December MCC, Round 2: Enchanted to Succeed

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void_nothing
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Post by void_nothing » 4 years ago

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December MCC, Round 2 - Enchanted to Succeed

Welcome to the September MCC! It's Commons Month here at the MCC - yes, every round will REQUIRE contestants to design a COMMON card! Please make double sure you have the rarity right this month.

Main Challenge: Design a common Aura card.
Subchallenge 1: Your card doesn't have the EXACT enchant ability "Enchant creature".
Subchallenge 2: Your card has an ability that places counters.

DEADLINES

Design deadline: Wednesday, December 18th 23:59 EDT

Judging deadline: Saturday, December 21st 23:59 EDT

Clarifications
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Subchallenge 1: Your card can still be attached to a creature of some kind. "Enchant creature or land", "enchant creature with flying", "enchant artifact" - these would all count.
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:
void_nothing
bravelion83
Blydden

Players:
[mention]slimytrout[/mention]
[mention]Jimmy Groove[/mention]
[mention]Henlock[/mention]
[mention]Legend[/mention]
[mention]Ryder[/mention]
[mention]Ink-Treader[/mention]
[mention]barbecube[/mention]
[mention]Freyleyes[/mention]
[mention]Kypster[/mention]
[mention]Icarii[/mention]
[mention]archemediesx[/mention]
[mention]StonerOfKruphix[/mention]
[mention]The_Hittite[/mention]
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StonerOfKruphix
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Post by StonerOfKruphix » 4 years ago

Pharika's Insight 1{b/g}
Enchantment — Aura (C)
Enchant black or green creature
Enchanted creature has deathtouch and "T, Sacrifice a creature: Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature."
"One man's poison is another man's medicine."
—Solon, acolyte of Pharika
Last edited by StonerOfKruphix 4 years ago, edited 5 times in total.

slimytrout
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Post by slimytrout » 4 years ago

Visions of Paradise 2G
Enchantment – Aura (C)
Enchant creature or land
Enchanted permanent has "T: Add two mana of any one color."
Suspend 2–G(Rather than cast this card from your hand, you may pay G and exile it with two time counters on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a time counter. When the last is removed, cast it without paying its mana cost.)
Last edited by slimytrout 4 years ago, edited 3 times in total.

The_Hittite
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Post by The_Hittite » 4 years ago

Aether Siphon 1B
Enchantment — Aura (C)
Enchant artifact you don't control
Whenever enchanted artifact becomes tapped, its controller loses (an energy counter) and you get .
Unexplained aether shortages are usually blamed on gremlins. Sometimes it's even true.
Last edited by The_Hittite 4 years ago, edited 1 time in total.

Legend
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Post by Legend » 4 years ago

Amorphism U
Enchantment - Aura (Common)
Enchant permanent
2: Choose a counter on enchanted permanent. Remove that counter or put another of those counters on enchanted permanent.
“Comboing in Commander is like dunking on a seven foot hoop.” – Dana Roach

“Making a deck that other people want to play against – that’s Commander.” – Gavin Duggan

"I want my brain to win games, not my cards." – Sheldon Menery

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Ryder
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Post by Ryder » 4 years ago

Roaring Defiance 1G
Enchantment — Aura (C)
Enchant Beast creature
Vanishing 3 (This Aura enters the battlefield with three time counters on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a time counter from it. When the last is removed, sacrifice it.)
Enchanted creature gets +X/+X, where X is the number of time counters on Roaring Defiance.

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Jimmy Groove
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Post by Jimmy Groove » 4 years ago

Toxic Wounds 2B
Enchantment - Aura (C)
Enchant player
At the beginning of enchanted player's end step, if that player took damage this turn, put a poison counter on that player.
"It's just a few scratches."
- Holdek Farr, final words

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Icarii
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Post by Icarii » 4 years ago

Weary Warts 2B
Enchantment — Aura (C)
Enchant nonartifact creature
When Weary Warts enters the battlefield, put a -1/-1 counter on enchanted creature.
Whenever enchanted creature attacks or blocks, put a -1/-1 counter on it.
Rest offers no cure, but work offers worse.
Last edited by Icarii 4 years ago, edited 1 time in total.

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Kypster
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Post by Kypster » 4 years ago

Knowledge Obsession UB
Enchantment - Aura (C)
Enchant creature or planeswalker
Whenever enchanted permanent's controller draws a card, put a -1/-1 counter on it if it's a creature and remove a loyalty counter from it if it's a planeswalker.
Just one more page.
Last edited by Kypster 4 years ago, edited 1 time in total.

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

Farmhand's Aspiration G
Enchantment — Aura (C)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature has "T: Untap target land, put a +1/+1 counter on enchanted creature, and you gain 1 life. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery."
Shanyn dreamt of joining Garenbrig's knights. For now, he applied himself to his farm, building his strength in providing for others.
Last edited by Ink-Treader 4 years ago, edited 4 times in total.

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archemediesx
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Post by archemediesx » 4 years ago

Curse of Parity 3W
Enchantment – Aura Curse (C)
Enchant player
At the beginning of enchanted player's upkeep, put a karma counter on Curse of Parity, then each opponent of enchanted player gains life equal to the number of karma counters on it.
What you do unto me, so doth unto yourself.
Last edited by archemediesx 4 years ago, edited 1 time in total.
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Henlock
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Post by Henlock » 4 years ago

Captain's Insignia 1rw
Enchantment - Aura (c)
Enchant creature
Enchant creature gets +1/+0 and has mentor.
When enchanted creature dies during combat, return Captain's Insignia to the battlefield attached to a creature you control.
Promotions in the Legion are often decided by proximity to the fallen leader.

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Freyleyes
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Post by Freyleyes » 4 years ago

Overcharge 1R
Enchantment - Aura {C}
Enchant permanent
At the beginning of you upkeep, if enchanted permanent has 5 or more counters of any type on it, destroy it then proliferate. (Choose any number of permanents and/or players, then give each another counter of each kind already there.)

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barbecube
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Post by barbecube » 4 years ago

Integrated Manufactory 2G
Enchantment — Aura (C)
Enchant land
Whenever enchanted land becomes tapped, put a charge counter on it.
Remove a charge counter from enchanted land: Add C.
When we learned to work with the land instead of against it, we unlocked wonders.
formerly willows

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void_nothing
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Post by void_nothing » 4 years ago

Round's closed! Judging assignments are as follows:

void_nothing:
StonerOfKruphix
The_Hittite
Ryder
archemediesx
barbecube

bravelion83:
slimytrout
Legend
Kypster
Freyleyes

Blydden:
Jimmy Groove
Icarii
Ink-Treader
Henlock
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bravelion83
MKM MCC going on now
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Post by bravelion83 » 4 years ago

Judgments complete. Ok, this is what I've got. Three cards in a single point, I apologize to the one who gets eliminated for half a point: slimytrout. I'm really sorry, and as I say in your judgment, you know me. I'm sure you understand, and in another bracket your card could have advanced without any problem. I'm still convinced it's not really common but... Oh, well, it's useless to keep talking about your card here when it's the first one in the bracket, so here we go.
slimytrout
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slimytrout wrote:
4 years ago
Visions of Paradise 2G
Enchantment – Aura (C)
Enchant creature or land
Enchanted permanent has "T: Add two mana of any one color."
Suspend 2–G(Rather than cast this card from your hand, you may pay G and exile it with two time counters on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a time counter. When the last is removed, cast it without paying its mana cost.)
Design
Appeal 3/3 - Timmy likes mana acceleration. Johnny (almost) always needs mana, and could even make some kind of infinite mana engine with this card. Suspend is a mechanic that Spike tends to like, as everything that can give her a mana discount.
Elegance 2.5/3 - Some players will have some trouble with suspend, but all the rest is good.
Development
Viability 1.5/3 - No problems with the color pie or the rules. I honestly can't see how this card is a common. Yes, the effects themselves are nothing too complicated (though some players do find suspend complicated, not me), and they all have been on common cards by themselves, but the overall package is something I can't see at common. For example, Weirding Wood is uncommon. I'd probably put this card at uncommon too if it were in one of my sets. Rarity is the theme of this month, and part of the Main Challenge, so I'll make a slightly larger deduction than I would normally apply for this. I'm sorry. Really. You know me.
Balance 2.5/3 - Yes, the costs are obviously right: Gift of Paradise, New Horizons, Sheltered Aerie, and Weirding Wood all cost 2G, so that's right, I'm sure. A two mana discount for a suspend 2 is reasonable in my opinion. If you have room in your deck, and especially if you have some off-color bombs, you'll certainly play this in limited. I have a harder time seeing this in competitive constructed, but I guess it's not impossible. No problems in casual or multiplayer.
Creativity
Uniqueness 1/3 - A very long line of mana-producing Auras already exist, way too many to be all quoted here. This is a fine card, but just another variation on that theme.
Flavor 3/3 - Very nice piggybacking on Birds of Paradise. I really like that. MSE confirms there's not really room for flavor text here, so not including it is not only not a problem but actually the correct choice.
Polish
Quality 2.5/3 - Missing space between the green mana symbol and the reminder text for suspend (-0.5).
Main Challenge 2/2 - Good.
Subchallenges 2/2 - Both met.
TOTAL 20/25
Legend
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Legend wrote:
4 years ago
Amorphism U
Enchantment - Aura (Common)
Enchant permanent
2: Choose a counter on enchanted permanent. Remove that counter or put another of those counters on enchanted permanent.
Design
Appeal 1.5/3 - So, let's talk about this card... Timmy! Stop looking at your cell phone!
"Leo, I have to pass the time somehow..."
Don't you care about this card?
"Honestly, not that much... Even more honestly, not at all."
Yeah, I can see that. It's not really a card for you. Feel free to go back to your cell phone. Let's hear what Johnny thinks about... No, Johnny, please, not again! It's like the third time you run away before we finish!
"Leo, come on! Think of all the brews!"
'The brews.' You're always thinking about the brews! Can't you think about something else for once?
"Leo, you're making me lose precious time! Brewing time! Bye!"
Ok... Spike, here we are again. With a child playing with his favorite toy and the other child who has run back home to fabricate more toys. What do you think?
"I'm also not a big fan of this card. Yes, I can see a few situations where it could be useful, but no, I'm not sure I'd play that. For sure, I wouldn't always play it."
Thank you, Spike. Finally, a real opinion...
"Don't worry about our other friends, Leo. You know how they're made."
Yeah, Spike. You're right.
Elegance 3/3 - I see no problems here.
Development
Viability 3/3 - Yes, it's blue. Yes, it's an effect that while I'm not sure how NWO-friendly it is, it's small enough that I could see it at common. Yes, it works just fine in the rules. Yes, you're getting full points here.
Balance 1.5/3 - I honestly see this card just as a filler, even in limited, let alone constructed. Maybe if there is some big mechanic in the set involving counters, but even that feels like a stretch. At least there are no problems in casual or multiplayer. Overall, this card looks maybe a bit too weak for me. Yes, too weak is better than broken, but it's still far from good in this area.
Creativity
Uniqueness 2.5/3 - I've been able to find only two precedents in the whole history of Magic, and both in the same set: Time Spiral. They are Clockspinning and Jhoira's Timebug. Neither of them is an Aura. They do exist, but only two in 26 years is not bad here.
Flavor 2/3 - I'm in love with the name. Why no flavor text? I don't even need MSE here to know there is definitely room for it. Let me check just to be sure... Yeah, of course, even five lines of flavor text would still fit. No problems with the card concept.
Polish
Quality 3/3 - The only doubt I had was about the "put another one of those counters" needing to be "put another one of them", but Clockspinning tells me you're right, so all good.
Main Challenge 2/2 - Good.
Subchallenges 2/2 - Both met.
TOTAL 20.5/25
Kypster
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Kypster wrote:
4 years ago
Knowledge Obsession UB
Enchantment - Aura (C)
Enchant creature or planeswalker
Whenever enchanted permanent's controller draws a card, put a -1/-1 counter on it if it's a creature and remove a loyalty counter from it if it's a planeswalker.
Just one more page.
Design
Appeal 1.5/3 - I don't think Timmy cares too much. Johnny won't be back today, between the last card and this one, he'll just keep on brewing. Spike doesn't like cards that need your opponent to do things to be relevant. At least, drawing a card is something they're forced to do once on each of their turns even if their don't want. The draw step isn't optional.
Elegance 3/3 - The trigger took a moment for me to parse, but no problem. It's fine. Not the best thing in the world, but still fine.
Development
Viability 2/3 - Definitely acceptable as a UB card in the color pie. It could even be just monoblack maybe, but no problems with that or the rules. Repeatable effects aren't really NWO-friendly. In a real set, I think this would probably be uncommon.
Balance 1.5/3 - A 'maybe' in limited, but far from a card that you'll always play even just there. A polite 'no way' in Standard, let alone bigger formats. No problems in casual or multiplayer. Really, Leo, are you already done? For once yes, brain, if you don't force me to write more about our fights... No, it's fine. Let's just go on.
Creativity
Uniqueness 3/3 - I can't remember another card doing similar things.
Flavor 3/3 - ...and then just another one ...and then one more ...yeah, I guess I could start this new chapter, how much time will it take to read... Oh, wait! I still have to give you the full points here. I'm sorry, I was lost in my thoughts! Now if you'll excuse me I'll go back to reading... just one page... or maybe more...
Polish
Quality 3/3 - All good.
Main Challenge 2/2 - Good.
Subchallenges 2/2 - Both met. For subchallenge 2, I want to highlight how this one is the only card in my bracket that ALWAYS puts the counters on (only thanks to that "and", but it does). All the other three CAN put the counter, but there are also situations where they won't put the counter. So, extra virtual points for that.
TOTAL 21/25
Freyleyes
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Freyleyes wrote:
4 years ago
Overcharge 1R
Enchantment - Aura {C}
Enchant permanent
At the beginning of you upkeep, if enchanted permanent has 5 or more counters of any type on it, destroy it then proliferate. (Choose any number of permanents and/or players, then give each another counter of each kind already there.)
Design
Appeal 1.5/3 - Timmy reads the card until he gets to "destroy it", and he immediately puts it back in his binder at best of just throw it away at worst. Johnny really likes this card, and will keep brewing with it, as if he hadn't already brewed enough today. Spike likes proliferate, and could be interested in whatever Johnny brews. It's not a given though.
Elegance 2/3 - That "destroy it" will be counterintuitive to some players, and confusing to others: "Why is it not 'sacrifice it? Oh, wait! You're supposed to put this on your opponents' permanents." and only there they will understand the real purpose of this card: Destroying opposing planeswalkers or other permanents that use counter while proliferating yourself, and then profit!
Development
Viability 2/3 - A little too close to "destroy target planeswalker with 5 or more loyalty" in red to me. In the beginning, red had planeswalker destruction too, but not anymore. Today that's only black, red is supposed to deal with them through damage. Proliferate is in all colors, so no problems with that. Removing counters is also black. Yes, this card would feel much more at home in black to me rather than red. Normally it will only go off once, which makes it acceptable at common. No problems with the rules.
Balance 1.5/3 - I see this mainly as a sideboard card against planeswalkers, both in limited and constructed. If that's its intended role, it does it well, but I don't think it's enough to see it in the main. Too situational. You need a permanent with five or more counters and that you're willing to lose or make your opponent lose, and then you need other things with counters to proliferate. I'n not a big fan of this card in this area. No particular problems in casual or multiplayer.
Creativity
Uniqueness 2.5/3 - Checking the number of counters in general, regardless of their type, is new as far as I know. The rest not so much though.
Flavor 2/3 - The name is perfect and paired to these mechanics it tells a whole story by itself. But really there's no room for flavor text? *checks* MSE shows me up to three lines can fit, as I suspected, so the absence of flavor text is a problem here.
Polish
Quality 1.5/3 - "...you upkeep..." is a clear typo (-0.5). When you refer to the amount of counters, you must use the written numeral (...has five or more counters..., -0.5). "Of any type" should not be there (-0.5). If you say "counters" without specifying, you already include all existing types of counters.
Main Challenge 2/2 - Good.
Subchallenges 2/2 - Both met.
TOTAL 17/25
Results (Bold advance)
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Kypster: 21
Legend: 20.5

slimytrout: 20
Freyleyes: 17
Last edited by bravelion83 4 years ago, edited 1 time 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
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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Blydden
Philosophical Crusader
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Post by Blydden » 4 years ago

Henlock
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Henlock wrote:
4 years ago
Captain's Insignia 1rw
Enchantment - Aura (c)
Enchant creature
Enchant creature gets +1/+0 and has mentor.
When enchanted creature dies during combat, return Captain's Insignia to the battlefield attached to a creature you control.
Promotions in the Legion are often decided by proximity to the fallen leader.
Design -
(1/3) Appeal: Johnny and Timmy both like this card because it rewards having big creatures by making small creatures even bigger. Spike does not like this aura because it is still quite vulnerable to creature removal outside of combat.
(3/3) Elegance: No issues, this card is quite easy to understand.

Development -
(2.5/3) Viability: This card works as a Common card that is both Red and White. Note the red flag for having more than four lines of rules text on a Common Aura.
(2/3) Balance: As I mentioned before, this card is still quite vulnerable to creature removal outside of combat. I feel like this card would have been fine costing 2{R/W}, as it already requires specific play patterns to maximize its effectiveness.

Creativity -
(2.5/3) Uniqueness: It was surprisingly tough to find precedent for this card and its unique wording. I had to make do with old cards like Cathedral Membrane and Jade Statue.
(3/3) Flavor: Delightful!

Polish -
(2.5/3) Quality: This card is missing the mentor mechanic reminder text, and it is absolutely necessary on a Common card since mentor is not an evergreen mechanic (minus half a point).
(2/2) Main Challenge: Main challenge met!
(1/2) Subchallenges: Subchallenge 2 met!

Total: 19.5/25
Icarii
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Icarii wrote:
4 years ago
Weary Warts 2B
Enchantment — Aura (C)
Enchant nonartifact creature
When Weary Warts enters the battlefield, put a -1/-1 counter on enchanted creature.
Whenever enchanted creature attacks or blocks, put a -1/-1 counter on it.
Rest offers no cure, but work offers worse.
Design -
(1/3) Appeal: Timmy does not like this card at all, he wants to make creatures bigger not smaller. Johnny might be able to do something special with the -1/-1 counters. Spike likes this card okay, creature removal is very important in Limited, even mediocre removal like this.
(2.5/3) Elegance: This card's inability to target artifact creatures will be overlooked by players often enough that it constitutes a minor inelegance.

Development -
(2.5/3) Viability: This card makes sense as both a Common and a Black card. Note the red flag for having more than four lines of rules text on a Common Aura.
(2/3) Balance: This card makes the most sense in play as a form of small creature removal like Reave Soul since it would be rather ineffective against larger creatures. I would have costed this card the same at 1B as a result.

Creativity -
(1.5/3) Uniqueness: We have had other disease-like Black auras before like Crippling Blight and Quag Sickness, although not too many.
(1.5/3) Flavor: So it's a sickness, right? I don't like the card name or the flavor text, they are both too silly for an ailment that sounds life-threatening according to its mechanics,

Polish -
(3/3) Quality: Perfect!
(2/2) Main Challenge: Main challenge met!
(2/2) Subchallenges: Both subchallenges met!

Total: 18/25
Ink-Treader
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Ink-Treader wrote:
4 years ago
Farmhand's Aspiration G
Enchantment — Aura (C)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature has "T: Untap target land, put a +1/+1 counter on enchanted creature, and you gain 1 life. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery."
Shanyn dreamt of joining Garenbrig's knights. For now, he applied himself to his farm, building his strength in providing for others.
Design -
(2/3) Appeal: Timmy likes this card a lot for being able to both make a small creature bigger and ramp out even bigger creatures. Johnny likes this as an early-game enabler for his late-game shenanigans as well. Spike likes this card's payoff potential enough to give it a try, especially since it comes out early enough to potentially dodge small creature removal.
(3/3) Elegance: No issues, this card is pretty straightforward.

Development -
(2.5/3) Viability: This card makes sense as both a Common and a Green card. Note the red flag for having more than four lines of rules text on a Common Aura.
(1/3) Balance: Despite the vulnerability to creature removal, this card definitely has too much going on for a 1-cost card. It would be a strong card even at 1G. The incremental life gain punishes aggressive decks, the incremental counters punish midrange decks, and the ramp punishes tempo decks. Altogether, that's definitely too powerful for Limited, especially at Common.

Creativity -
(1.5/3) Uniqueness: Regarding this criterion, this card resembles other Common auras mixed together, like Forced Adaptation, Recumbent Bliss, and Urban Burgeoning, but in a new way.
(2/3) Flavor: I love the card name, and the mechanics of the card work reasonably well with the humble flavor. However, the flavor text is too wordy and does not mesh together with the rest of that flavor particularly well.

Polish -
(2.5/3) Quality: The second instance of the word "enchanted" in the second line of rules text should be the word 'this' for functionality purposes (minus half a point).
(2/2) Main Challenge: Main challenge met!
(1/2) Subchallenges: Subchallenge 2 met!

Total: 17.5/25
Jimmy Groove
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Jimmy Groove wrote:
4 years ago
Toxic Wounds 2B
Enchantment - Aura (C)
Enchant player
At the beginning of enchanted player's end step, if that player took damage this turn, put a poison counter on that player.
"It's just a few scratches."
- Holdek Farr, final words
Design -
(0/3) Appeal: This card does not appeal to any of the player types. The effect is weak (arguably it doesn't work), it is too small and narrow to build around in a way that would be exciting, and it almost never does anything the turn it is played.
(1/3) Elegance: It is not intuitive that the enchanted player needs to take damage specifically on their turn to become further poisoned, so I would call that a major inelegance. Remembering such an unusual, delayed trigger also constitutes a minor inelegance.

Development -
(1.5/3) Viability: This card is definitely Black, but it is surely not Common due to how inelegant it is.
Note the red flag for having more than four lines of rules text on a Common Aura.
(0/3) Balance: This card is far too slow in any meta that would reintroduce poison counters. It also requires a very specific build-around in order to have any combo potential, which means stacking multiples of this card onto an opponent and then trying to damage them with Instants or other pingers. Aside from that dream, I just can't picture this card being worth playing.

Creativity -
(1/3) Uniqueness: Aside from this card's odd functionality, it is not too different from other Curses like Curse of the Pierced Heart or Curse of Thirst. It is not even that different from other poisonous cards like Reaper of Sheoldred and Relic Putrescence.
(0/3) Flavor: The card name is woefully generic, and the flavor text seems much too empty for someone's last words. The fact that dealing damage to the defending player during combat does not apply further poison counters is also odd from a flavor standpoint.
Lastly, this card should definitely have the Curse subtype, since it is surely intended to enchant opponents.

Polish -
(2.5/3) Quality: Part of the reason that I judged this card so harshly was that the rules text (at least in my opinion) functionally works, so I would not call it a qualitative mistake.
The only qualitative error on this card is that the second line of the flavor text is incorrectly formatted (minus half a point).
(2/2) Main Challenge: Main challenge met!
(2/2) Subchallenges: Both subchallenges met!

Total: 10/25
Results!
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Henlock - 19.5
Icarii - 18

Ink-Treader - 17.5
Jimmy Groove - 10

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void_nothing
Look On My Sash...
Posts: 14925
Joined: 4 years ago
Answers: 124
Pronoun: he / him
Location: Tal Terig, Zendikar

Post by void_nothing » 4 years ago

StonerOfKruphix
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Design
(2.5/3) Appeal - Txmmy likes growing creatures, Jxnny has a few things that can be done with this, Spike is wary of Auras even in Limited because of the 2-for-1 risk but this has enough utility that they'd consider it.
(2/3) Elegance - Auras that add tap abilities can be kinda verbose, and the enchanting restriction on this card is clearly "just" to pass the subchallenge and doesn't add anything to the design.

Development
(3/3) Viability - Redflaggable but doable at common; the colors are right too although the activation cost makes this lean a bit more black than green.
(3/3) Balance - A perfectly decent Limited Aura is exactly what this needs to be.

Creativity
(1.5/3) Uniqueness - Obviously lots of Auras grant deathtouch but the activated ability granted gives this a new spin.
(3/3) Flavor - I like this, especially using Pharika's themes of both healing and poison (she embodies the ancient Greek word "pharmakon" after all, which can mean both).

Polish
(3/3) Quality - Seems fine.
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) - Done.
(2/2) Subchallenges - And done.

Total: 22/25
The_Hittite
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Design
(1/3) Appeal - Txmmy and Spike definitely pass this up, even in Limited. Jxnny sees a difficult puzzle to make this useful.
(2/3) Elegance - "Enchant artifact you don't control" is a bit of a mouthful and new players would have questions about whether you get the E if your opponent has none to lose.

Development
(3/3) Viability - Black can remove counters and do "drains" of various kinds, and also has a consistent tradition of negative enchant artifacts. The effect is odd but way too low-impact for a higher rarity.
(0.5/3) Balance - Severely underpowered; it's hard to imagine ever, ever using this card in Limited, to say nothing of Constructed formats. The only possible use for it would be something wacky at the kitchen table.

Creativity
(2/3) Uniqueness - While ultimately it just generates energy counters and doesn't do anything with them, this card is a new spin on this, especially with the taking energy counters from opponents.
(3/3) Flavor - Looks fine.

Polish
(3/3) Quality - Fine.
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) - Done.
(2/2) Subchallenges - And done.

Total: 18.5/25
archemediesx
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Design
(3/3) Appeal - Txmmy obviously likes large lifegain, Jxnny could do lots of silly things with this, and Spike sees this as a kind of insurance for long games particularly in Limited.
(2.5/3) Elegance - Only potential issue here is tracking complexity with lots of counters accumulating on a relatively hard to remove permanent type.

Development
(2.5/3) Viability - With the tracking complexity and possibly huge amounts of life gain here, this feels on the precipice of being an uncommon card. Color is of course fine though.
(2/3) Balance - This card is fairly swingy. Either it doesn't really affect the game as one player wins before a lot of life is gained anyhow or, if the game goes longer, completely locks a lot of decks out of doing anything to this card's controller as they're gaining growing amounts of 5+, 7+, or 10+ life per turn. Also, it could get miserably game-lengthening in Commander, and I prefer long Commander games, so that's saying a lot.

Creativity
(2/3) Uniqueness - There have been lifegain Curses before, but not quite like this. Still, can't help but feel that something very similar has already been printed. Like a repeated Golden Urn, sorta?
(0.5/3) Flavor - This doesn't feel like either "parity" or "karma" because it's not harming the opponent for something they do to you, it's just giving you a growing quantity of lifegain. Their own actions don't matter at all to this card. Total flavor mismatch.

Polish
(3/3) Quality - Fine.
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) - Done.
(2/2) Subchallenges - And done.

Total: 19.5/25
Ryder
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Design
(1/3) Appeal - Only Jxnny is really interested, in terms of putting more counters on. The boost is not nearly big enough and shrinks, and Txmmy is not a fan. Spike despairs of ever having a target even if they were interested in playing this in Limited.
(2.5/3) Elegance - Vanishing on an Aura involves a little bit of an increase in tracking complexity for a common.

Development
(3/3) Viability - Fine at green and common.
(1/3) Balance - Extremely weak for an Aura with a restricted target in that way. +3/+3 the first turn is ahead of the curve for an Aura but this card only gets worse over time. Should be able to get "Enchant Beast creature, enchanted creature gets +3/+3" for that same cost, and that wouldn't be anywhere near overpowered.

Creativity
(1/3) Uniqueness - Broadly similar to Unstable Mutation/Parallax Dementia.
(2/3) Flavor - Name is evocative but combined with the effect feels disappointing - the defiance goes away as the time goes on and the Beast gets tired? Realistic maybe, but not fun as a card effect.

Polish
(3/3) Quality - Fine.
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) - Done.
(2/2) Subchallenges - And done.

Total: 17.5/25
barbecube
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Design
(2.5/3) Appeal - Who doesn't like ramp? A big Txmmy/Jxnny card for sure. Spike is probably least interested but would find homes for it particularly in Eldrazi Ramp contexts.
(2.5/3) Elegance - Adding and spending counters ramps up the complexity a little.

Development
(3/3) Viability - Feels good at both green and common.
(3/3) Balance - Not too strong but you can do interesting things with this, even in Limited. Good job.

Creativity
(2/3) Uniqueness - Ramping enchant lands are a dime a dozen but adding C and the battery-type mechanic spice this one up.
(3/3) Flavor - Flavor text is actually a great explanation of why green is getting a card that represents a factory in the first place.

Polish
(3/3) Quality - Looks good.
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) - Done.
(2/2) Subchallenges - And done.

Total: 23/25
Totals (bold advance)
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barbecube 23
StonerOfKruphix 22

archemediesx 19.5
The_Hittite 18.5
Ryder 17.5
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