidian that also fetches another creature

bravelion83 - two cards extremely unbalanced from one another, you would never need a -x/-0 from one of them if you are just killing everything even indestructibles with -0/-x

netn10 - cool use of 2 different planes. however adanto bloodshedder still feels a bit black rather than white


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Post by Henlock » 4 years ago

Bravelion: Awesome job in mirroring the cards. The flavor text is very solid and reads fun when the catds are side by side. I'm sure you:re aware of the vast gap in power level beteren the two. That's an issue I had myself to deal with when designing. The black one is very powerful, and the blue barely playable, but this is a pair I can see in a commander set where raruties are mostly arbitrary.

Krishnatth: Good mirroring, again a vast power level gap. I see you struggled a bit with the qording. Maybe going with 1 less and 1 additional was what you were looking for.

Subject16: I don"t really see a mirrored pair here but rather two feom a color cycle. Thw fact that you chose Exarch as the name even strenghtens tjat feeling.

Ink-Treader: Both powerful effects within the tradition of its colors. One thing to note is that hreen doesn't tend to cast without paying but usually just puts things onto the battlefield. Both cards look very powerful.

Gateways7: The fact that their mana costs are different detracts from the mirroring of the mechanocs. Tjis is an interesting take, as I assume there's another pair with summer and autumn somewhere, but I would have expected them to be grouped in opposites. Tjey are very stylish mechanically, probably a bit in need of rebalancing.
in progress.

netn10: The mirroring here is a bit too subtle. A 1/1 for 3 and a 3/3 for 1 with abilities in tension are.kind.of mirrored but it's not what one qould expect from a mirrored pair. That said, I think you have a very intrtrsting pair. While the cleric could be played about every format. The Mutant is to shine in fast constructed.

kwanyegoe: Again, great job at mirroring. I like the fact that they are structurally very similar within a highly convoluted card and take the identity of their colors in the details. Maybe a bit expensive for outside commander, as you'd be playing this in a deck that can put many counters on it and if you don't manage to be able to take advantage of the card, it won't really see much play.

1. kwanyegor
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Post by void_nothing » 4 years ago

And here are our top 4:

Henlock
Ink-Treader
kwanyeegor-ii
Subject16

Round to come soon.
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