October MCC Round 1 - Choose your own adventure

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bravelion83
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Post by bravelion83 » 4 years ago

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(This month's banner is my own elaboration on the art of the card Into the Story by Jason Rainville.)

October MCC Round 1

Choose your own adventure


Welcome to Eldraine, planeswalker! This is a world of royal courts and wild lands, brave knights and scary beasts, wretches and kings, dangerous places and safe castles. The world of dreams and fairy tales. You've just materialized on this plane, you're essentially in the middle of nowhere, and you can do whatever you want here. You have complete freedom in this moment. You're about to write your own story. Maybe someday somebody will tell it to someone else, and they might be talking of you as a hero or a villain. Who knows? The choice is yours. So, what is it that you want to do now, with all the world at your disposal?
- If you wish to just look around for something to eat while you try to make up your mind, turn to the "Food" option.
- If you wish to head to a castle and try to become a noble, joining this world's aristocracy, turn to the "Adamant" option.
- If you wish to head to a castle and fight for it using your best virtues, turn to the "Knights" option.
- If you wish to live a memorable experience exploring the wilds and meeting all the simple people, dangerous places, and feral beasts they contain, turn to the "Adventure" option.


Main Challenge - Choose one of the following. Be careful because you will literally make your own adventure on Eldraine this month: your choices in each round will be tracked and will influence future rounds. Please see clarifications, especially the "additional rule".
Adventure - Design a creature card that has an adventure.
Adamant - Design an instant or sorcery card with adamant.
Food - Design an artifact, enchantment, or planeswalker card that creates Food tokens or uses Food as a cost.
Knights - Design a Knight creature card that mechanically cares about other Knights of yours.

Subchallenge 1 - Your card is exactly monocolored and has no off-color mana symbols anywhere on it.

Subchallenge 2 - Your card mentions in its flavor text all the Eldraine courts corresponding to its colors.

Clarifications
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Main Challenge

You cannot mix and match the options. For example, a creature card (even a Knight) that has adamant or creates Food tokens but doesn't have an adventure or a Knight tribal mechanic doesn't count.

You can mix and match the four referenced mechanics from Throne of Eldraine though, as long as the overall card meets one of the options. For example, a creature card that has an adventure while also having adamant, creating Food tokens, and/or being a Knight that cares about your other Knights passes the Main Challenge for meeting the "Adventure" option.

ADDITIONAL RULE: If somehow your card meets more than one option at the same time, you MUST choose one specific option that you're going for this round and you MUST mention your chosen option in your submission post. If you don't do this, your submission will NOT count and your card DQ'ed. This rule is necessary for the proper continuation of this MCC month. Please, please, don't make me actually do this! I did say please!
If your card only meets one option, that's automatically your chosen option. You CAN mention it in your submission post, but your submission will still count if you don't.
To be sure, it's advisable that you mention your chosen option anyway. You will never be DQ'ed for that in any case, and you don't want to take the risk of not realizing that your card unwillingly meets a second option and you get DQ'ed for not mentioning which of the options you were going for, though it was obvious to you. But I and the other judges are not telepaths, we can't see what was in your mind as you designed your card, so, again, please don't make me DQ cards for this! I really don't want to!
Please note: this is a specific exception to the "don't post anything in your submission post except for the text card and an optional render" rule for this round, and counts only for mentioning the chosen option. If you post any other additional content in your submission post that is not your chosen option, normal rules apply and you WILL be penalized.
Main Challenge option-specific clarifications
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Adventure
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• Your card must be a creature, that is have the "creature" card type on its type line. It can have other additional card types though. For example, an artifact creature is fine.

• Your card must have an adventure. A creature that doesn't have an adventure doesn't count for this option. It might count for the "Knights" option though.

• A noncreature card (that's a card that doesn't have the card type "creature" on its type line) doesn't count for this option, regardless of whether it can turn into a creature and of whether it has an adventure or not.

Q: How should I format my adventurer card?
A: Just like if it were a split card. Write the creature part as a normal text card, then add a separator below it (a double forward slash, //, is advised), and then write the Adventure part as it would be written on the left side of a real adventurer card's text box. In the Adventure part, don't forget the "Adventure" subtype and not only you can not put rarity in, but you should not. On real adventurer cards, there is no colored expansion symbol on the type line of the Adventure part.

For example, Flaxen Intruder would be written out like follows.
Flaxen Intruder G
Creature — Human Berserker (U)
Whenever Flaxen Intruder deals combat damage to a player, you may sacrifice it. When you do, destroy target artifact or enchantment.
The middle blade was just right.
1/2

//

Welcome Home 5GG
Sorcery — Adventure
Create three 2/2 green Bear creature tokens. (Then exile this card. You may cast the creature later from exile.)
Adamant
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• Your card must be an instant or sorcery, that is have the "instant" or "sorcery" card type on its type line.

• Your card must have adamant. An instant or sorcery card that doesn't have adamant doesn't count for this option.

• A card that doesn't have the card type "instant" or "sorcery" on its type line doesn't count for this option, regardless of whether it has adamant or not.
Food
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• Your card must be an artifact, enchantment, or planeswalker, that is have the "artifact", "enchantment", and/or "planeswalker" card type on its type line. It can have other additional card types though, both from among those three or not. For example, an enchantment artifact (like the weapons of the gods in original Theros) is fine. An artifact creature is also fine.

• Your card must either create Food tokens or use Food as a cost. Anything else doesn't count for this option. Notably, an artifact that has the Food subtype itself but doesn't create Food tokens or use Food as a cost does NOT count for this option. Yes, this means that for example Gingerbrute or Golden Egg don't count, because while they're Food themselves, they don't create Food tokens or use Food as a cost.

• "Using Food as a cost" means having to sacrifice Food in one of the following ways:
- as part of the activation cost of an activated ability of the card itself, or
- as part of a cost you may or must pay while resolving a triggered ability of the card itself, or
- as part of an additional or alternative cost to cast the card itself.
Anything else doesn't count for this option.

• Your card can have both an ability that creates Food tokens and another one that uses Food as a cost. For example, Gilded Goose would count for this option.

• It has to be a cost of the card itself, not a cost granted to other things. For example, "Spells cost an additional 'Sacrifice a Food' to cast" doesn't count for this option because it's not a cost of the card itself.

• A card that's not an artifact, not an enchantment, and not a planeswalker (that is a card that has none of those card types on its type line) doesn't count for this option, regardless of whether it creates Food tokens/uses Food as a cost or not.
Knights
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• Your card must be a creature, that is have the "creature" card type on its type line. It can have other additional card types though. For example, an artifact creature is fine.

• Your card must be a Knight, that is have the "Knight" subtype on its type line. It can have other additional creature types though. For example, a "Human Knight" is fine. An "Artifact Creature – Food Knight" would also count technically, even though I really don't know what its flavor could be. Can you really picture Gingerbrute being knighted?

• Your card must have an ability that cares about other Knights you control. A creature that doesn't have such an ability doesn't count for this option even if it's a Knight. It might count for the "Adventure" option though.

• "Caring about other Knights of yours" means interacting with one or more other Knight creatures on your side of the battlefield or Knight cards you own in any zone other than the battlefield. The interaction can be anything you can think of, doesn't matter whether positive or negative, even if I don't know why you would want to interact in a negative way with your own Knights.

• The interaction, whatever it is, has to specifically include your own Knights. For example, "Knights your opponents control get -1/-1" doesn't meet this option, while "All Knights get +1/+1" does, because it includes your own Knights too. "Target Knight gets +1/+1 until end of turn" also counts, because it can target your Knights, even though it can also target other players' ones. "Search your library for a Knight card" also counts, as you're taking your own Knights out of it. You essentially have to ask yourself: "can this affect one or more of my own Knights on the battlefield or my own Knight cards anywhere else?"

• If your Knight creature grants a bonus to "target Knight", it must be able to target other Knights you control. A Knight that can only target itself doesn't count. The fact that it's forced to target itself if it happens to be the only possible target doesn't matter. All that matters is that it can target other Knights if there are on your side of the battlefield. Of course, you can just say "another target Knight you control" and have none of these problems.

• A noncreature card (that's a card that doesn't have the card type "creature" on its type line) doesn't count for this option, regardless of whether it can turn into a creature, of whether it is a Knight or not, and of whether it has a Knight tribal mechanic or not.
Subchallenge 1
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• Your card has to meet two conditions:
- It must be monocolored, that is have only one color of mana in its mana cost. We're looking specifically at the mana cost here, not the color identity of the card. Colorless cards and multicolored cards (both traditional gold and hybrid) automatically fail this subchallenge.
- It can't have any mana symbols of any kind (including Phyrexian mana and such) of colors that are not the one color in the card's mana cost anywhere on the card.

• If only one condition is met, the card does NOT satisfy this subchallenge. Both have to be met at the same time.

• Traditional hybrid mana (like {R/W}), anywhere on the card, automatically fails this subchallenge (it's not monocolored).

• Monocolored hybrid (so-called "two-brid", like {2/W}) passes this subchallenge, because, well... monocolored hybrid is monocolored! That's as long as the color in the mana cost and the color of the two-brid mana symbols are the same.
Subchallenge 2
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• This subchallenge obviously requires that flavor text is there in the first place. Cards without flavor text automatically fail this subchallenge.

• To see if this subchallenge is met, check your card's mana cost and note all the colors in it. Then, look at the flavor text. All the names of all the Eldraine courts that correspond to the noted colors must be there.

• Remember the colors, names, and virtues of the five courts of Eldraine:
- The white court is Ardenvale, and it's about loyalty.
- The blue court is Vantress, and it's about knowledge.
- The black court is Locthwain, and it's about persistence.
- The red court is Embereth, and it's about courage.
- The green court is Garenbrig, and it's about strength.

• The proper names of the courts have to be mentioned, not their virtues. You can also mention the virtue, as long as you also mention the proper name of the court.

• This subchallenge implicitly requires that the card is flavorfully set on Eldraine. I don't know how a card set on another plane could mention the court names. But if you find a way, you can do that. This subchallenge only cares about whether the court names are there, not about which plane your card is set on.

• Your card can mention court names corresponding to colors the card is not, as long as all the ones corresponding to your card's actual colors are also mentioned.

• If your card is multicolored, all the court names corresponding to its colors must be there. For example, a Boros-colored card (just a random example...) has to mention both Ardenvale and Embereth in the flavor text. In addition to that, it can also mention Vantress, Locthwain, and/or Garenbrig.

• This subchallenge only specifically looks at the flavor text. If the court name is mentioned in the card name but not in the flavor text, it doesn't count. Of course, you can still just mention it in both.
If you have any other question that are not included in this (admittedly already long) spoiler, feel free to ask in the discussion thread.

DEADLINES

Design deadline: Sunday, October 6th 23:59 EDT

Judging deadline: Thursday, October 10th 23:59 EDT



RUBRIC
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

bravelion83
Gateways7
Blydden


PLAYERS

Everyone can enter this round. Just reply to this thread posting a card that meets the Main Challenge and any number (that includes zero) of Subchallenges. Future rounds will only be open to those who advance. Come join us!

A reminder to everyone:
In the MCC, putting rarity on cards is mandatory! If you don't put a rarity on your card, expect huge deductions in both Viability AND Quality.
Please check out the MCC Guidelines and FAQ if you have the will and time. Link here and in my signature. Among the many things you can find there are a detailed explanation of the rubric (section 6.2) and the recommended card formatting (section 4) that you should use to format your text cards. Expect deductions in Quality otherwise.


BRACKETS

Judge: bravelion83
barbecube
Flatline
Freyleyes
Henlock
Krishnath
RaikouRider
slimytrout

Judge: Gateways7
archemediesx
Dragonlover
Jimmy Groove
marioguy3
Sagharri
The_Hittite

Judge: Blydden
ForestsCarl
Ink-Treader
kwanyeegor-ii
Legend
netn10
Subject16
void_nothing

Top 4 from each bracket advance to Round 2.
Last edited by bravelion83 4 years ago, edited 8 times in total.
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MCC - Winner (9): Oct 2014, Apr Nov 2017, Jan 2018, Apr Jun 2019, Jan Mar 2022, Apr 2023 || Host (30): Dec 2014, Apr Jul Aug Dec 2015, Mar Jul Aug Oct 2016, Feb Jul 2017, Jun Nov 2018, Feb Jul 2019 (last on MTGS), Aug 2019 (first on MTGN) Oct 2019, Jan Jun 2020 Apr Oct 2021, Feb May Sep Dec 2022, Mar Jun Sep Dec 2023, Mar 2024 || Judge (58): every month from Nov 2014 to Nov 2016 except Oct 2015, every month from Feb to Jul 2017 except Apr 2017, then Oct 2017, May Jun Nov 2018, Feb Jul 2019 (last on MTGS), every month from Aug 2019 (first on MTGN) to Feb 2020, May Jun 2020, Mar Apr Sep Oct 2021, Feb May Sep Dec 2022, Mar May Jun Sep Dec 2023, Jan Mar 2024
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Krishnath
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Post by Krishnath » 4 years ago

Alrighty then...

Option: Food.

Kitchen of Terror 1BB
Artifact (Uncommon)
1, Sacrifice a creature: Create two food tokens (They are colorless artifacts with "2, T, Sacrifice this artifact: Gain 3 life.")
"In Castle Locthwain, the kitchens can be found close to the dungeons. Few prisoners leave there alive, but at least they are well fed."
Numquam evolutioni obstes. Solum conculceris.

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Subject16
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Post by Subject16 » 4 years ago

Option: Adventure

Parading Paladin 3RR
Creature - Human Knight (Rare)
Whenever Parading Paladin attacks, when you cast your next instant or sorcery spell this turn, copy that spell. You may choose new targets for the copy.
"The people of Embereth love a good show."
4/3
//
Grand Entrance 2RR
Sorcery - Adventure (Rare)
You may put a creature card from your hand or that you own in exile on an Adventure onto the battlefield. It gains haste. Return it to your hand at the beginning of the next end step.

Dragonlover
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Post by Dragonlover » 4 years ago

Choice for round one: Knights

Syr Eriann, the Steadfast 3gg
Legendary Creature - Human Knight (R)
Vigilance
When Syr Eriann, the Steadfast enters the battlefield, search your library for a legendary Knight card, reveal it and put it into your hand, then shuffle your library.
The lords of Garenbrig do not hold the crimes of the exile Ennor against his daughter, instead choosing to honour her strength.
3/3
Last edited by Dragonlover 4 years ago, edited 2 times in total.
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Legend
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Post by Legend » 4 years ago

Option: Knights

Story Rider 3w
Creature — Spirit Knight (R)
As long as an exiled creature card with flying is on an adventure, Story Rider and other Knight creatures you control have flying. The same is true for all other keyword abilities. (Deathtouch, lifelink, and vigilance are keyword abilities.)
3/3
Though Ardendale's story may have been written with pen and parchment, it was wrought with sword and shield.
Last edited by Legend 4 years ago, edited 19 times in total.
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RaikouRider
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Post by RaikouRider » 4 years ago

Round 1 option: Adamant

Reflective Thoughts 2U
Sorcery {U}
Each player draws three cards.
Adamant - If at least three blue mana was spent to cast this spell, instead only you draw three cards.
Inside Vantress' mirrorhall, the thoughts of one are the thoughts of all.
Last edited by RaikouRider 4 years ago, edited 1 time in total.

slimytrout
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Post by slimytrout » 4 years ago

Knights

Syr Voula, List-Keeper 4U
Creature – Merfolk Knight (R)
When you cast this spell, draw cards equal to the number of differently named Knights you control.
As long as you have seven or more cards in hand, Syr Voula, List-Keeper can't be blocked.
Vantress records the names of every knight of Eldraine, written on stones beneath the waters of Lochmere.
3/3

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Sagharri
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Post by Sagharri » 4 years ago

Adamant

Dark Secret 2B
Instant (U)
Search your library for a card, then shuffle your library and put that card on top of it.
Adamant - If at least three black mana was spent to cast this spell, draw a card.
Truth behind vanish of the Cauldron of Eternity could shake all Locthwain.

The_Hittite
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Post by The_Hittite » 4 years ago

Adventure!

Sleepless Rider 1B
Creature — Human (U)
Whenever Sleepless Rider enters the battlefield, if it entered from exile or you cast it from exile, it gains haste until end of turn.
Visitors to Locthwain never ride alone.
2/2

//

Head Hunt 1BB
Sorcery — Adventure
Destroy target creature. Its controller creates a Food token. (Then exile this card. You may cast the creature later from exile.)
Last edited by The_Hittite 4 years ago, edited 3 times in total.

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archemediesx
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Post by archemediesx » 4 years ago

Option: Adventure

Steadfast Snapper 1U
Creature – Turtle (R)
Whenever Steadfast Snapper attacks, you may reveal the top card of your library. If a blue card is revealed in this way, put a +1/+1 counter on Steadfast Snapper and it can't be blocked this turn.
The steady flow of the rivers of Vantress perfectly reflected the turtle's own metered resolve over the hare.
0/3
//
Pragmatic Resolve U
Sorcery - Adventure
Look at the top four cards of your library, then put them back in any order. (Then exile this card. You may cast the creature later from exile.)
"Easy Dude. You're being very Un-Dude."

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barbecube
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Post by barbecube » 4 years ago

Challenge — Knights

Ghost-Whisper Paladin 2UU
Creature — Human Knight (R)
Whenever Ghost-Whisper Paladin attacks, defending player puts the top X cards of their library into their graveyard, where X is twice the number of Knights you control.
Whenever a creature card is put into an opponent's graveyard, untap Ghost-Whisper Paladin and it gets +1/+0 until end of turn.
Tireless as the ghosts of Vantress.
3/3
formerly willows

netn10
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Post by netn10 » 4 years ago

Ardenvale Aspirant WW
Creature - Human (Uncommon)
Tap an untapped Knight you control: If Ardenvale Aspirant isn't a Knight, put a +1/+1 counter on it and it becomes a Human Knight.
At Ardenvale, most citizens wants to be knights, and it is as if Eldraine itself wants to grant their wish.
2/2
/////////////////////////
Search for Patron 3W
Sorcery - Adventure (Uncommon)
Search your library for a Knight card, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle your library.

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Jimmy Groove
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Post by Jimmy Groove » 4 years ago

Adventure Time

Aspiring Hero 1G
Creature - Human Warrior (U)
When Aspiring Hero enters the battlefield, you may have it fight target creature.
2/2

///////

Call of Adventure 1G
Sorcery - Adventure (U)
Creatures enter the battlefield under your control with an additional +1/+1 counter this turn.
Last edited by Jimmy Groove 4 years ago, edited 1 time in total.

marioguy3
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Post by marioguy3 » 4 years ago

Option-Food

Scroll of the Trade
Legendary Enchantment (Rare)
At the beginning of your upkeep, create a food token.
At the beginning of your endstep, you may have target opponent gain control of four food tokens you control. If you do, search that player's library for an artifact or creature card and put it onto the battlefield under your control tapped. Then that player shuffles their library.
Those who live in the Vannifar castle understand the communication necessary to turn those who seek food into fools.
The summer is hot. The sum of sun and hot equals summer.

Ink-Treader
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Post by Ink-Treader » 4 years ago

Option - Food

Hunter's Haul 2G
Enchantment (R)
Whenever a creature an opponent controls dies, if a creature you control fought that creature this turn, create a Food token. (It's an artifact with "2, T, Sacrifice this artifact: You gain 3 life.")
3G: Target creature you control fights target creature an opponent controls. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery and only once each turn.
Every knight of Garenbrig learns how to hunt, to keep up their strength on long forays into the wilds.

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Freyleyes
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Post by Freyleyes » 4 years ago

Option - Food

Wandering Wagon B
Artifact {R}
Whenever a creature dies, you may pay 1. If you do, exile that creature instead and create a Food token. (It's an artifact with "2, T, Sacrifice this artifact: You gain 3 life.")
There is a wandering kitchen near the wilds at caste Locthwain, managed by a sweet old lady. Bless her kind soul.

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Post by Henlock » 4 years ago

Old Shoemaker 2w
Creature - Human Peasant (u)
When Old Shoemaker enters the battlefield, if you control an equipment, draw a card.
1/2
///
Overnight Favor
Sorcery - Adventure (u)
Search your library for an equipment card and reveal that card. Shuffle your library, then put the card on top of it.
Last edited by Henlock 4 years ago, edited 1 time in total.

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

Faerie Indenture 3U
Sorcery (Uncommon)
Each player creates four 1/1 blue Faerie creature tokens with flying.
Adamant - If at least three blue mana was spent to cast this spell, for each opponent, gain control of a creature with converted mana cost 1 or less that player controls.
Even faeries from the wilds want access to the magic mirror Indrelon, so Vantress hires them for their spy skills.
畫龍點睛

I'm a simple Magic player since several years ago from China. Now I live in New Jersey.

ForestsCarl
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Post by ForestsCarl » 4 years ago

Wilderness Scout 1G
Creature - Human Scout (R)
XX: Return Wilderness Scout and X other creatures you control to their owner's hands.
Thanks to these scouts, knights get back to Garenbrig alive.
1/2
//
Setting The Hunt G
Instant - Adventure
The next creature card you cast this turn can't be countered and can be cast as though it had flash.

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void_nothing
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Post by void_nothing » 4 years ago

Baron of Remembrance 2GG
Creature - Human Noble Druid (R)
Permanent spells you cast cost 1 less to cast.
Whenever you cast a spell, you may exile any number of cards with the same name as it from your graveyard. Add G for each card exiled in this way.
"Garenbrig's mana is old and nourishing.
2/2
///
Annals Recalled 1G
Sorcery - Adventure (R)
Put target card from your graveyard on top of your library.
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Flatline
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Post by Flatline » 4 years ago

Hopefully I'm not too late. I'm 9 min. past the deadline. I understand if I'm too late.

Adventure....

Perilous Trip 1b
Instant — Adventure (U)
Create a 1/1 white Human creature token.
//
Toll-Bridge Troll 2bb
Creature — Troll (U)
Menace
When Toll-Bridge Troll enters the battlefield, each player sacrifices a creature.
The price of travel to Locthwain is often steep.
2/2
Card Contest Victories
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DCC
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(25 Total) - October 2014; December 2014; January 2015; April 2015; June 2015; August 2015; September 2015; November 2015; December 2015(T); January 2016; March 2016(T); April 2016; June 2016; October 2016; December 2016(T); February 2017; April 2017; December 2017; November 2018(T); January 2019; April 2019; June 2019; August 2019; October 2019; March 2020
MCC
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(8 Total) - May 2015; May 2016; June 2016; August 2016; October 2016; December 2016; October 2017; May 2019
CCL
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(7 Total) - September 2015; October 2015; January 2016; March 2016; April 2016; July 2016(T); March 2019(T)

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bravelion83
MKM MCC going on now
Posts: 4041
Joined: 4 years ago
Pronoun: he / him
Location: Florence, Italy

Post by bravelion83 » 4 years ago

No worries [mention]Flatline[/mention], I'll take your entry as you posted before me officially closing the round, which, by the way, is exactly what I'm doing right now with this post.

Round is officially closed. Brackets follow.

BRACKETS

Judge: bravelion83
barbecube
Flatline
Freyleyes
Henlock
Krishnath
RaikouRider
slimytrout

Judge: Gateways7
archemediesx
Dragonlover
Jimmy Groove
marioguy3
Sagharri
The_Hittite

Judge: Blydden
ForestsCarl
Ink-Treader
kwanyeegor-ii
Legend
netn10
Subject16
void_nothing

Top 4 from each bracket advance to Round 2. Judges, good work!



Notes about Adventures
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The longest text in the Adventure text box is seven lines: both Fertile Footsteps and Venture Deeper, but the former is slightly longer. Their text in the MSE M15 frame looks like this:
MSE images
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Fertile Footsteps.jpg
Venture Deeper.jpg
So to check the text length of the Adventure half of an adventurer card, we should copy and paste the text in the M15 text box and make sure that it's at most a couple words more than four lines.

As for the creature's text box on the right, the longest text is Flaxen Intruder, nine lines plus the flavor bar, which copied and pasted in the MSE M15 frame gives this:
MSE image
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Flaxen Intruder.jpg
So we should copy and paste the creature's rules text and flavor text in the M15 frame and make sure that the total isn't more than five lines.

Also, there is no rarity on the type line of the Adventure half! This specific point has always been there in the clarifications spoiler > option-specific > Adventure, since the very first moment that I've posted the round thread a week ago.

Finally, on an adventurer card's Gatherer page (example: Flaxen Intruder), the creature comes before the adventure. There are players who put the adventure before the creature, which technically goes against both Gatherer and the example that has also been there for a week in the clarifications spoiler > option-specific > Adventure and that I've also posted in the discussion thread.

These will be my reference points for adventurer cards. I invite other judges to use the same criteria, even if of course they can choose to do it in a different way if they so desire. Uniformity in judgments is still desirable though.
Judgments complete. I have a tie, so I have five players advancing in my bracket.
barbecube
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barbecube wrote:
4 years ago
Challenge — Knights

Ghost-Whisper Paladin 2UU
Creature — Human Knight (R)
Whenever Ghost-Whisper Paladin attacks, defending player puts the top X cards of their library into their graveyard, where X is twice the number of Knights you control.
Whenever a creature card is put into an opponent's graveyard, untap Ghost-Whisper Paladin and it gets +1/+0 until end of turn.
Tireless as the ghosts of Vantress.
3/3
Design
Appeal 2/3 - Timmy likes a relevantly sized creature that mills and can grow when it does (maybe? It really depends on the missing part of the wording, see Quality). Johnny can try to make a Knight milling deck, that's something definitely strange and that should appeal to him. He can also exploit the untap ability in some kind of engine. Spike isn't really interested in milling, but (again, depending on the missing part of the wording) maybe she can use removal to make this grow? She also appreciates the untapping part as pseudo-vigilance. Still, I don't see this as a card for her.
Elegance 1/3 - The text is not the shortest one, and the fact that this doesn't say from where the creatures have to hit the opponent's graveyard increases the comprehension complexity by a lot and will probably make at least some players play this card differently than intended.
Development
Viability 2/3 - Everything is in color, even though the +1/+0 does feel more red. Depending on where the creature cards come from (see Quality), the trigger could also be more or less appropriate in blue. For example, if it's supposed to be "from the library" it's blue without any problem, but if it's "from the battlefield" it actually feels more black. Rarity is obviously correct.
Balance 2/3 - Again, hard to judge this card in this area without knowing exactly what triggers the last ability (see Quality). I expect it to be playable in limited regardless of that. A 4-mana 3/3 with upside should already be good enough to see limited play. In constructed, it really depends on the missing part. If the milling from the first ability triggers the second ability, kind of like a self-combo, this could see play, but it's not exactly in the right color to take advantage of the Knight tribal ability. The potential confusion due to the missing part of the wording could cause problems in casual. I don't see much difference in how this card behaves in traditional duel and in multiplayer.
Creativity
Uniqueness 1.5/3 - I've said it in my judgments for the final round of September and I will repeat it here: this is quickly becoming a classic of mine. All old elements put together in a technically new way. The most original thing is probably that it's a monoblue Knight, and Knights are centered in Mardu on Eldraine. There are only two in ELD (Syr Elenora, the Discerning and Vantress Paladin) and only eleven in the whole history of Magic.
Flavor 3/3 - Maybe the flavor text can feel a little bit too generic, but no real problems here.
Polish
Quality 2/3 - Only one mistake but a very important one. Actually, just an omission, but a functional one. "Whenever a creature card is put into an opponent's graveyard..." Ok, but from where? From the battlefield? Then it should just say "Whenever a creature an opponent controls dies". From another zone? You should specify the zone. From anywhere? You should say it then. As is, I, the player, wouldn't even know how to play this card correctly. Serious mistake, so -1.
Main Challenge 2/2 - A Knight with a Knight tribal ability. Good.
Subchallenges 2/2 - Both met.
TOTAL 17.5/25
Flatline
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Flatline wrote:
4 years ago
Hopefully I'm not too late. I'm 9 min. past the deadline. I understand if I'm too late.
This technically goes against the "don't post anything but the text card and optional render" rule, but I understand why it's there. After all, I'm a Boros soldier, not an Azorius bureaucrat. Unlike the Azorius, we Boros can understand when you're supposed to close one or even both eyes. This is definitely the case here.
Adventure....

Perilous Trip 1b
Instant — Adventure (U)
Create a 1/1 white Human creature token.
//
Toll-Bridge Troll 2bb
Creature — Troll (U)
Menace
When Toll-Bridge Troll enters the battlefield, each player sacrifices a creature.
The price of travel to Locthwain is often steep.
2/2
Design
Appeal 2.5/3 - Timmy likes creating tokens and having a creature that's hard to block, but he wishes he didn't have to sacrifice one of his own creatures too. Johnny could probably use the token and the sacrifice effect somehow. Not the best card to him though. Spike is in love with this card. It does almost everything she wants a card to do. She also really likes how the Adventure gives her an expendable token that she can sacrifice to the Troll while forcing her opponents to sacrifice something hopefully more relevant.
Elegance 3/3 - It would be almost impossible to do better that this here.
Development
Viability 2.5/3 - Black can create tokens without any problems, just like any color, and there is precedent for black, or in general colors other than white, creating white tokens: embalm in Amonkhet (even though black is the only color without embalm, and that just gave me an idea...), afterlife in RNA (even though the tokens were also black), and Haunted Dead, so it does feel a little strange, but it's still fine. No doubts on the creature half. I also feel like rarity is appropriate.
Balance 3/3 - The formula is the tried and true one of split cards: take the mana cost each half would have by itself and increase it by one mana to account for the added flexibility. Yes, I know adventurer cards aren't technically split cards, but if you notice they're kinda costed in the same way, and you did exactly that. As long as you're in black, you will always play this card in limited. The sacrifice effect could make this card see some play in Standard, but I really can't see it in older formats (not a problem, not all cards are supposed to be Eternal playable). I don't see any problems in casual or multiplayer. Actually, it being "each opponent" is very relevant in multiplayer.
Creativity
Uniqueness 0.5/3 - Literally nothing new here. Token creation, menace, and sacrifice effects are things we see in every set. Adventures are a real mechanic and there are plenty in ELD. The card concept is also too similar to Clackbridge Troll.
Flavor 3/3 - Just perfect. You managed to tell a whole story in a single card, which is not easy at all. Of course, the nature of adventurer cards makes it easier, but it's still a hard thing to do well. Keeping into account the "Notes about Adventures" above, the flavor text on the creature half does fits even if just barely. The font size would just be the same as Flaxen Intruder, and if that has been printed, this could too.
Polish
Quality 2/3 - The creature half should come first (see the "notes about Adventures" spoiler above, -0.5). There should be no rarity on the Adventure half (also see that same spoiler, and the clarifications in the OP too, -0.5).
Main Challenge 2/2 - It's a creature and has an Adventure. Good.
Subchallenges 2/2 - Both met.
TOTAL 20.5/25
Freyleyes
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Freyleyes wrote:
4 years ago
Option - Food

Wandering Wagon B
Artifact {R}
Whenever a creature dies, you may pay 1. If you do, exile that creature instead and create a Food token. (It's an artifact with "2, T, Sacrifice this artifact: You gain 3 life.")
There is a wandering kitchen near the wilds at caste Locthwain, managed by a sweet old lady. Bless her kind soul.
Design
Appeal 3/3 - Timmy likes this as insurance against removal, so that he still gets something when his creatures die. Johnny can definitely do something with the death trigger and the Food tokens. Spike immediately notices that this doesn't say "you control", and she will use this card in the exact opposite way as Timmy, she will use her own removal on opposing creatures to get even more out of it. Spike also likes how this card can act as graveyard hate if needed.
Elegance 3/3 - No problems here.
Development
Viability 3/3 - No problems with the color pie or rarity.
Balance 2/3 - I have no problems with the costs. In limited, you almost always want your noncreature slots to be reserved for removal, combat tricks, or other ways to pump creatures or get card advantage, and this does none of that, so I'm honestly not sure I'd play this there. Maybe sometimes, especially if you're building a deck based on Food tokens, but I don't expect this to always make the cut. In constructed, it might see some play in Aristocrats-style decks, even though those usually want their sacrifice effects to cost zero mana, and Food decks if they are a thing in Standard. I don't see any problems in casual. In multiplayer, this triggering also from your opponents' creatures dying is highly relevant, and makes this card more playable there in my opinion.
Creativity
Uniqueness 0.5/3 - Literally nothing new here. Death triggers and exiling dead creatures are things we see in almost every set. Food tokens are a real mechanic and there are plenty in ELD.
Flavor 2.5/3 - No problems with the flavor text, it's quite good (ignoring the typo but I'll take care of that in Quality). The name is also good in a vacuum, but as I read it, I expected this to be a Vehicle. A "Wagon" totally feels like it should be a Vehicle to me. That's the only problem I have with the flavor of this card.
Polish
Quality 0/3 - Four things to mention. Let's start with the easy ones: "caste" in the flavor text is clearly a typo (-0.5), under today's templating that "If you do" should be a reflexive trigger ("When you do", -0.5), and the reminder text should be in italics (very well-known fact, so -1). Then there is the subtle but functional one (so -1), another classic by now: an ability that's half triggered ability (starts with "whenever") and half replacement effect (it says "instead"). It can't be both at the same time. If you want it to be a triggered ability, you have to remove the word "instead" at the very least. If you want it to be a replacement effect, you should say "If a creature would die, you may pay..." and the position of the word "instead" would also be wrong, it should go either right before "exile", at the beginning, or after "Food token", at the end. "
Main Challenge 2/2 - An artifact that can create Food tokens. Good.
Subchallenges 2/2 - Both met.
TOTAL 18/25
Henlock
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Henlock wrote:
4 years ago
Old Shoemaker 2w
Creature - Human Peasant (u)
When Old Shoemaker enters the battlefield, if you control an equipment, draw a card.
1/2
///
Overnight Favor
Sorcery - Adventure (u)
Search your library for an equipment card and reveal that card. Shuffle your library, then put the card on top of it.
Design
Appeal 2.5/3 - Timmy likes Equipment but he probably wishes the base stats of the creature were a little bigger. Johnny will always like tutors. Spike too, and she also dreams of using this to find things like Swords and Batterskull.
Elegance 3/3 - No problems here.
Development
Viability 3/3 - No problems with the color pie. I personally have no problems with this card at uncommon. After all, there are regular tutors at uncommon, and this isn't even like those, it's not to hand but to the top of your library.
Balance 3/3 - I feel like this is the strong area of this card. The costs look appropriate to me, and you'll essentially play this all the times you have a strong equipment, that can be something like Embercleave in ELD limited, or Swords and Batterskull in constructed, and that does mean that this card might actually be more playable in older constructed formats than Standard, and this is not a thing that I often get to say. This is far from another Stoneforge Mystic, especially because it doesn't let you cheat the Equipment's mana cost, but I feel like wherever there are relevant Equipment going around, this will be playable there. No problems in casual or multiplayer.
Creativity
Uniqueness 1.5/3 - Tutoring Equipment is already on Stoneforge Mystic, Deadeye Quartermaster, and several other cards. Drawing cards based on Equipment is something we've already seen on Sram, Senior Edificer, but never as an intervening-if clause. The closest thing to that is Strength of Arms. A little innovation, but it's really just a minor thing.
Flavor 3/3 - The flavor works just fine. The peasant goes on a adventure, finds shoemaking tools, comes back and starts a new career in shoemaking with the tools they found. That's good. My only doubt is whether the flavor of this card is meant to be connected to Crystal Slipper, which is conveniently an Equipment that can be found and used by the shoemaker. I don't feel like there is anything here telling me if the connection is there, and in the case it is, whether it's intentional or not. But again, that's not a problem with this card, it's just a doubt that came to my mind. This card is flavorful, and its flavor works perfectly by itself already. No flavor text, but keeping into account what I've noted in the spoiler above ("notes about Adventures") there is very little room for it, so its absence is not a problem.
Polish
Quality 1.5/3 - There should be no rarity on the Adventure half (see the "notes about Adventures" spoiler above, and the clarifications in the OP too, -0.5). The word "equipment" should be capitalized, like all subtypes are in rules text (-0.5 per instance, so -1 total).
Main Challenge 2/2 - Your automatically chosen option is "Adventure", and this is a creature that has an Adventure. Good.
Subchallenges 1/2 - Monocolored with no off-color mana symbols, but doesn't have flavor text so Subchallenge 2 can't be met.
TOTAL 20.5/25
Krishnath
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Krishnath wrote:
4 years ago
Alrighty then...
You like playing with fire, don't you? This technically goes against the "don't post anything but the text card and optional render" rule, and I actually feel like it's there just to test how rigid that rule is. But after all, as I've already said, I'm a Boros soldier, not an Azorius bureaucrat. Unlike the Azorius, we Boros can understand when you're supposed to close one or even both eyes. If I've done that for Flatline, I feel like I should probably do it for you too... I'm writing this before starting to write the actual judgments, so I don't know yet if you will advance or not, but if you do, please don't do this again. Consider this your warning for now.
Here in Italy, what's called football in the UK and soccer in the USA is by far the most popular sport. Let's say that I, as the referee (and I'm actually the son of a football/soccer referee) have shown you the yellow card.
And while I'm talking about it, I'll also give you a piece of trivia: that sport, in Italian, is called "calcio" (pronounced something like "KAL-cho" with English pronunciation). That word, "calcio", has actually a triple meaning in Italian: it can be the sport, the chemical element called calcium in English, and as a verb it is the singular first person of the present tense of the verb "calciare", which means "to kick (something with your foot)", so "io calcio" is "I kick" in English. I can't think of many other words that have a triple meaning in Italian. Ok, Italian lesson over. Now let's move on.
Option: Food.

Kitchen of Terror 1BB
Artifact (Uncommon)
1, Sacrifice a creature: Create two food tokens (They are colorless artifacts with "2, T, Sacrifice this artifact: Gain 3 life.")
"In Castle Locthwain, the kitchens can be found close to the dungeons. Few prisoners leave there alive, but at least they are well fed."
Design
Appeal 2.5/3 - Timmy likes lifegain and Food tokens, but he hates sacrificing his own creatures. Johnny can use this in several different ways. Spike could use this in Aristocrats-style decks.
Elegance 3/3 - No problems here.
Development
Viability 3/3 - No problems with the color pie or rarity.
Balance 2.5/3 - First, I have to say that I'm very glad to see a mana cost attached to the sacrifice ability to avoid potential unwanted infinite loops. In limited, you will usually prioritize removal and combat tricks for your noncreature slots, so it will not always make the cut, but you will play this if you're in the Food archetype. In constructed, this could see play, again, in Standard Food decks if they prove viable in the format, or in Aristocrats-style decks. I don't see any problems in casual and multiplayer.
Creativity
Uniqueness 0.5/3 - Aristocrats-style abilities are nothing new. Food is, but it's just a real mechanic and there's plenty in ELD.
Flavor 3/3 - Let's call it "deliciously creepy", which feels very appropriate for this card. I wonder where the food that the few alive prisoners are served comes from... The "sacrifice a creature to turn it into food" ability clears all doubts if you had any, but I didn't have any doubts anyway! I also have no doubts that this card totally deserves full points here.
Polish
Quality 2.5/3 - in "food tokens", the word "food" should be capitalized, as subtypes always are in rules text (-0.5).
Main Challenge 2/2 - An artifact that can create Food tokens. Good.
Subchallenges 2/2 - Both met.
TOTAL 21/25
RaikouRider
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RaikouRider wrote:
4 years ago
Round 1 option: Adamant

Reflective Thoughts 2U
Sorcery {U}
Each player draws three cards.
Adamant - If at least three blue mana was spent to cast this spell, instead only you draw three cards.
Inside Vantress' mirrorhall, the thoughts of one are the thoughts of all.
Design
Appeal 3/3 - Drawing cards is a mechanic, the actual best mechanic in Magic, that tends to make everybody agree. Timmy will find more creatures to cast and he also doesn't mind "group hug" mechanics in multiplayer. Johnny will dig for combo pieces. Spike will always cast this with adamant to get card advantage. Everybody likes cards like this.
Elegance 3/3 - No problems here.
Development
Viability 3/3 - No problems with the color pie or rarity.
Balance 3/3 - I really like the rate here. One more mana for a better Vision Skeins, and UUU for a Concentrate that's harder to cast but costs three mana instead of four. I think you'd almost always play this in limited if you're in blue, and I think you need to be heavily in blue because what you actually want is the adamant ability. In constructed I can definitely see this in most control decks, certainly in Standard but I don't exclude older formats. No problems in casual. It's obvious, but the fact that this hits "each player" in its base effect is highly relevant. And mark this day, because I'm about to do something that I do very rarely... This card just looks perfect for "group hug" decks in Commander. Yes, I've mentioned Commander! For those that might not know, Commander (and derived formats like Brawl, Oathbreaker, and such) is the format that I personally like the least in Magic and I don't play it at all, nor I watch it streamed (though I do watch streams of most other formats), just because I really dislike it. But obviously, despite it not being for me, I'm happy that there are many other players who like and enjoy it.
Creativity
Uniqueness 1/3 - The adamant side is just Ancestral Recall with a more fair cost. A little innovation in the base effect as the only existing card containing the phrase "Each player draws three cards" is Burning Inquiry, and that's looting, not just draw. Still, you could just do it with a Prosperity or Skyscribing with X = 3, and also Vision Skeins exists, which is literally the same effect only with a different number. Even the idea of having "everyone draws" as base effect that changes into "only you draw" conditionally isn't new, Kumena's Awakening already did that.
Flavor 3/3 - Maybe the flavor text can feel a little bit too generic, but no real problems here.
Polish
Quality 3/3 - All good. At first I had doubts about the "only you" part, but luckily I thought I should check Gatherer to be sure, and now I'm happy I did. In fact, it's exactly this Gatherer search that made me rediscover Kumena's Awakening, that says that wording is perfectly right. Only after this I went back and added the mention of that card in Uniqueness.
Main Challenge 2/2 - A sorcery with adamant. Good.
Subchallenges 2/2 - Both met.
TOTAL 23/25 - A perfect score if it weren't for Uniqueness. Congratulations!
slimytrout
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slimytrout wrote:
4 years ago
Knights

Syr Voula, List-Keeper 4U
Creature – Merfolk Knight (R)
When you cast this spell, draw cards equal to the number of differently named Knights you control.
As long as you have seven or more cards in hand, Syr Voula, List-Keeper can't be blocked.
Vantress records the names of every knight of Eldraine, written on stones beneath the waters of Lochmere.
3/3
Design
Appeal 2/3 - Timmy likes tribal mechanics, but he doesn't want to keep cards in hand. He wants to play them! Johnny can use this in multiple ways. Spike likes every single word on this card, she only wishes it were in a color that had better support for Knights.
Elegance 2/3 - Not the shortest text and the fact that it's a cast trigger and not an ETB one, so it doesn't count itself as one of the "differently named Knights" because it will still be on the stack when the cast trigger resolves, might confuse some players.
Development
Viability 3/3 - No problems with the color pie or rarity.
Balance 2/3 - I think the mana cost is very reasonable. I'm not sure how much it would be played in ELD limited, though. It's in the wrong colors for Knight tribal (even though it is easily splashable with a single colored mana symbol in its mana cost, and this is a nice touch), and I have a hard time picturing a limited deck having seven cards in hand in the late game under ordinary circumstances. In constructed, I expect it to be much easier to use this card, especially in control decks exploiting the last ability to have an unblockable finisher, or in Knight tribal decks if they're willing to splash blue for this. The only problem I can see in casual is that some players will think this counts itself for the first ability while it actually does not (see Elegance). I don't see any problems in multiplayer.
Creativity
Uniqueness 2.5/3 - The second ability is not new, but the first is. The only existing card that cares about "differently named" things is Awakened Amalgam (which, exactly like in the previous judgment, I only rediscovered while searching Gatherer for the Quality section).
Flavor 3/3 - Another card that tells a whole story by itself, and this time without the help of an Adventure! I would have had problems with this card name on any other card, but on this one it's just perfect.
Polish
Quality 3/3 - Ok, between the previous card and this one, I've discovered that apparently I don't remember Rivals of Ixalan. Good... (I'm just being sarcastic against myself of course. Don't worry, I'm used to do it...) In fact, I was about to write that this card should have said "the number of Knights with different names", then I checked Gatherer and discovered Awakened Amalgam, that looks at me and mocks me: "Ah-ah (read that as Nelson Muntz would in The Simpsons), you don't remember us! That wording is right!"
Main Challenge 2/2 - A Knight with a Knight tribal ability. Good.
Subchallenges 2/2 - Both met.
TOTAL 21.5/25
Results (bold advance)
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RaikouRider: 23
slimytrout: 21.5
Krishnath: 21
Flatline: 20.5
Henlock: 20.5

Freyleyes: 18
barbecube: 17.5
Last edited by bravelion83 4 years ago, edited 9 times in total.
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).
After I'm done republishing my articles I want to reprise the series focusing it more on editing, wording, and templating. Suggest potential future article topics here.
My CCCG Resume (Updated on February 27th 2024)
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Blue = MTGSalvation Green = MTGNexus
MCC - Winner (9): Oct 2014, Apr Nov 2017, Jan 2018, Apr Jun 2019, Jan Mar 2022, Apr 2023 || Host (30): Dec 2014, Apr Jul Aug Dec 2015, Mar Jul Aug Oct 2016, Feb Jul 2017, Jun Nov 2018, Feb Jul 2019 (last on MTGS), Aug 2019 (first on MTGN) Oct 2019, Jan Jun 2020 Apr Oct 2021, Feb May Sep Dec 2022, Mar Jun Sep Dec 2023, Mar 2024 || Judge (58): every month from Nov 2014 to Nov 2016 except Oct 2015, every month from Feb to Jul 2017 except Apr 2017, then Oct 2017, May Jun Nov 2018, Feb Jul 2019 (last on MTGS), every month from Aug 2019 (first on MTGN) to Feb 2020, May Jun 2020, Mar Apr Sep Oct 2021, Feb May Sep Dec 2022, Mar May Jun Sep Dec 2023, Jan Mar 2024
CCL - Winner (4): Jul 2016 (tied with Flatline), May 2017, Jul 2019 (last on MTGS), Jun 2021 (tied with slimytrout) || Host (5): Feb 2015, Mar Apr May Jun 2016
DCC - Winner (3): Mar 2015 (tied with Piar), Feb Apr 2022 || Host (12): May Oct 2015, Jan 2016, Jun Sep Dec 2021, Mar Jun Sep Dec 2022, Mar Jun 2023

User avatar
Blydden
Philosophical Crusader
Posts: 30
Joined: 4 years ago
Pronoun: he / him

Post by Blydden » 4 years ago

All done! This first bracket had some very creative designs, so you should all be very proud of yourselves!
ForestsCarl
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ForestsCarl wrote:
4 years ago
Wilderness Scout 1G
Creature - Human Scout (R)
XX: Return Wilderness Scout and X other creatures you control to their owner's hands.
Thanks to these scouts, knights get back to Garenbrig alive.
1/2
//
Setting The Hunt G
Instant - Adventure
The next creature card you cast this turn can't be countered and can be cast as though it had flash.
Design -
(2.5/3) Appeal: Johnny loves this card for its combo potential by returning enters-the-battlefield effects.
Spike likes this card for its efficient and evasive qualities.
This card is too small for Timmy, and the potential of bouncing a lot of one's own creatures seems counter-intuitive.
(2.5/3) Elegance: I may just be dense, but I had to read the creature half of the rules text multiple times. Otherwise, I would not have fully realized that the creature bounces itself back to your hand for .

Development -
(1.5/3) Viability: This card's Rare rarity is correct. This card's Green coloration is incorrect for its creature half.
Specifically, this card's creature half is a break since it subverts one of Green's fundamental weaknesses to board clears. Sure, Green can return its own creatures to its owner's hand, but this way of doing it is excessive. Either the creature needs to be more vulnerable, or the creature can only bounce itself on its controller's turn.
(1/3) Balance: The Adventure half of this card is balanced enough.
Again, my issue is with the creature half of this card. It is far too evasive for Green when its fundamental weakness is having the least evasive creatures of any color. The ability simply doesn't cost enough to activate, especially since the creature can bounce itself for . Consider Fae of Wishes, a correctly colored card which also bounces itself at instant speed.
Otherwise, the creature half of this card is too weak on its own. A 1G 1/2 that doesn't add mana or otherwise produce advantage is far below par for a Green two-drop.

Creativity -
(2/3) Uniqueness: The Adventure half of this card strongly reminded me of Savage Summoning.
As for the creature half, I agree that its ability is unique. A fairer version of that ability in a more appropriate color (Blue or White) would still be unique as well.
(1/3) Flavor: I was surprised when the name "Wilderness Scout" was not taken, but I think it is a bit too generic for an Adventure card. I think 'Garenbrig Scout' or a similarly flavored name may be more appropriate. "Setting the Hunt" is a fine card name, but I believe a verb other than "Setting" would be more evocative.
The flavor text of the creature half is too blunt. It doesn't make me are about these scouts of Garenbrig. All it does is remind me of the mechanics of what the card literally does and sound smug doing it.
Lastly, if Castle Garenbrig's virtue is strength, then why is this creature so puny?

Polish -
(1/3) Quality: Within the rules text of the creature half: the word "owner's" should be pluralistic with the apostrophe to the right of the "s" (owners', minus half a point). The period at the end of the flavor text of the creature half of this card should be italicized (minus half a point).
The card name "Setting the Hunt" should be bolded (minus half a point). Lastly, within the rules text of the Adventure half: the word "card" needs to be the word 'spell' instead (minus half a point).
(2/2) Main Challenge: Adventurous!
(2/2) Subchallenges: Both subchallenges met!

Total: 15.5/25
Final thought: Interestingly, in my research for this judgment I learned that not a single Scout creature was printed in the new set.
Ink-Treader
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Ink-Treader wrote:
4 years ago
Hunter's Haul 2G
Enchantment (R)
Whenever a creature an opponent controls dies, if a creature you control fought that creature this turn, create a Food token. (It's an artifact with "2, T, Sacrifice this artifact: You gain 3 life.")
3G: Target creature you control fights target creature an opponent controls. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery and only once each turn.
Every knight of Garenbrig learns how to hunt, to keep up their strength on long forays into the wilds.
Design -
(1.5/3) Appeal: Spike likes this card for its low-risk, high-reward potential.
Timmy is known for liking the fight mechanic, so I would say that he likes this card as well.
Johnny is somewhat disinterested in this card for the most part, except it could be an interesting card to build around.
(2/3) Elegance: This card's text totals up to 10 lines when rendered, and that is quite a read!

Development -
(2.5/3) Viability: This card's rarity of Rare and its coloration of Green are both correct.
However, it is worth noting that a Green removal engine like this is a significant bend for the color.
(0.5/3) Balance: This card costs too much, but the ability costs or too little.
The first line of text is overly specific and Food tokens aren't very powerful on their own.
The second line of text is much more significant since continuously removing an opponent's creatures is often a win condition. Against most decks, the activated ability is almost unfair and may start being activated far too early in the game.

Creativity -
(1/3) Uniqueness: There has been plenty of Food in the new set. Green has also gotten creature combat cards in every new set for a long time now. I do admit that an enchantment that enables fighting is a new spin.
(3/3) Flavor: I love this card's flavor. Good name, good flavor text, and the mechanics are flavorful as well.

Polish -
(3/3) Quality: Both instances of "an opponent controls" could instead be 'you don't control' for the sake of brevity. Nonetheless, I do not believe either instance is qualitatively incorrect.
(2/2) Main Challenge: Delicious!
(2/2) Subchallenges: Both subchallenges met!

Total: 17.5/25
Final thought: I would have liked to see this as a card, regardless of the first subchallenge.
kwanyeegor-ii
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kwanyeegor-ii wrote:
4 years ago
Faerie Indenture 3U
Sorcery (Uncommon)
Each player creates four 1/1 blue Faerie creature tokens with flying.
Adamant - If at least three blue mana was spent to cast this spell, for each opponent, gain control of a creature with converted mana cost 1 or less that player controls.
Even faeries from the wilds want access to the magic mirror Indrelon, so Vantress hires them for their spy skills.
Design -
(0.5/3) Appeal: Beyond multiplayer formats, I struggled to think of players that would be excited to draft this card, let alone play it. This makes a lot of tokens in the color that cares the least about creatures. There aren't many CMC 0 or 1 creatures that are worth paying 1UUU to steal. An Uncommon card deserves to be more appealing instead of so very niche.
(1.5/3) Elegance: Having to repeatedly fiddle with numerous creature tokens is inelegant, as evidenced by the Golos Field archetypes currently dominating Standard.
This card is also wordy, totaling at nine lines of text when rendered. That much text is difficult to justify on an Uncommon card.

Development -
(1.5/3) Viability: As mentioned before, Blue is the color that cares the least about creatures. Hence, creating eight token bodies for four mana is a definite color break. The first line of rules text is an effect that I'd prefer to see in White.
On another note, I am unsure about this card being Uncommon. There is not much precedent for this combination of effects in a Standard legal set at that rarity.
(1/3) Balance: I'm willing to bet that this card could play decently in Limited, especially with effects that buff up multiple creatures. Otherwise, this card is weak to the point of unplayable without enough blue mana or proper synergy.
This card would have more significance in multiplayer, especially when cast for 1UUU. This would be similar to the significance of Chaos Warp as that card also breaks the color pie.

Creativity -
(1.5/3) Uniqueness: Each player creating multiple tokens has been done before, especially in multiplayer sets. Blue cards gaining control of other people's small permanents has also been done before. These effects are not in every set though.
(1/3) Flavor: The name, rules text, and flavor text on this card all seem out of sync. "Faerie Indenture" sounds more contractual in effect than 'create lots of tokens'.
The flavor text is overly wordy, and it is also disconnected from the rules text.
On a personal note, the word "Vantress" feels incomplete to me. Perhaps 'the knights of Vantress' or some similar turn of phrase would have felt more complete to me.
All in all, this card's name and flavor text do not fit its rules text.

Polish -
(2/3) Quality: The card's name "Faerie Indenture" should be bolded (minus half a point).
The dash after the word "Adamant" should be a long dash '—' and not a short dash (minus half a point).
(2/2) Main Challenge: Adamant!
(2/2) Subchallenges: Both subchallenges met!

Total: 13/25
Final thought: I am still unsure if this card refers to The Magic Mirror or not.
Legend
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Legend wrote:
4 years ago
Story Rider 3w
Creature — Spirit Knight (R)
As long as an exiled creature card with flying is on an adventure, Story Rider and other Knight creatures you control have flying. The same is true for all other keyword abilities. (Deathtouch, lifelink, and vigilance are keyword abilities.)
3/3
Though Ardendale's story may have been written with pen and parchment, it was wrought with sword and shield.
Design -
(1.5/3) Appeal: Disappointingly, this card is a far more exciting read than it actually plays. As you rightly point out, the only relevant keyword abilities at this time are: deathtouch, flying, lifelink, and vigilance. That's quite a few keywords, but I doubt it'd be quite enough for Timmy or Johnny. Spike wouldn't mind, but this card may still not be worth the necessary investment.
(2/3) Elegance: Keeping track of the abilities of your Adventure creature cards in exile while this is in play is an inelegance. Some of the Adventure creature cards also have rules text that is irrelevant to this ability (such as Flash and other abilities) which can be unintuitive.

Development -
(2/3) Viability: This card fits nicely into White. It is also worthy of the rarity of Rare.
However, the word "keyword" in rules text is a silver-border concept. To see print in black-border, this card would have to be rewritten (see Quality).
(2.5/3) Balance: Looking over the 30 canonic creature cards that have Adventures, only seven fly, only two have lifelink, only two are vigilant, and only one has deathtouch. In addition, many of these particular Adventure instants and sorceries are only conditionally worth casting.
Thankfully, only one keyword is necessary for the creature to break even and be worth about four mana. The more relevant exiled Adventures and Knights you control, the more this creature pulls its weight as a lordly Rare.
I have three ideas for how I would power up this Rare, in order of preference:
1) Some way to prevent you from having to keep your Adventure creature cards in exile when they should be adding board presence instead. 'When you cast a creature spell that has an Adventure, X.'
2) Give your Knights +1/+0 (or +1/+1 instead) for each exiled creature card on an Adventure
3) Give all of your creatures (not just itself and fellow Knights) the lordly effect

Creativity -
(2/3) Uniqueness: This card reminds me of other, stronger cards like Odric, Lunarch Marshal, Valiant Knight, and Warden of the Beyond. That's not necessarily a bad thing – it is still a unique remix.
(2/3) Flavor: Mechanically, the card is very flavorful. The card name fails to capture my attention and pales in comparison to its rules text. The flavor text could also be tightened up with more confidence as follows:
'Ardenvale's story was written with pen and parchment, and it was wrought with sword and shield.'

Polish -
(0/3) Quality: Within the rules text, the word "adventure" needs to be capitalized (minus half a point).
The sentence of rules text starting with "The same is true for" needs to be rewritten for black-border magic: 'The same is true for first strike, deathtouch, double strike, haste, hexproof, indestructible, lifelink, menace, reach, trample, and vigilance.' (minus one and a half points for a necessary rewrite of rules text).
Also, in the flavor text, the word "Ardendale" should be spelled 'Ardenvale' (minus half a point).
Lastly, the card's lines of flavor text should be in between the lines of rules text and the power/toughness (minus half a point).
(2/2) Main Challenge: Knightly!
(1.5/2) Subchallenges: Subchallenge 1 met!
As for Subchallenge 2, our judging panel agrees that while the spirit of it was met the letter was not. (Yes, this pun is on purpose!)

Total: 15.5/25
Final thoughts: I wasn't sure where else to mention this in my judgment, so I'll mention it here. I'm not sure if your card was intended to punish opponents for casting Adventures. Either way, I would very much prefer this creature to only care about Adventure creature cards that its owner owns in exile.
netn10
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netn10 wrote:
4 years ago
Ardenvale Aspirant WW
Creature - Human (Uncommon)
Tap an untapped Knight you control: If Ardenvale Aspirant isn't a Knight, put a +1/+1 counter on it and it becomes a Human Knight.
At Ardenvale, most citizens wants to be knights, and it is as if Eldraine itself wants to grant their wish.
2/2
/////////////////////////
Search for Patron 3W
Sorcery - Adventure (Uncommon)
Search your library for a Knight card, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle your library.
Design -
(2/3) Appeal: This aspirant isn't big enough for Timmy. Johnny likes this card for the unusual tutor effect. Spike also likes this card for being both easy to build around and efficient at what it does.
(1/3) Elegance: Tracking whether or not the aspirant has been knighted with only a +1/+1 counter can be troublesome. Tutoring for a specific card and then shuffling a library afterwards is also inelegant, but this is a comparatively minor quibble.
The greatest problem with this card is that its creature half is much too wordy. There just would not be enough space for four lines of rules text and three lines of flavor text.

Development -
(3/3) Viability: Uncommon is the correct rarity for both halves of this card. Both halves of this card also fit perfectly in White.
(3/3) Balance: Both halves of this card are reasonably priced for their effects and inherent synergy. This card plays best in a Limited deck that cares about Knights. I am sure there is a tribal Commander deck out there that would want exactly this card in its list.
This is pretty straightforward perfect score for this category.

Creativity -
(2/3) Uniqueness: Most aspects of this card have been done to a similar degree, but having an Adventure here helps a lot with uniqueness.
(1.5/3) Flavor: This card simply has way too much flavor text when only several words are needed at most. The tale told by this card's mechanics is not difficult to interpret, so the flavor text should be succinct. I'd also recommend one proper noun at most instead of two.
I am a big fan of the card name "Ardenvale Aspirant". I am less of a fan of the other card name "Search for Patron". There I think a different card name like 'Squire's Quest' would have added more flavor.
Tapping a Knight to dub the aspirant is also very flavorful, and that too deserves special mention.

Polish -
(1.5/3) Quality: In the flavor text, the word "wants" should be 'want' (minus half a point).
The redundant rarity symbol on this card's Adventure half is superfluous (minus half a point).
Within the rules text of this card's Adventure half, the word 'creature' should be in between "Knight" and "card" (minus half a point).
(2/2) Main Challenge: Adventurous!
(2/2) Subchallenges: Both subchallenges met!

Total: 18/25
Final thoughts: I promise that just two slashes in between the creature half and the adventure half would have been plenty! No need for 25 slashes! (Yes for some reason I counted them all out!)
Subject16
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Subject16 wrote:
4 years ago
Parading Paladin 3RR
Creature - Human Knight (Rare)
Whenever Parading Paladin attacks, when you cast your next instant or sorcery spell this turn, copy that spell. You may choose new targets for the copy.
"The people of Embereth love a good show."
4/3
//
Grand Entrance 2RR
Sorcery - Adventure (Rare)
You may put a creature card from your hand or that you own in exile on an Adventure onto the battlefield. It gains haste. Return it to your hand at the beginning of the next end step.
Design -
(3/3) Appeal: Timmy loves doubling big spells, as does Johnny. Spike also loves this creature's efficiency.
(1.5/3) Elegance: Since Grand Entrance would be on the stack when cast, you cannot put the accompanying Parading Paladin onto the battlefield. A duplicate Parading Paladin would need to either be in hand or in exile on an Adventure. This is not that intuitive for new players, hence the inelegance.
Moreover, both halves of this card are too wordy to fit on the limited space of an Adventure frame.

Development -
(3/3) Viability: This card is exactly Red. There is a hypothetical argument that it could be a Mythic Rare with these kinds of effects put together. But, the chosen rarity of Rare is also fine.
(1.5/3) Balance: Each half of this card does a lot by itself, let alone when put together. The double color weight on both halves here helps a lot.
The first half of the card is pushed but reasonably so for a bombastic Rare. The card is vulnerable as a five-drop with only three toughness. As a Knight it does have access to useful tribal synergies which can make up for that vulnerability. It has no evasion by itself, but it can get out of hand and finish the game quickly if it attacks more than once.
However, the second half should definitely cost or more. As-is, the whole card becomes too fast and too efficient at curving into itself. It enables reusing other adventurers too easily as well as-is. Sacrificing instead of bouncing the creature would also help, but even then it would still need to cost at least 3RR.

Creativity -
(2.5/3) Uniqueness: Neither of these effects feel new to Red, but bundling them together as an Adventure card feels very refreshing indeed.
(3/3) Flavor: I was very surprised that the card name "Grand Entrance" had not already been taken. "Parading Paladin" is also a great card name. The mechanics of both halves tie into each other's flavor very well.
The flavor text on the creature, while over the textual limit, may even be worth the sacrifice.

Polish -
(2.5/3) Quality: The redundant rarity symbol on this card's Adventure half is superfluous (minus half a point).
(2/2) Main Challenge: Adventurous!
(2/2) Subchallenges: Both subchallenges met!

Total: 21/25
Final thoughts: So what do the people of Embereth celebrate aside from knightly tournaments? Equinoxes? Solstices? Fire festivals? Hand-fasting?
void_nothing
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void_nothing wrote:
4 years ago
Baron of Remembrance 2GG
Creature - Human Noble Druid (R)
Permanent spells you cast cost 1 less to cast.
Whenever you cast a spell, you may exile any number of cards with the same name as it from your graveyard. Add G for each card exiled in this way.
"Garenbrig's mana is old and nourishing.
2/2
///
Annals Recalled 1G
Sorcery - Adventure (R)
Put target card from your graveyard on top of your library.
Design -
(3/3) Appeal: Each of the three player types at least likes this idea. Timmy and Johnny both like making a lot of mana all at once to play discounted big permanents. Spike also likes this card to set up a draw step without being at a disadvantage to do so.
(2/3) Elegance: The creature half of this card is way too wordy when rendered. There would not be enough space for six lines of rules text and the one line of flavor text.

Development -
(3/3) Viability: This card is definitely Green and definitely a Rare.
(2/3) Balance: In my opinion, the Adventure half of this card could have safely cost less. Though, it is not the type of spell that would ever be cast on curve, so that's a minor concern.
I also have concerns with the creature half of this card. Its stats are very low for a Green four-drop. Though, if you get to untap with it, the potential payoff could be disproportionately strong.
This card could use little tweaking and some play-testing, but balance-wise it is not too far off.

Creativity -
(2.5/3) Uniqueness: The Adventure half of this card is a Sorcery speed Reclaim. However, the creature half of this card is very unique which definitely makes up for that.
(1.5/3) Flavor: "Annals Recalled" is a great card name, and the mechanics of that half fit perfectly.
"Baron of Remembrance" felt flat in comparison, I would have preferred some other card name that felt more druidic. I definitely dislike the flavor text of the creature half; it serves little purpose other than bland exposition.

Polish -
(2/3) Quality: For the creature half, its flavor text's rightmost quotation mark is missing (minus half a point).
For the Adventure half, the redundant rarity symbol on this card's Adventure half is superfluous (minus half a point).
There was room within the Adventure half of this card for the Adventure reminder text, but it's not strictly necessary. (Then exile this card. You may cast the creature later from exile.)
(2/2) Main Challenge: Adventurous!
(2/2) Subchallenges: Both subchallenges met!

Total: 20/25
Final thought: I do have to admit that 'The Barony of Remembrance' does have a nice ring to it when sounded out.
Results!
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Subject16 - 21
void_nothing - 20
netn10 - 18
Ink-Treader - 17.5
Legend - 15.5
ForestsCarl - 15.5
kwanyeegor-ii - 13

If your username has been bolded here, congratulations are in order — you have qualified for Round 2 of the October MCC! Best of luck!
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Last edited by Blydden 4 years ago, edited 3 times in total.

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Gateways7
Posts: 151
Joined: 4 years ago
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Post by Gateways7 » 4 years ago

archemediesx
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Design
(1/3) Appeal - Do the different player psychographics (Timmy/Johhny/Spike) have a use for the card?

Spike has nothing for this card, as it's a very weak card. (I talk about this more at length in my Balance section.) Timmy wants to see large beaters, and this card takes too long to get to a point where it's viable to use that way. I think Johnny might be able to put together a mono-blue deck with lots of tempo and lots of spells to get value out of the Snappers, though.

(3/3) Elegance - Is the card easily understandable at a glance? Do all the flavor and mechanics combined as a whole make sense?
The flavor and mechanics work well together, and the card is pretty understandable. I have no issues here.

Development
(2/3) 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?

I absolutely think this is great in color pie - unblockable and rearranging cards are both blue, and putting +1/+1 counters on a creature is something that any color can do, especially when the trigger is in-color. No rule is broken or bent. My only problem with this card is the rarity - honestly, this card feels like it's an uncommon or maybe even a common than anywhere close to rare, because of the power level and the lack of complexity.

(2/3) 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?
This card is really weak in my opinion. The Adventure is a weak (worse than other commons like Index, and the Snapper has an ability that is both reliant on luck as well as not very powerful, as the unblockability is based on luck after the first two or three turns, and you have to trigger it two times to make it an above-rate creature. Furthermore, because this ability requires you to have attacked before you see the card, there's a risk in attacking with this once your four cards are gone because you have no idea whether your creature is safe or not, defeating the purpose of unblockable in the first place. The only argument for rare I can see is complexity, but this would still be fine at uncommon. In Limited, this would be a weak attacker, and it's not going to see play in any Constructed format except for maybe kitchen table magic.

Creativity
(2.5/3) 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"?

The creature uses pretty novel space - the closest thing we've seen so far is probably Woodvine Elemental, or maybe Conundrum Sphinx. The sorcery is a lot less new (we've seen an upgraded version of this effect on Index, as well as it being a worse scry, but the interaction between the two parts of the card makes it not as much of an issue.

(2.5/3) 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?
Everything about the card feels good for a card in general, but since it's specifically an Eldraine card, there's a slight problem. Eldraine specifically decided not to reference fables and talking animals as part of it's lore, and the Tortoise and the Hare is a story that uses both of those elements, especially with the implication from the flavor text that both are sentient enough to have specific approaches and strategies for racing. I'll remove 0.5 points for this because it's not serious, and an easy mistake to make.

Polish
(2/3) Quality - Points deducted for incorrect spelling, grammar, and templating.

0.5 removed for having an incredibly long creature card - in MSE, the length of the card is 8 lines, whereas the maximum so far is 5 lines. Another 0.5 removed for "revealed in this way" instead of "revealed this way", which is the norm.

(2/2) 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?
You did in fact, make an Adventure creature card, and I think that the approach was interesting in that the two parts comboed together, which is something that not many Adventure cards do, surprisingly. (Really just Reaper of Night, Oakhame Ranger, Lovestruck Beast, and Beanstalk Giant.)

(2/2) Subchallenges - One point awarded per satisfied subchallenge condition.
This is monocolored, and it references Vantress!

Total: 19/25
Dragonlover
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Design
(1.5/3) Appeal - Do the different player psychographics (Timmy/Johnny/Spike) have a use for the card?

I would say that there are a couple of beaters you could get with this card for Timmy, but they're all out of color (Syr Gwyn and Edgar) and even then they're not that strong. Johnny likes this because it's a good synergy piece to assemble good Knight synergy with a lot of good cards, and in Eldraine specifically, creating a deck that runs this and Faren and some of the other Knights from that cycle would be fun. I don't think there are too many cards that are worth it for Spike to pick up with this, though - it's basically a worse Thalia's Lancer in a different color.

(3/3) Elegance - Is the card easily understandable at a glance? Do all the flavor and mechanics combined as a whole make sense?
Yep! Everything about this card makes sense to me, and it's a very simple line of text for something that gives you a lot of options in both deckbuilding and play.

Development
(3/3) 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?
This seems fine in color pie, as green can tutor for creatures, and vigilance is green. There's no rule it breaks at all, and this works well at rare.

(2.5/3) 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?
I think this is a perfectly fair card in pretty much all formats. In Limited, it can hit your uncommon Knights (assuming that this is meant to be in Throne of Eldraine), and in Standard, there's not much else to hit. If anything, it's a little on the weaker side, especially since this can't be played in the same deck as many of the good legendary Knights I mentioned before. That does mean that I think this card is not going to be a problem, but it's not what you want to see opened for a rare.

Creativity
(2.5/3) 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"?
I think that caring about legendary Knights is an interesting concept, although we have seen the legendary-specific tutor before (Thalia's Lancers, for instance). One thing it is very similar to is the example card from the judge signups this month (changes the word Equipment for Knight), but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume it wasn't copied.

(2.5/3) 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?
The name is similar to many Knights in the set, the flavor text sounds great, and I think that the Vorthos elements come mostly together. My one problem is that the FT has nothing to do with the card and it's mechanics, and seems a bit, but that's really not a big issue.

Polish
(3/3) Quality - Points deducted for incorrect spelling, grammar, and templating.
No problems here, this looks all good to me.

(2/2) 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?
This is, in fact, a legendary Knight that interacts with Knights, so it looks good to me! I think Knight tutor is an interesting take, which is why I like it.

(2/2) Subchallenges - One point awarded per satisfied subchallenge condition.
Mono-colored, and has Garenbrig!

Total: 22/25
Jimmy Groove
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Design
(3/3) Appeal - Do the different player psychographics (Timmy/Johhny/Spike) have a use for the card?
I think Timmy is pretty happy to play this in a token deck, as it allows him to boost a potential massive army of tokens into a killing army, and smash his opponents for massive damage. I think that Johnny is very excited to be able to enable a metric ton of comboes with this card, and Spike is just as happy to play this and go infinite very easily. Because, y'know, persist is a mechanic that exist.

(3/3) Elegance - Is the card easily understandable at a glance? Do all the flavor and mechanics combined as a whole make sense?
As a card, I think that this works pretty well, and the flavor and mechanics play well together. No problems here!

Development
(2/3) 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?
I have a problem here with green essentially getting Shock for 1G. While it is true that green has gotten fight effects recently, the thing that ties all of them together is that they are overcosted for their rate. Aspiring Hero does not have that problem, and in addition it doubles as a 2GG 3 damage removal spell with upside (which isn't as much of a problem by itself, but having it as another option feels like too much.) I do think that this is fine rules-wise and is the appropriate rarity, though.

(1/3) 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?
HOO boy does this go infinite with persist. It's a three card combo between this spell, any card with persist, and any sacrifice outlet. It's an infinite life combo with this, Kitchen Finks, and a sac outlet, and it's an instant win combo with this and Murderous Redcap. This combo is so powerful, it might see play in Modern, because the only way of interacting with it is counterspells, and with ramp it can come online turn 4 or 5. In Limited and Standard, though, I like where it is.

Creativity
(3/3) 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"?
The low cost creature paired with the sorcery is a good combination of an old ability and a newer one into a card that works pretty well when used in tandem. I also really like Call of Adventure itself - it's an effect we haven't seen much (on cards likeZameck Guildmage and things like that), and never on a non-permanent. It's a pretty unique card!

(3/3) 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?
This has a very distinct air of adventuring, journeying, and fighting, so I'm all good here. No room for flavor text, and I think the card works better than a lot of other adventure cards in terms of flavor elements.

Polish
(1.5/3) Quality - Points deducted for incorrect spelling, grammar, and templating.
Call of Adventure wants to read "Each other creature you control enters the battlefield with an additional +1/+1 counter on it this turn", because currently, you can Quicken it and cast it in response to a creature to steal it and get a counter. Unless that was your intent, in which case I'd be subtracting the same number of points for color pie and balance issues. Furthermore, Call of Adventure shouldn't have rarity, as shown by the templating Leo used an example.

(2/2) 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?
It's an adventurin' creature! I think the idea is interesting.

(1/2) Subchallenges - One point awarded per satisfied subchallenge condition.
You did not have FT referencing Garenbrig, but it is mono-color.

Total: 19.5/25
marioguy3
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Design
(2/3) Appeal - Do the different player psychographics (Timmy/Johhny/Spike) have a use for the card?
I don't think that Timmy is the biggest fan of this card just because it doesn't help him go that big, but I also don't think he has any problems with it. Johnny is a fan, as it helps him assemble cool Food token synergy, which I think is pretty fun. I think Spike isn't as much of a fan of this card as well, as it's pretty slow to get going, but in some situations it can be used with a lot of value.

(2.5/3) Elegance - Is the card easily understandable at a glance? Do all the flavor and mechanics combined as a whole make sense?
I think the card itself is pretty understandable, but the flavor doesn't really mesh with the mechanics (as I talk about more in the "Flavor" section.)

Development
(3/3) 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?
I think that color-pie wise, it's perfect, it doesn't break anything, and rare is exactly where this wants to be. Full marks from me!

(3/3) 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?
I think that it's fine in terms of power-level (especially in Limited / Standard, where there are a lot of cool cards to use with it. I think this is fair, especially with the rider that the creatures come in tapped, as it doesn't really do much against aggro decks, and therefore has weaknesses that can be exploited. I think a Scroll deck in Standard would be really fun, so full marks from me!

Creativity
(3/3) 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"?
Giving your opponents Food tokens in exchange for some other benefit is definitely new design space, and I think it's pretty cool! I like the idea here.

(1/5/3) 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?
I'm gonna keep it real with you - I have no idea what this is supposed to be flavorfully. "Scroll of the Trade" makes me think that it's some kind of source of knowledge, but your card is making Food and stealing creatures. Even though your card is stealing creatures, your card is talking about making them fools instead of converting them or getting them on your side. Also, I just plain don't understand what you're trying to convey with your FT - what does "communication" have to do with turning people into fools? There's too much going on here for it to make sense from a Vorthos perspective.

Polish
(2/3) Quality - Points deducted for incorrect spelling, grammar, and templating.
Food should be capitalized, and it should have reminder text on the card. Other than that, everything looks good to me.

(2/2) 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?
This is an interesting use of the food mechanic, so I'm a fan!

(1/2) Subchallenges - One point awarded per satisfied subchallenge condition.
The name you were looking for would be Vantress, not Vannifar. Because it's another name entirely, you haven't actually completed this portion of the challenge. (If it was a mispelling, I would not be deducting full points.) This is mono-colored, though.

Total: 20/25
Sagharri
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Design
(2.5/3) Appeal - Do the different player psychographics (Timmy/Johnny/Spike) have a use for the card?
I think Timmy is a fan of a card that can tutor up his bombs and allow him to play them earlier. I think that any kind of tutoring is something a synergistical deck that Johnny might want to play would be something that he'd like, and this card seems not perfect for Spike (Cruel Tutor is pretty weak, and that's the best jumping-off point,) this card is not horrible, as it doubles as a cheaper Diabolical. Overall, it has something for everyone!

(3/3) Elegance - Is the card easily understandable at a glance? Do all the flavor and mechanics combined as a whole make sense?
Yep! This is a really clean design that acts like a split card without seeming as complex as one, and the flavor pairs well with the idea! This is great.

Development
(3/3) 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?
This is in color, doesn't hurt anything, and Diabolic Tutor is uncommon, so this is fine.

(3/3) 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?
I think this is at about the right power level, as it's just either a cheaper Diabolic Tutor with slight downside or a Diabolic Tutor with a more restrictive yet cheaper mana cost, and I think that it might help combo decks a little. This works well for me!

Creativity
(2/3) 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"?
I mean, both parts of this are already cards, just costed differently. Without Adamant, it's a Vamp Tutor, and with it it's a Demonic Tutor, so I can't give you too many marks in this category. I do think the idea of drawing the card on top as a way to bridge these two effects is pretty interesting, so I'll give you some points back for that.

(3/3) 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?
I like this flavor a lot, and while the name "Dark Secret" is a bit generic, that interesting flavor text brings it back. Full marks here!

Polish
(3/3) Quality - Points deducted for incorrect spelling, grammar, and templating.
No problems here, this is the wording on things like Vampiric Tutor that I mentioned earlier.

(2/2) 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?
It's adamant, and uses it in an interesting way.

(2/2) Subchallenges - One point awarded per satisfied subchallenge condition.
Monocolored, Locthwain. All good.

Total: 23.5/25
The_Hittite
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Design
(1.5/3) Appeal - Do the different player psychographics (Timmy/Johnny/Spike) have a use for the card?

I don't think Timmy has anything for this card. Johnny likes the ability to try and mess around with exile to get a lot of haste triggers, and I think Spike isn't the biggest fan of this but is totally fine with it for Limited purposes.

(3/3) Elegance - Is the card easily understandable at a glance? Do all the flavor and mechanics combined as a whole make sense?
The card is very understandable, and it subtly gives you a bonus for going on an Adventure while making it flavorful in execution. Perfect!

Development
(2.5/3) 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?
Haste and kill spells are fine in black, and I think uncommon is the right rarity. I do think the ability to get a bonus when the card enters the battlefield from exile (as opposed to cast from exile, which the Adventure gives you) is a bit weird for the game, as Wizards is opposed to having exile as a second graveyard and this seems like a bit of a way to try and make it okay, but overall not a bad idea.

(3/3) 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?
A sidegrade of Murder is good to me - this seems about right for an uncommon. No problem here!

Creativity
(2.5/3) 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"?
I like the idea of having something gain abilities when you cast it from a specific zone, which is a pretty cool idea. The sorcery part of the card is something we've seen before card=Bake Into a Pie]here[/card], but in conjunction with the rest of the card it's really card.

(2.5/3) 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?
Calling back to the legend of the Headless Horseman (presumably), this is a pretty cool take on the legend that doesn't try and steal too heavily from the source. My one problem with the flavor of the card is that I don't know why it makes a Food, as it doesn't seem to tie into the lore, but that's not really a problem.

Polish
(3/3) Quality - Points deducted for incorrect spelling, grammar, and templating.
While I was going to deduct points for not having Food reminder text, Curious Pair demonstrates that I was wrong. Full points!

(2/2) 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?
This is an Adventure on a creature card, and I think it's a cool execution. I'm good here!

(2/2) Subchallenges - One point awarded per satisfied subchallenge condition.
Mono-colored, Locthwain.

Total: 22/25


Results - Bold Advance
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Sagharri - 23.5/25
Dragonlover - 22/25
The_Hittite - 22/25
marioguy3 - 20/25

Jimmy Groove - 19.5/25
archemediesx - 19/25
Congrats to those who made it, and if there are problems with my judging or mistakes I made, please let me know!

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bravelion83
MKM MCC going on now
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Post by bravelion83 » 4 years ago

All judgments are in, and I have round 2 ready, so it's time to move on!
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).
After I'm done republishing my articles I want to reprise the series focusing it more on editing, wording, and templating. Suggest potential future article topics here.
My CCCG Resume (Updated on February 27th 2024)
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Blue = MTGSalvation Green = MTGNexus
MCC - Winner (9): Oct 2014, Apr Nov 2017, Jan 2018, Apr Jun 2019, Jan Mar 2022, Apr 2023 || Host (30): Dec 2014, Apr Jul Aug Dec 2015, Mar Jul Aug Oct 2016, Feb Jul 2017, Jun Nov 2018, Feb Jul 2019 (last on MTGS), Aug 2019 (first on MTGN) Oct 2019, Jan Jun 2020 Apr Oct 2021, Feb May Sep Dec 2022, Mar Jun Sep Dec 2023, Mar 2024 || Judge (58): every month from Nov 2014 to Nov 2016 except Oct 2015, every month from Feb to Jul 2017 except Apr 2017, then Oct 2017, May Jun Nov 2018, Feb Jul 2019 (last on MTGS), every month from Aug 2019 (first on MTGN) to Feb 2020, May Jun 2020, Mar Apr Sep Oct 2021, Feb May Sep Dec 2022, Mar May Jun Sep Dec 2023, Jan Mar 2024
CCL - Winner (4): Jul 2016 (tied with Flatline), May 2017, Jul 2019 (last on MTGS), Jun 2021 (tied with slimytrout) || Host (5): Feb 2015, Mar Apr May Jun 2016
DCC - Winner (3): Mar 2015 (tied with Piar), Feb Apr 2022 || Host (12): May Oct 2015, Jan 2016, Jun Sep Dec 2021, Mar Jun Sep Dec 2022, Mar Jun 2023

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