October MCC, Round 1: The First Damage

[void_nothing]

Banner based on Waves of Aggression by Jim Pavelec and Wizards of the Coast. Thanks to bravelion83 for the "Core Set Style" MCC Logo

October MCC, Round 1 - The First Damage

Welcome to the October MCC! It's Combat Month here at the MCC. The challenges this month will all have something to do with the combat phase and its different steps.

Main Challenge: Design a creature card with first strike or double strike
Subchallenge 1: Your card is legendary
Subchallenge 2: Your card references one or more noncreature subtypes by name in its rules text

DEADLINES

Design deadline: Wednesday, October 7th 23:59 EDT

Judging deadline: Monday, October 12th 23:59 EDT

Clarifications

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Subchallenge 2: This means any artifact type (Equipment, Treasure, etc.), enchantment type (Aura, Shrine, etc.), instant/sorcery type (Arcane, Trap, etc.), land type (Mountain, Locus, etc.), or planeswalker type (Ajani, Dack, etc.)

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
Dragoon26
slimytrout

If you are not interested in playing, please sign up to judge the contest!

Players:
Anyone is welcome to enter this first round!

[Subject16]

The Grim Captain 1UBR
Legendary Creature — Zombie Pirate (Mythic)
First strike
At the beginning of your upkeep, create X Treasure tokens, where X is the greatest number of Curses you control attached to an opponent.
Whenever The Grim Captain deals combat damage to a player, you may cast Pirate cards and Curse cards from your graveyard this turn.
4/3

[BaconCatBug]

Ghorza Facesmasher 3RR
Legendary Creature — Orc Pirate (Rare)
First strike
Whenever Ghorza Facesmasher deals combat damage, create a Treasure token.
Sacrifice a Treasure: Target creature gains double strike until end of turn. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.
A small purse of drinking money goes a long way in convincing the rabble to fight harder.
4/4

[Raptorchan]

Liz Deller, Bandit Princess 2{b/r}{r/w}
Legendary Creature - Human Rogue (R)
Flash
First strike
Whenever another creature enters the battlefield under your control, it gains first strike until end of turn.
Meeting her promises good luck, pleasant conversation and full purse - for her.
4/2

[slimytrout]

Medomai, Mythkeeper 2WU
Legendary Creature — Sphinx (R)
Flying, first strike
Whenever Medomai, Mythkeeper deals combat damage to a player, choose any number of Sagas you control. Remove a lore counter from each of them.
At the beginning of your end step, if you control five or more Sagas, you win the game.
3/3

[MonoRedMage]

Zaka-Naka, Akki Ascetic 1RR
Legendary Creature - Goblin Monk {R}
Double strike, haste
Whenever Zaka-Naka, Akki Ascetic deals combat damage to a player, each Aura and each Equipment deals damage equal to its converted mana cost to the creature it's attached to.
1/1

[Riria]

Nezan, Skilled Plagiarist 2UR
Legendary Creature - Human Warrior Artificer(R)
First strike
When Nezan enters the battlefield, for each Equipment you control, create a token that's a copy of it and attach it to him.
What he lacks in creativity, he makes up for in combat prowess.
3/1

[Legend]

Witch-Hunter Eudemus 2W
Legendary Creature - Human Cleric (Rare)
You and Witch-Hunter Eudemus have hexproof from Auras.
Double strike versus Hags
B: Target creature becomes a Hag until end of turn.
Evil beckons, and I oblige. - Eudemus
2/4

[haywire]

Gronad, Bare-Knuckle Brawler
Legendary Creature - Dwarf Warrior {R}
First strike, haste
Attacking and blocking creatures have protection from spells, Auras and Equipment.
Whenever Gronad, Bare-Knucle Brawler deals combat damage to a player, exile target Aura or Equipment that player controls. When you do, Gronad deals 2 damage to any target.
"It's gonna be a clean fight if'n I's gots anything to say 'bout it. No blades, no armor, and certainly ain't none of that magic malarkey. Just fists, the way it's 'sposed to be."
4/3

[RaikouRider]

Alana, Witch of Bitter Words 1BB
Legendary Creature - Human Warlock {M}
First strike
You may spend B as though it were W, U, R, or G to pay the costs of Curse spells or activate abilities of Curses.
Alana, Witch of Bitter Words gets +1/+1 for each Curse you control.
2/2

[netn10]

Origin Prototype: Attack Mode 3
Legendary Artifact Creature - Construct (Rare)
Double strike
Artifact creatures you control have double strike.
3: Transform Origin Prototype: Attack Mode.
3/3
///////////////////////
Origin Prototype: Defense Mode 3
Legendary Artifact - Vehicle (Rare)
Indestructible
Vehicles you control have indestructible.
3: Transform Origin Prototype: Defense Mode.
Crew 1
1/5

[Stankweed Imp]

Torlan, Mechanical Prodigy
Legendary Creature - Human Artificer Pilot (M)
First Strike
Whenever Torlan, Mechanical Prodigy crews a Vehicle, that Vehicle gains double strike until end of turn.
Whenever a Vehicle dies, you may exile that card. If you do, create a 1/1 colorless Thopter artifact creature token with flying equal to its converted mana cost.
3/4
'Fast hands and a faster mind allow him to bridge the practicalities of piloting and artifice.'

[kwanyeegor-ii]

Yomizaku, the Corpsecaller 2RWB
Legendary Creature--Spirit (Mythic)
First strike
Whenever a creature dies the same turn Yomizaku damaged it, return up to one target Spirit or Arcane card from your graveyard to your hand.
Whenever you cast a Spirit or Arcane spell, target creature blocks Yomizaku this turn if able.
4/4

[void_nothing]

Just over a day left to enter!

[StonerOfKruphix]

Dorus, Salvager of Blessings 1WB
Legendary Creature — Human Cleric (M)
First strike, lifelink
Dorus, Salvager of Blessings gets +1/+0 for each Aura you control and for each Aura in your graveyard.
During each of your turns, you may cast an Aura spell from your graveyard.
"The influence of the gods reaches far beyond the mortal plane."
1/3

[bravelion83]

Tovolei, Angel of Inquisition 4W
Legendary Creature — Angel (R)
As Tovolei, Angel of Inquisition enters the battlefield, investigate three times. (To investigate, create a colorless Clue artifact token with "2, Sacrifice this artifact: Draw a card.")
Tovolei's power and toughness are each equal to the number of Clues you control.
Sacrifice two Clues: Tovolei gains double strike until end of turn.
Three clues make a proof.
*/*

[marioguy3]

Lucas, Flaming Beetlelord
Legendary Creature — Insect (Mythic Rare)
Double Strike, haste
Whenever Lucas, Flaming Beetlelord attacks, create two 1/1 red Insect creature tokens. At the end of combat, transform Lucas, Flaming Beetlelord if you control four or more Insect creature tokens.
3/3

Beetlecar Crush
Artifact — Vehicle
At the beginning of combat on your turn, if Beetlecar Crush is a creature. untap all mountains you control. They become 2/2 red Insect creature tokens with first strike until end of turn and must attack this turn if able.
Crew 1 (Tap any number of untapped creatures you control with total power 1 or greater: This permanent becomes an artifact creature until end of turn.
3/3

[Lorn Asbord Schutta]

Rakar, Nirkana's Trapmaster
Legendary Creature — Vampire Artificer (R)
Flying, first strike
Whenever you cast a Trap spell, target player mills number of cards equal to that spell's converted mana cost.
: Exile three target creature cards from graveyards. Rakar, Nirkana's Trapmaster gets +3/+0 until end of turn.
The sound of agony among the trapped is as sweet as thier blood to him.
2/1

[Henlock]

Mangrait,.of the Three Blades 3wr
Legendary Creature - Human Warrior (r)
Double strike
Whenever Mangrait, of the Three Blades becomes blocked, it deals damage equal to its power to target creature blocking it.
Whenever Mangrath, of the Three Blades attacks and isn't blocked, it deals damage equal to its power to the defending player.
3/3

[void_nothing]

The round is closed. I'll wait until morning to see if we can get another judge - the signup thread is here. Otherwise, there are few enough entrants that Dragoon26 and I could technically judge them all.

[void_nothing]

@slimytrout was gracious enough to drop in order to judge. I'd like to extend my sincerest thanks for that.

Here are the judging assignments. Top four per judge advance.

void_nothing:
Subject16
Legend
netn10
kwanyeegor-ii
bravelion83
Henlock

Dragoon26:
BaconCatBug
Raptorchan
MonoRedMage
Riria
marioguy3

slimytrout:
haywire
RaikouRider
Stankweed Imp
StonerOfKruphix
Lorn Asbord Schutta

[slimytrout]

haywire

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Gronad, Bare-Knuckle Brawler
Legendary Creature - Dwarf Warrior {R}
First strike, haste
Attacking and blocking creatures have protection from spells, Auras and Equipment.
Whenever Gronad, Bare-Knucle Brawler deals combat damage to a player, exile target Aura or Equipment that player controls. When you do, Gronad deals 2 damage to any target.
"It's gonna be a clean fight if'n I's gots anything to say 'bout it. No blades, no armor, and certainly ain't none of that magic malarkey. Just fists, the way it's 'sposed to be."
4/3

Design
(1.5/3) Appeal – Spike likes a good hate card that also snipes creatures for value, Timmy likes a big beater but doesn't love negating auras and equipment, and Johnny isn't interested at all.
(1/3) Elegance – The absence of "you control" is definitely going to trip some people up – they'll be very surprised when they attack into this and all their auras and equipment fall off. Also the flavor text definitely doesn't fit on the card – it already had seven lines of rules text!

Development
(3/3) Viability – Definitely rare, and while red/white is the equipment color pair, it's also fine as the "clean combat" pair.
(2.5/3) Balance – I mean, the 5-mana 4/3 first strike haste is nothing to shake a stick at, but auras and equipment are typically pretty weak in constructed, so not much gained by hating on them.

Creativity
(3/3) Uniqueness – I'll give full points for giving your opponents cards protection – we haven't seen much of that since Urza's Saga.
(2/3) Flavor – I'm really not a fan of the exaggerated dialect. There was some of that very early on (see: Uthden Troll), but now even the pirates of Ixalan speak in something approaching English. Would have made perfect sense without any flavor text.

Polish
(2/3) Quality – Missing a "k" in one of the "knuckles," and an Oxford comma after "auras." Already deducted for the flavor text dialect, so not going to double dip.
(2/2) Main Challenge – Yep.
(2/2) Subchallenges – Yep (x2 for Subchallenge 2, but no bonus points)

Total: 19/25

RaikouRider

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Alana, Witch of Bitter Words 1BB
Legendary Creature - Human Warlock {M}
First strike
You may spend B as though it were W, U, R, or G to pay the costs of Curse spells or activate abilities of Curses.
Alana, Witch of Bitter Words gets +1/+1 for each Curse you control.
2/2

Design
(1.5/3) Appeal – Timmy likes the idea of a curse tribal deck that will make Alana enormous. Johnny is interested too, although it's probably a bit too linear to get their full attention. Spike is not really interested in mashing together a bunch of cards that don't have a ton of inherent synergies and that will be nearly impossible to cast unless Alana is out.
(2/3) Elegance – Obviously it includes all four colors to make it work as a 5-color Commander, but that's a long-winded (and incorrect) way to say "as though it were mana of any color."

Development
(2/3) Viability – Mythic is wrong for a linear card like this that doesn't provide any value – should be rare, but honestly if it wasn't legendary uncommon wouldn't be out of the question. Obviously fixing is also a bend in black but for something like curses I think it's fine.
(2/3) Balance – Very dependent on how curses are, but I struggle to imagine that a card like this would be all that strong in either limited or (single-player) constructed – in fact, I could definitely see it being a bit of a trap in convincing people to play a deck that splashes curses and then they never draw this or it gets killed right away. Even as a commander, I feel like it needs to provide some value to be worth playing, although I'm not an expert in that.

Creativity
(2/3) Uniqueness – Neither aspect is entirely new – the first is somewhat like Oath of Nissa while the second has been done a million times. The black mana restriction is somewhat more novel though.
(2/3) Flavor – The first strike feels pretty tacked-on to fit the challenge. Like, why does a witch have first strike? No warlock has ever had first strike, and even on wizards it's fairly rare. It needs some explanation, and without flavor text there's nothing to provide it.

Polish
(2.5/3) Quality – It should just be "mana of any color" – it's already black mana so those two are functionally identical.
(2/2) Main Challenge – Yep.
(2/2) Subchallenges – Yep

Total: 18/25

Stankweed Imp

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Torlan, Mechanical Prodigy
Legendary Creature - Human Artificer Pilot (M)
First Strike
Whenever Torlan, Mechanical Prodigy crews a Vehicle, that Vehicle gains double strike until end of turn.
Whenever a Vehicle dies, you may exile that card. If you do, create a 1/1 colorless Thopter artifact creature token with flying equal to its converted mana cost.
3/4
'Fast hands and a faster mind allow him to bridge the practicalities of piloting and artifice.'

Design
(3/3) Appeal – Full points! Timmy likes giving their vehicles double strike and amassing an army of thopters. Spike loves getting tons of value when their vehicles die. Johnny sees a card that enables all sorts of artifact sacrifice shenanigans.
(1/3) Elegance – Flavor text doesn't fit on the card, and creatures types don't fit on the type line without Neheb, Dreadhorde Champion-like condensing. Also, will cause mistakes when an opponent's vehicle dies and you should get tokens.

Development
(3/3) Viability – This is a lot of text for a mythic, but it's enough value that I guess it has to be one.
(2/3) Balance – Given my interpretation of what should be equal to the CMC (see Quality), this is a ton of value to get off of your vehicles – your opponent can't let them through cuz they have double strike, but they can't kill them or you get an army of fliers (that also crew your other vehicles). Would have been much more balanced as servos, which could still help crew but wouldn't be as powerful.

Creativity
(2.5/3) Uniqueness – We've had a couple forms of vehicle lords before, but the whole package feels fairly fresh.
(3/3) Flavor – Sure, works for me.

Polish
(1/3) Quality – A minor mix-up: it should be "You may exile it" and "that card's converted mana cost" as on Nightmare Shepherd (-0.5). Big mistake with not stating *what* is equal to the converted mana cost, but I assumed it was the number of tokens (-1). Flavor text should be before p/t (-0.5).
(2/2) Main Challenge – Yep.
(2/2) Subchallenges – Yep

Total: 19.5/25

StonerOfKruphix

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Dorus, Salvager of Blessings 1WB
Legendary Creature — Human Cleric (M)
First strike, lifelink
Dorus, Salvager of Blessings gets +1/+0 for each Aura you control and for each Aura in your graveyard.
During each of your turns, you may cast an Aura spell from your graveyard.
"The influence of the gods reaches far beyond the mortal plane."
1/3

Design
(2.5/3) Appeal –Timmy likes auras to start with, and this guy gets even bigger. Spike likes a good value engine that ends up being practically unbeatable in a race. Johnny likes the recursion to set up a combo, but wishes it wasn't once per turn.
(3/3) Elegance – Nice and clean.

Development
(3/3) Viability – This could definitely be rare in some formats, but I guess in Theros I can see it at mythic. Obviously Orzhov.
(3/3) Balance – In a Theros environment, I could see this making waves, but Auras are not typically a busted strategy.

Creativity
(2/3) Uniqueness – Elements of Muldrotha, the Gravetide and Aura Gnarlid but definitely a new package.
(2.5/3) Flavor – I mean… isn't the flavor text a bit obvious? There are (at least) two gods whose whole job involves the dead and the underworld, so this guy isn't saying anything revelatory.

Polish
(2/3) Quality – Shouldn't have a "for" before "each Aura in your graveyard" (-0.5) and should be "one Aura spell" (-0.5).
(2/2) Main Challenge – Yep.
(2/2) Subchallenges – Yep

Total: 22/25

Lorn Asbord Schutta

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Rakar, Nirkana's Trapmaster
Legendary Creature — Vampire Artificer (R)
Flying, first strike
Whenever you cast a Trap spell, target player mills number of cards equal to that spell's converted mana cost.
: Exile three target creature cards from graveyards. Rakar, Nirkana's Trapmaster gets +3/+0 until end of turn.
The sound of agony among the trapped is as sweet as thier blood to him.
2/1

Design
(2.5/3) Appeal – Timmy likes traps and making this guy huge. Johnny likes milling. Spike likes using a (mostly) free resource like cards in the graveyard, but doesn't like it on an overcosted body with no value.
(3/3) Elegance – Nice and clean.

Development
(3/3) Viability – Perfect rarity and colors.
(2.5/3) Balance – I'd prefer if the exile was from "an opponent's graveyard" so that it encourages you to mill the opponent instead of just dump your deck into your graveyard (historically a busted strategy) and go for a one-shot. But I think the mana requirements and fragile body keep it from being too out of hand.

Creativity
(3/3) Uniqueness – Never been trap tribal before, and this is a super fun way to do it.
(2.5/3) Flavor – It should really be Nirkana Trapmaster with no apostrophe. I know they're a vampire family but they're not a person and it would be more in line with how these sorts of cards are usually named. But the flavor is very nice overall.

Polish
(2/3) Quality – Should be "a number of cards" (-0.5) and there's a typo in "their" (-0.5).
(2/2) Main Challenge – Yep.
(2/2) Subchallenges – Yep

Total: 22.5/25

Results

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Lorn Asbord Schutta: 22.5
StonerOfKruphix: 22
Stankweed Imp: 19.5
haywire: 19
RaikouRider: 18

[Dragoon26]

BaconCatBug

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Design
(1/3) Appeal - Timmy likes a big creature and the words "double strike"
(2.5/3) Elegance - I get why the Sorcery-only rider is attached to the double strike activated ability, but it feels a little inelegant.

Development
(3/3) Viability - It fits well with red's love of token making and first strike/double strike.
(2/3) Balance - Limited bomb, probably not making any waves in any constructed formats, though not inherently broken. I don't really see a problem with allowing the double strike ability to be at instant speed, aside from maybe the uncertainty of what happens when you give a creature with first strike double strike, especially after first strike damage has occurred. But it doesn't seem like a very fun play pattern just giving something double strike precombat and signaling which creature needs to be chump blocked. Maybe I'm thinking too much as a Spike, I dunno.

Creativity
(1.5/3) Uniqueness - Nothing is super brand new. Since tokens have been introduced to the game, it's been in red's part of the color pie to generate them. We've seen saccing Treasures for effects before, and it's not really any different from saccing Clues or Food tokens either, which we've also seen. It's a little unexciting.
(2.5/3) Flavor - I wasn't really understanding the flavor until the flavor text, so that really tied everything together.

Polish
(3/3) Quality - Your render doesn't match your text (3/4 vs a 4/4) so I'm going with the text version. But I'm not holding that against you, just pointing it out.
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) - Has first strike, check.
(2/2) Subchallenges - Legendary, check. References a noncreature subtype, double check.

Total: 20.5/25

Raptorchan

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Design
(2/3) Appeal - I can see Timmy being drawn to a large power with first strike and wanting to make a 'first strike tribal' deck. Depending on the meta in which this exists, I can see this being the top end of a mono red deck, or maybe in some Rakdos midrange deck, which Spike would be interested in.
(2/3) Elegance - It reads very elegantly. The cost, however, is not very elegant.

Development
(1/3) Viability - So, I like hybrid mana in theory. But I think it's very difficult to design cards for. The color pie is built on each color having its own strengths and really highlights the differences between colors, and hybrid mana pushes you to find the spaces where colors overlap mechanically (as opposed to gold cards, which are trying to find things that can't exist without multiple colors working together.) The cost for this card would imply that it could function as a mono red card, a black-red card, a red-white card, and a white-black card. And while technically yes first strike does appear in all three of those colors, that's not enough to justify a cost like that, in my opinion. You could use that same logic to print a 2/2 flier for 1 or a 5/5 with trample for 4. It feels cute for the sake of being cute rather than being a relevant design choice. This card could easily be 1RWB and it would be great.
(2.5/3) Balance - It doesn't really feel imbalanced, but you have to be playing a lot of creatures with haste or flash to really take advantage of the etb trigger, which is not so obvious at first glance. This is really more of a flash/haste tribal card than a first strike tribal card.

Creativity
(2.5/3) Uniqueness - While we haven't seen a card with multiple multicolored hybrid symbols in the cost, we've definitely seen it on tons of other custom cards, so it's not an entirely new concept. I will say though that yours is the only one I can think of ever seeing where each combination of colors at least makes mechanical sense on the card.
(2.5/3) Flavor - The flavor is there from the sense that this is a Mardu creature. Though I personally believe that on the whole it embodies a RWB card and not just different combinations of RWB.

Polish
(3/3) Quality - No issues.
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) - Has first strike, check.
(1/2) Subchallenges - Legendary, check.

Total: 18/25

MonoRedMage

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Design
(1/3) Appeal - Timmy would probably play this in his Goblin deck full of lords and other pump effects.
(2/3) Elegance - I don't really see the connection between the flavor and the mechanical hating on Equipment and Auras.

Development
(2/3) Viability - Fits very well in red's portion of the color pie. Three mana for a 1/1 with haste and double strike, even with such a narrow upside, doesn't feel particularly rare. But mechanically because of the potential for 2+-for-1s it has to be rare.
(1.5/3) Balance - I can't imagine the combat trigger coming up very often unless there were some hypothetical meta being overrun by auras and equipment. It just feels like if your opponent has some equipped or enchanted creatures on the field, it's going to be difficult to connect with your 1/1. I don't know if this is even a good foil to Bogles since their auras tend to grant toughness beyond their cost (and totem armor is a thing.)

Creativity
(2/3) Uniqueness - The individual parts aren't particularly new, but they feel like they're coming together in a new way to form a very specific hate card.
(1.5/3) Flavor - I'm going to guess the flavor has something to do with the goblin monk eschewing and attacking all unnatural forms of combat? Seems pretty close, but some flavor text would really tie everything together. There's not a lot tying the mechanics to the flavor.

Polish
(3/3) Quality - No issues.
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) - Double strike, check.
(2/2) Subchallenges - Legendary, check. Noncreature subtype, double check.

Total: 17/25

Riria

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Design
(2/3) Appeal - Timmy likes stacking lots of equipment on one creature, Johnny likes copying things.
(3/3) Elegance - Yeah, it's pretty slick.

Development
(3/3) Viability - This is solidly UR and appropriately a rare.
(2.5/3) Balance - The balance varies wildly depending on what playable equipment exists along side of it. Fortunately it won't be taking advantage of double Jittes or Embercleaves, but multiples Swords might be scary? Then again, multiple Swords in play is scary enough on its own.

Creativity
(3/3) Uniqueness - This is a cool new thing that UR hasn't done before (to my knowledge, and I'm too lazy to look it up right now) but is still very obviously UR.
(3/3) Flavor - Nice flavor text and great all around flavor.

Polish
(3/3) Quality - No issues.
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) - First strike, check.
(2/2) Subchallenges - Legendary, check. Noncreature subtype, double check.

Total: 23.5/25

marioguy3

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Design
(1/3) Appeal - Timmy loves everything about this card.
(2/3) Elegance - The animating lands portion of Beetlecar Crush is a little unusual given the rest of the flavor of the card.

Development
(3/3) Viability - No color pie breaks. This definitely feels like a mythic rare, it is kinda out there.
(1.5/3) Balance - So, I'm not sure if the combat trigger on the vehicle half is meant to be a draw back that suicides all of your lands into combat? Because as it's worded, it's pretty easy to get around by just waiting until the beginning of combat step to animate your Beetlecar Crush. It seems strange to force the animated lands to attack, but also have an easy way to get around animating your lands.

Creativity
(3/3) Uniqueness - Full points here. It's definitely unique, both in flavor and mechanical execution.
(2/3) Flavor - That being said, the flavor doesn't make a ton of sense to me. He's a flaming beetle that spits out some guys and then turns into a car. I mean, I'm here for it, it just doesn't make a ton of sense to me. I totally want to see the art for this card.

Polish
(2/3) Quality - "...if Beetlecar Crush is a creature" should be followed by a comma, not a period. Also, the word "tokens" is not necessary in that trigger. The lands just become 2/2 red Insect creatures.
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) - First strike, check.
(2/2) Subchallenges - Legendary, check. Noncreature subtype, double check.

Total: 18.5/25

Results

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Riria - 23.5
BaconCatBug - 20.5
marioguy3 - 18.5
Raptorchan - 18.5
MonoRedMage - 17

[void_nothing]

Subject16

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Design
(2.5/3) Appeal - Txmmy likes the fatty that ramps. Jxnny likes a build-around commander. Spike doesn't exactly see Pirates and Curses as top-tier tribes to build a deck for but the abilities that benefit those tribes on this card are both potent.
(2/3) Elegance - A couple of wordy and somewhat complicated triggered abilities, but the card is all on-theme. "Greatest number of Curses" could surely be "number of Curses you control" to simplify, and not really change the power level all that much.

Development
(3/3) Viability - Colors and rarity look right.
(2.5/3) Balance - The cast from graveyard stuff looks maybe a mite dangerous, but it's conditional and restricted to two subtypes.

Creativity
(3/3) Uniqueness - Actually quite a lot is unique about this card!
(3/3) Flavor - This is an established Ixalan character and I think the card feels right for them.

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

Total: 23/25

Legend

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Design
(1/3) Appeal - Txmmy is excited by double strike until they see it's subtype-limited; even though you can just pay the black mana to turn it on, it also doesn't work against players or planeswalkers. Jxnny sees an unusual card with abilities that could potentially be built around. Spike doesn't care most of the time - even the conditional hoser ability can be had in stronger form for cheaper.
(2/3) Elegance - This is a wordy card that's doing a lot; the ability that basically hoses Curses feels a bit random. "Double strike versus" is not explained, but I assume it means "double strike as long as it's blocking or blocked by a", which is grokkable. It's also not strictly what I asked for in the challenge, but also not a main challenge violation as such - I wouldn't DQ someone for making a card with hexproof from color if I asked for one with hexproof, after all.

Development
(2.5/3) Viability - Mostly fine, but even though the Hag-izing ability has black flavor it's mechanically more blue, which is the color most strongly associated with creature type changing.
(3/3) Balance - A flavor-based hoser legend with an efficient-but-not-busted base body is not gonna rock the boat.

Creativity
(2/3) Uniqueness - The hexproof from Auras and double strike versus Hags are both unique variants of old abilities, but then again are just that - variants. The type changing ability is a fun twist.
(3/3) Flavor - A witch hunter who pads out his quota by falsely accusing others of being witches is a resonant fantasy character.

Polish
(2.5/3) Quality - If flavor text for a legend is meant to be a quote from that character, it's just an unattributed quotation. This has no quotation marks AND an attribution.
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) - Done.
(2/2) Subchallenges - And done.

Total: 20/25

netn10

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Design
(3/3) Appeal - Txmmy likes the powerful combat abilities of each side. Jxnny likes artifact creature and Vehicle tribal. Spike likes the pushed stats and abilities.
(2.5/3) Elegance - Being a modal DFC that can transform makes this a bit packed with options.

Development
(2.5/3) Viability - Feels both artifacty and rare; possibly could or should be mythic though.
(1/3) Balance - Both sides are crazy pushed and you can swap back and forth in addition to this being an MDFC; at least the Attack Mode side is vulnerable to lots of removal unless you have three open mana. But a double striking 3/3 would be very powerful even if it cost WWW, to say nothing about being open to any color and having additional abilities.

Creativity
(2.5/3) Uniqueness - A modal DFC that also transforms is a new idea, for one thing.
(3/3) Flavor - Some might think the flavor of a transforming mechanoid is too sci-fi for M:tG, but I find it really resonant.

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

Total: 21.5/25

kwanyeegor-ii

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Design
(3/3) Appeal - Txmmy wants a big beater that eats everything in combat. Jxnny and Spike want to loop Arcane spells, mostly.
(2.5/3) Elegance - Both triggered abilities are rather wordy.

Development
(3/3) Viability - Colors look right and this SHOULD be mythic.
(2/3) Balance - Not truly OP, and require support, but if you get this going as an engine it's very very very very strong.

Creativity
(2/3) Uniqueness - A remix, but not an uncreative one.
(2/3) Flavor - Name's a bit "Generic Kamigawa Spirit."

Polish
(2.5/3) Quality - Double dash in the typeline.
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) - Done.
(2/2) Subchallenges - And done.

Total: 21/25

bravelion83

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Design
(1/3) Appeal - Mostly a Jxnny card. Txmmy doesn't want to sac all those Clues and reduce p/t just to gain one turn of double strike and this is not efficient enough for Spike.
(2.5/3) Elegance - The overall card is a bit wordy but all has a cohesive theme.

Development
(1.5/3) Viability - Multiple investigates in white is kind of edge-case because it's a lot like straight-up white card draw without the riders that white needs in order to do that. The bigger problem is being an Angel without flying.
(2.5/3) Balance - In an odd place powerwise. I think overall this is underpowered. The three Clues could be a big deal for white decks (although using them means shrinking your creature.) However, the activated ability requires you to control at least seven Clues in order to use it to deal more damage than you normally would, chews up the creature's size AND your card draw, and only lasts a turn - the payoff is not in scale with what you need to achieve it.

Creativity
(1.5/3) Uniqueness - Doesn't do anything particularly new.
(2/3) Flavor - Name is kind of generic, and flavor text is a truism that doesn't seem to fit with the card or to be actually true - do three clues always make a proof?

Polish
(3/3) Quality - Fine.
(1/2) Main Challenge (*) - This doesn't have first strike or double strike inherently, so this is a borderline case of being disqualified. I'm not gonna DQ outright because I answered a question to that effect in the discussion thread but forgot to put the answer in the clarifications.
(2/2) Subchallenges - Done.

Total: 17/25

Henlock

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Design
(3/3) Appeal - Txmmy salivates as the general concept. Jxnny has many Voltron deck ideas. While Spike usually doesn't like creatures that expensive that don't protect themselves in SOME way, this is just too good at combat to pass up.
(3/3) Elegance - Very understandable.

Development
(3/3) Viability - Colors and rarity look correct.
(3/3) Balance - Although this deals 9 damage per combat, it's also relatively fragile.

Creativity
(1.5/3) Uniqueness - This feels oddly like a black borderization of Three-Headed Goblin.
(3/3) Flavor - Three blades, "triple strike" - it's almost too simple. I'm picturing Roronoa Zoro personally.

Polish
(1.5/3) Quality - A bit of a punctuation pileup in the name. Mana symbols out of order. Abilities can't agree on the card's name.
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) - Done.
(1/2) Subchallenges - Legendary but no subtype.

Total: 21/25

slimytrout

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Design
(2.5/3) Appeal - Txmmy feels warmly towards this, Jxnny is passionately in lust with it. Spike would consider playing WU Sagas if the support were really there for it in Standard.
(2.5/3) Elegance - Might have some people reaching to look up what removing a lore counter from a Saga actually does.

Development
(3/3) Viability - In-color and rare for sure.
(2.5/3) Balance - A pure build-around; don't see this getting overpowered, but the Saga alt win could possibly come hard and fast depending on the deck.

Creativity
(3/3) Uniqueness - Does something with Sagas nothing has done yet and it's a new-feeling alt win.
(2.5/3) Flavor - Pretty great - feels in character for Sphinx Bro - but could have used short flavor text.

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

Total: 23/25

Totals (bold advance)

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Subject16 23
netn10 21.5
kwanyeegor-ii 21
Henlock 21
Legend 20
bravelion83 17