June MCC Round 4 - The bond of love

Locked Previous topicNext topic
User avatar
bravelion83
MKM MCC going on now
Posts: 4041
Joined: 4 years ago
Pronoun: he / him
Location: Florence, Italy

Post by bravelion83 » 3 years ago

MCC-202006.png
(This month's banner is my own elaboration on the art of the cards, left to right, Go for Blood by Chris Rallis, Tentative Connection by Kieran Yanner, and Fight as One by Bryan Sola.)


June MCC Round 4

The bond of love

I've said it at the beginning of the month: you were bonders this month. So now show us what have you bonded with during the month.

Main Challenge - Design your companion.
All of the following must be true about it:
• It has to be a creature card with companion.
• Your card can't use any other mechanics from Ikoria (keyword counters, cycling, mutate).
• Its color identity must contain all the colors in the color identity of your Round 1 card (but it can contain more).
• Its creature types must include all those you used in Round 2 (but it can include more).
• Its converted mana cost must be equal to or greater than your card from Round 3.

No need to link to or quote your cards from previous rounds. Everything has been tracked.

Subchallenge 1 - Your card is NOT mythic.

Subchallenge 2 - Your card is NOT an artifact creature or enchantment creature.

Clarifications
Show
Hide

If you have any questions, just ask in the discussion thread.

DEADLINES

Design deadline: Saturday, July 4th 2020, 23:59 EDT

Judging deadline: Wednesday, July 8th 2020, 23:59 EDT



RUBRIC
MCC Rubric
Show
Hide
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
Sojourner Dusk
void_nothing


PLAYERS (color identity from Round 1, creature types from Round 2, CMC from Round 3)

@Phyrexian Editor (R, Dauthi Spirit, CMC >= 5)
@Ryder (B, Turtle Ninja Mutant, CMC >= 4)
@slimytrout (W, Dinosaur Antelope, CMC >= 5)
Last edited by bravelion83 3 years ago, edited 3 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)
Show
Hide
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

Phyrexian Editor
Posts: 123
Joined: 3 years ago
Pronoun: he / him

Post by Phyrexian Editor » 3 years ago

Vengeful Soul of the Dauthi 3br
Legendary Creature - Dauthi Spirit {R}
Companion — Each of the creature cards in your deck has power greater than its toughness. (If this card is your chosen companion, you may pay 3 to put it into your hand once from outside the game.)
1br: Target creature without shadow you control gains haste and shadow until end of turn. Activate this ability only if this card is your chosen companion and it's outside the game.
Haste, shadow
5/1
Last edited by Phyrexian Editor 3 years ago, edited 10 times in total.

slimytrout
Posts: 1861
Joined: 4 years ago
Pronoun: Unlisted

Post by slimytrout » 3 years ago

Oorani, Vibrant Apatosoryx 3GW
Legendary Creature — Dinosaur Antelope (R)
Companion - Each nonland card in your starting deck is multicolored. (If this card is your chosen companion, you may put it into your hand from outside the game for 3 any time you could cast a sorcery.)
Reach
Each other creature you control enters the battlefield with an additional +1/+1 counter on it for each of its colors.
4/6
Last edited by slimytrout 3 years ago, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
Ryder
Posts: 349
Joined: 4 years ago
Pronoun: he / him

Post by Ryder » 3 years ago

Gaido, the Shellnobi 1{u/b}{u/b}R
Legendary Creature — Turtle Ninja Mutant (R)
Companion — Each creature card in your starting deck has at least two subtypes. (If this card is your chosen companion, you may put it into your hand from outside the game for 3 any time you could cast a sorcery.)
Whenever a creature you control deals combat damage to a player, that player draws two cards, then discards cards equal to the number of the creature's subtypes at random.
3/4

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

Post by bravelion83 » 3 years ago

The round is closed. Jugdes, let's do our thing!



Judgments complete.
Phyrexian Editor
Show
Hide
Phyrexian Editor wrote:
3 years ago
Vengeful Soul of the Dauthi 3br
Legendary Creature - Dauthi Spirit {R}
Companion — Each of the creature cards in your deck has power greater than its toughness. (If this card is your chosen companion, you may pay 3 to put it into your hand once from outside the game.)
1br: Target creature without shadow you control gains haste and shadow until end of turn. Activate this ability only if this card is your chosen companion and it's outside the game.
Haste, shadow
5/1
Design
Appeal 2.5/3 - Timmy likes giving evasion to his creatures. Johnny has the companion challenge in deck construction, Spike likes everything here but the low toughness, and there are also probably better options for her at 5 CMC. Baneslayer Angel immediately comes to mind, and now it's Standard-legal too!
Elegance 2.5/3 - The text is a bit long and complicated. One needs to know shadow to understand this.
Development
Viability 3/3 - No problems with the color pie, rarity, or the rules.
Balance 1.5/3 - I see a potential problem in competitive formats in general, especially constructed: there "outside the game" actually means "the sideboard", so it takes one slot in your sideboard. In casual, instead, you will have it actually outside the game, so you have one more slot in the sideboard to use for other cards. You could say: but isn't this true for companion in general as a mechanic? Yes, but it's emphasized by the activated ability also working from outside the game. The low toughness on top of that makes it even less playable even in casual in my opinion. If you're playing constructed and you don't care about having one less slot in your sideboard, then go for it, but don't expect every player to follow you. Shadow and shadow-granting remedy to the low toughness, this will probably be unblockable anyway. Very hard card to judge in this area.
Creativity
Uniqueness 3/3 - Ok, an ability that can be activated from outside the game if this is your companion is not in Ikoria and deserves full points here.
Flavor 3/3 - With the restraints you had (red Dauthi Spirit, when the Dauthi are a monoblack race), you made a masterpiece in my opinion. The name expresses the concept in a perfect way, and I see the activated ability representing the Dauthi sucking a creature to their realm very well. I admit, I had to read the Dauthi's story in the Wiki page because they are from way before my time. I think that by now everybody knows I started with original Ravnica in 2005, I've said it so many times. I only know the Dauthi from Time Spiral block, and their association with the shadow keyword. Even to a player who knows nothing about them, like I am, this makes complete sense and communicates perfectly their features, both mechanical and flavorful. No room for flavor text, it not being there is the right call.
Polish
Quality 1.5/3 - There is a hyphen instead of an em dash in the type line. Normally, I wouldn't penalize for such minor things, but seeing that both your opponents got this right, I have to keep this into account (-0.5). The reminder text for the current version of companion is wrong. It should be "...you may put it into your hand from outside the game for 3 any time you could cast a sorcery." (-0.5). Shadow is not an evergreen mechanic so it needs reminder text (-0.5).
Main Challenge 2/2 - Good.
Subchallenges 2/2 - Both met.
TOTAL 21/25
slimytrout
Show
Hide
slimytrout wrote:
3 years ago
Oorani, Vibrant Apatosoryx 3GW
Legendary Creature — Dinosaur Antelope (R)
Companion - Each nonland card in your starting deck is multicolored. (If this card is your chosen companion, you may put it into your hand from outside the game for 3 any time you could cast a sorcery.)
Reach
Each other creature you control enters the battlefield with an additional +1/+1 counter on it for each of its colors.
4/6
Design
Appeal 2.5/3 - Timmy likes everything here. A huge monster that makes your other creatures grow? Yes, please! He also likes to play multicolored. Johnny has obviously the companion challenge, and might also use the +1/+1 counters somehow. Spike likes the creature, but she's more likely to just play it normally so she can build her deck however she plaeases, rather than using companion. Having every card be multicolored feels like too big of a requirement to her.
Elegance 3/3 - No problems here. Your card is the most short and understandable of the three in my opinion.
Development
Viability 3/3 - No problems with the color pie, rarity, or the rules.
Balance 2/3 - Very hard to play in limited if you want to use this as your companion there. Having every card being multicolored is a very high price, maybe almost impossible to pay in limited. There you'll just play this normally. In constructed you have the companion option, and it can work. I think this would see more casual play rather that competitive, but maybe it's just me. Overall, not a bad job.
Creativity
Uniqueness 1.5/3 - Except for companion, nothing feels original to me here. Reach and the other ability are nothing new. But wait, there is a detail that's new paired with the last ability: "for each of its colors". Better than nothing.
Flavor 2.5/3 - You had an easier challenge in my opinion, but you did an excellent job nonetheless. Yes, a green ability representing the Dinosaur subtype and a white one to represent the Antelope part, but any in-color abilities would have worked. Anyway, there are no problems with that, I only wonder if this would have the same creature types if it weren't for the Main Challenge, and I answer to myself "probably not". But with what you had to work with, you did a very good job. Maybe not perfect, but still very good. No room for flavor text, it not being there is the right call. If I'm giving you half a point less, it's more in comparison with the other submissions, that have better flavor for harder restaints in my opinion, rather than for any real problems being there in your card.
Polish
Quality 2.5/3 - There is a hyphen instead of an em dash after the word "companion". Normally, I wouldn't penalize for such minor things, but seeing that both your opponents got this right, I have to keep this into account (-0.5).
Main Challenge 2/2 - Good.
Subchallenges 2/2 - Both met.
TOTAL 21/25
Ryder (updated Main Challenge score)
Show
Hide
Ryder wrote:
3 years ago
Gaido, the Shellnobi 1{u/b}{u/b}R
Legendary Creature — Turtle Ninja Mutant (R)
Companion — Each creature card in your starting deck has at least two subtypes. (If this card is your chosen companion, you may put it into your hand from outside the game for 3 any time you could cast a sorcery.)
Whenever a creature you control deals combat damage to a player, that player draws two cards, then discards cards equal to the number of the creature's subtypes at random.
3/4
Design
Appeal 2.5/3 - Timmy likes this, both the size and the thrill of randomness. Johnny has the companion requirements as usual this round. Spike likes the random discard, but only on her opponent(s).
Elegance 2.5/3 - The text is a bit long and might take multiple reads to grok. It's also so easy to miss that "at random" at the end.
Development
Viability 3/3 - No problems with the color pie, rarity, or the rules. If you cast this as Izzet, the last ability resembles random looting. If you cast it as Rakdos, it's more like a Wheel of Fortune effect. Anyway, it's good either way, like hybrid mana requires.
Balance 2.5/3 - The hybrid mana makes this easier to play, both in limited and in constructed. I don't think it's by chance that all existing companions in Ikoria are hybrid. If you're able to pay the cost, this is playable even in limited. In constructed you just build your deck around it and you're done. I think this will see more play in casual than competitive. Not a big problem.
Creativity
Uniqueness 2.5/3 - Caring about the number of creature types is new. It doesn't feel original to me, but that's just me. The fact is that one of the main mechanics in the first custom set in my plan, that paired to my 1248-page-long story, is based exactly on that, so I've had plenty of that designing it. The number of races in the art is also something I have to care about now that my mother is illustrating the set. She draws the art and I post-produce in Photoshop if needed. You've heard it here first. If I don't think about my own mechanic, this is highly original, even though less than Phyrexian Editor's submission. That's the only reason I'm not giving you full points here. I have to compare submissions among them, in every round, but especially in the finals.
Flavor 3/3 - Ok, in my opinion you had the hardest challenge of all three players, and you executed it perfectly. A black TMNT... sorry, the first T is not there in black border, is no easy task, and you did it. I've always been a big fan of the TMNT since I was born, and I still am, but especially in my childhood. Sharing my own real name with one of them, and the boss among them when in mission or when the master wasn't there, made me feel powerful, like if I were him, Leonardo the turtle instead of Leonardo the child. This is the power of representation, so think about that child when you talk about representation in Magic not being important. If that child knew how to play Magic, he'd be pretty satisfied with this card. But again, I started playing the month after I turned 22 with original Ravnica. Pretty late, yes. That child didn't even know what Magic: the Gathering was, and then it became one of the most important things in his adult life. Nowadays boys and girls start playing much younger than that. Anyway, the adult Leonardo is still fully satified by the flavor of this card. The name is perfect, and "shellnobi" is genius. With your restraints, you did an amazing job. Here's the fifth TMNT! If only Teenage were a real creature type...
Polish
Quality 3/3 - All good.
Main Challenge 1.5/2 - Did you want to see why this section is there? Your card is a perfect example of this: technically it passes the Main Challenge, but there are problems. This section allows the judge to take care of such cases. What's the problem here? That you were required to design a black card, and while this card is black thanks to hybrid mana, I could cast it without any black mana, using blue to pay for the hybrid. I could cast this as an Izzet card, without using black at all. This definitely goes against the spirit of the challenge, but not against the letter, because you were required a black card and you did design a black card. This is a perfect example of why I wanted to insert a Main Challenge section in the old rubric from years ago that didn't have it. We have a card that technically meets the challenge but has problems not so big to put a zero here and issue a DQ. As a judge, what do I do in these cases? Thus the Main Challenge section was born. And as you see, the 2/2 isn't automatic. It's ironic that you demonstrated with your own card the necessity of this section, but you did.
Subchallenges 2/2 - Both met.
TOTAL 22.5/25
Results (updated with Ryder's Main Challenge score)
Show
Hide
Ryder: 22.5
Phyrexian Editor: 21
slimytrout: 21



Sojourner Dusk wrote:
3 years ago
There are too many bondage jokes to be made about this Round's subtitle.
That's not at all what I intended to refer to with it, even though now I see them too. I was referring to the bond of bonders in the world of Ikoria, that love the monster they have bonded with. Now that you've made me see its unintended double meaning, I'm ashamed of it. I probably should have come up with a different title. I apologize to everyone that might have been unintentionally offended by this.
Last edited by bravelion83 3 years ago, edited 5 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)
Show
Hide
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
Sojourner Dusk
Dominarian Hitchhiker
Posts: 189
Joined: 4 years ago
Pronoun: Unlisted
Location: Blind Eternities

Post by Sojourner Dusk » 3 years ago

There are too many bondage jokes to be made about this Round's subtitle.
Phyrexian Editor
Show
Hide
Design
(2.75/3) Appeal: T sees a creature that can somewhat reliably swing for 5 damage. J and S are all about the activated ability.
(2/3) Elegance: The activation trigger is counter-intuitive, as it's only useful while this is still in your sideboard.

Development
(2/3) Viability: Rakdos colors area a good place for haste and shadow. The ability to activate from the sideboard is on the same power level as an emblem and pushes this to Mythic levels.
(1.5/3) Balance: In Limited, this is a 5/1 with evasion for 5. In Constructed, where this is your Companion, this is is one of the best cards you never play. Like all Companions, this is a build-around-me, especially for Ball Lightning tribal. Unlike other Companions, the value comes from NOT playing the card.

Creativity
(2.5/3) Uniqueness: Dauthi Embrace is one of the few repeatable ways to grant shadow to a creature. Adding haste makes this more valuable in the mid and late game.
(2/3) Flavor: The name is a little contrived for a Legend (I know... Questing Beast). The types work well with it.

Polish
(0.75/3) Quality: The name has to be slightly compressed to fit. (-0.25) Missing Em dash on Type line. (-0.5) "Each creature card in your starting deck has power greater than its toughness. (If this card is your chosen companion, you may put it into your hand from outside the game for any time you could cast a sorcery.) (-1) You could have lifted your Companion text from Kaheera and made the change from types to P>T. Shadow always has reminder text. (-0.5)
(2/2) *Main Challenge: Uh huh.
(1.5/2) Subchallenges: Pushes Mythic. Not Artifact or Enchantment.

Total: 17/25
slimytrout
Show
Hide
Design
(1.5/3) Appeal: T sees a Dino with decent stats. J wants this to be on the field fast, otherwise it's of little use. S sees no immediate board impact.
(3/3) Elegance: No issue with the restrictions or ability.

Development
(3/3) Viability: Selesnya grow. Appropriately powered for a Rare.
(2/3) Balance: In Limited, this is a decent creature. In Constructed, this is the Companion for Niv-Mizzet Reborn decks over Jegantha. The build around isn't that restrictive, depending on how wide a card pool you have to work with. It doesn't take over a game, but can shift the balance if allowed to remain a few turns.

Creativity
(2/3) Uniqueness: Nothing exactly like this has been printed before, though there are plenty of similar cards that add +1/+1 counters or care about the number of colors.
(2/3) Flavor: Flavor is thin due to lack of context here, though the name hints at peacock.

Polish
(2.25/3) Quality: The name has to be slightly compressed to fit. (-0.25) Missing Em dash after Companion. (-0.5) After cross checking several cards, I could not find better templating for the ETB trigger.
(2/2) *Main Challenge: Uh huh.
(2/2) Subchallenges: Does not push Mythic. Not Artifact or Enchantment.

Total: 19.75/25
Ryder
Show
Hide
Design
(2/3) Appeal: T doesn't want their opponent to draw cards, even if they do have to discard after. J digs out their Megrims. S is on the fence, but wants to break this with a horde of Zombie Wizard tokens.
(2/3) Elegance: The mechanics are understandable. The trigger is lengthy, though. There's some synergy fail here: a Ninja without evasion. Bwuh?

Development
(2.5/3) Viability: While Grixis works, this feels more like it should have been Zagoth Sultai to tie in better with the deckbuilding restriction of needing multiple creature types, which feels very Simic. For its power and ability, it doesn't climb into Mythic territory.
(2/3) Balance: In Limited, this is a 3/4 for 4 that can cause your opponent headaches. In Constructed, you play this with Changeling Outcast, then spend a few days searching for other creatures to add into the deck. This pairs well with mill/discard strategies, but I don't know if the deckbuilding restriction is worth the on-demand availability of Companion.

Creativity
(2/3) Uniqueness: Plenty of cards add creature subtypes. but none have ever cared about the number of creature subtypes. While Bazaar of Baghdad is a prized card to build around, most prefer to be able to choose what they discard... and when the effect happens.
(1/3) Flavor: I read this as "Guido" more than once. The only two Ninjas without Ninjitsu were printed in Modern Horizons. The Common was a typeshifted Phantom Warrior, and the Uncommon gave a bonus to unblocked Ninjas. And the discard trigger would be more appropriate on a Specter lord.

Polish
(2.75/3) Quality: "...then discards cards equal to the number of that creature's subtypes at random." (-0.25) Minor correction based on Cazur.
(2/2) *Main Challenge: Uh huh.
(2/2) Subchallenges: Does not push Mythic. Not Artifact or Enchantment.

Total: 18.25/25
Scores
Phyrexian Editor: 17
slimytrout: 19.75
Ryder: 18.25
May your games be chaotic and your decks be rogue.



UBR Nekusar (EDH)
RGW Mayael, Naturally (EDH)

User avatar
void_nothing
Look On My Sash...
Posts: 14927
Joined: 4 years ago
Answers: 124
Pronoun: he / him
Location: Tal Terig, Zendikar

Post by void_nothing » 3 years ago

Phyrexian Editor
Show
Hide
Design
(2/3) Appeal - Txmmy likes haste and all but unblockability; Spike appreciates that AND the free impossible-to-interact-with "enchantment" that you start the game with. Jxnny cares way less, this card is quite a blunt instrument.
(1/3) Elegance - This card has a lot of words on that, and not only that is pulling in multiple different directions: The p>t thing is the theme that's suggested by the companion condition, but then it grants shadow, which has nothing directly to do with that, and also awkwardly can't grant haste to the creatures in your deck that DO have shadow? Bleh.

Development
(3/3) Viability - Colors/rarity/creature types work for me.
(2/3) Balance - That outside-the-game activated ability is a problem - like, even more so than Lutri, the Spellchaser in Commander. Even if you never wind up using the ability there's no reason not to have this card as your companion in a BR deck that doesn't already have one. No matter if the ability is relatively expensive for what it grants, it's STILL an autoinclude and that's an issue.

Creativity
(1.5/3) Uniqueness - Mostly a French vanilla with a companion condition that's not all that crazy - the activated ability is unique in some sense but also feels a lot like eminence.
(1.5/3) Flavor - Not going to penalize you for the creature types, but why a "Vengeful Soul" of an entire shadow-race is making only creatures from outside the Shadows more powerful is a big disconnect.

Polish
(3/3) Quality - Since eminence goes on top of evergreen keywords I suppose that activated ability would too.
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) - Done.
(2/2) Subchallenges - And done.

Total: 18/25
slimytrout
Show
Hide
Design
(2.5/3) Appeal - Txmmy loves scads of +1/+1 counters. Jxnny wants to do Stupid Transguild Courier Tricks with this. Spike finds it relatively expensive for a "lord" that doesn't do anything until you play more creatures but the size it grants can be worth that.
(3/3) Elegance - Easily understandable and about as elegant as a companion can be.

Development
(3/3) Viability - Yeah, those are the right colors and rarity.
(2.5/3) Balance - Could possibly add a lot of counters - but since it only works on the creatures you put down after your five-drop, it's a lot less scary than it could be.

Creativity
(1/3) Uniqueness - +1/+1 per color has been done before - the closest thing is Knight of New Alara - and the companion condition is kinda similar to Jegantha, the Wellspring (although obviously different in execution).
(3/3) Flavor - Name and types are very Ikoria. Kudos!

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

Total: 22/25
Ryder
Show
Hide
Design
(1.5/3) Appeal - Pretty much a pure Jxnny card - neither Txmmy nor Spike wants to potentially benefit their opponent on the hit. If Spike could somehow justify a deck with all 3+ type creatures, then they'd use this, but changeling.dek is right out for Spike; that's Jxnny's janky choice.
(1.5/3) Elegance - That is a lot of drawing and a lot of random discard, possibly every single turn.

Development
(2/3) Viability - Dragon Mage and Shocker and whatnot aside, this is not a UR card imo because if all goes well, you should be giving your opponents net discard with this. The closer analogy is, well, Nicol Bolas. If black were the center color here I'd be fine with this.
(2.5/3) Balance - Yes, changelings make you discard your hand when they hit you with this out. But that's still a relatively janky tribe to build around. That doesn't change the fact that it would feel bad to be semi-locked out of the game this way.

Creativity
(2.5/3) Uniqueness - A LOT of unique features here.
(2/3) Flavor - The name leaves me with... unanswered questions... and "Shellnobi" and TMNT references in general feel like too much silliness for black-bordered M:tG.

Polish
(2/3) Quality - Creatures' subtypes are called "creature types" in card texts - no card in existence uses the word "subtype" and the only way I would imagine that one would would be somehow referring to subtypes of multiple card types all at once. Also, this is a case where "that creature" and not "the creature" should be used.
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) - Done.
(2/2) Subchallenges - And done.

Total: 18/25
Psst, check the second page of Custom Card Contests & Games! Because of the daily contests, a lot of games fall down to there.

The greatest (fake) pro wrestling on the internet - Collaborative Create-A-Booster - My random creations (updated regularly)

Important Facts: Colorless is not a color, Wastes is not a land type, Changeling is not a creature type

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

Post by bravelion83 » 3 years ago

Final results

slimytrout: 19.75 + 21 + 22 = 62.75
Ryder: 18.25 + 22.5 + 18 = 58.75
Phyrexian Editor: 17 + 21 + 18 = 56

The winner is slimytrout. Congratulations!
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)
Show
Hide
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

Locked Previous topicNext topic

Return to “Contest Archives”