October CCL, Top 8: Henchmen

[slimytrout]

CCL October Top 8
"Henchmen"

Xantcha, Sleeper Agent, by Mark Winters

Theme

October is upon us, so it's time for a month of villainy here in the CCL.

Challenge:

Design an uncommon creature card that is your villain's henchman.

Participants:
@TheAmericanSpirit
@void_nothing
@Subject16
@Raptorchan
@netn10
@Henlock
@kwanyeegor-ii
@RaikouRider
@Lorn Asbord Schutta

Clarification

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• Whether it explicitly includes your villain's name or not is up to you.
• The card can be any combination of colors.
• Make sure to include rarity.

Your submissions are due Saturday October 24th, 23:59 EST.

• Round 1 — Open to Everyone (October 1st–8th)
• Round 2 — Open to Everyone (October 10th–16th)
• Rounds 1 and 2 Critiques (Due October 19th)
• Top 8 — Open to top 8 finishers (October 20th–24th)
• Top 8 Critiques (Due October 26th)
• Top 4 — Open to top 4 finishers (October 27th–31st)
• Top 4 Critiques (Due November 2nd)
• Final (November, winner determined by public poll)

Please note: For this month we will continue asking first and second round contestants to evaluate seven other contestants during the critique and top 3 period, in order to increase the total number of evaluations each contestant gets.

[Subject16]

Rendclaw, Okiba Matriarch

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Rendclaw, Okiba Matriarch 3BB
Legendary Creature — Rat Ninja (Mythic)
Ninjutsu 2BB (2BB, Return an unblocked creature you control to hand: Put this card onto the battlefield tapped an attacking.)
Whenever a Rat you control deals combat damage to a player, create a 1/1 black Rat creature token.
4BB: Target player loses 1 life for each Rat you control.
5/4

Okiba-Gang Racketeer 3B
Creature — Ogre Rogue (U)
Menace
Whenever one or more creatures you control become blocked, defending player discards a card and you draw a card.
The Okiba were the first nezumi gang to allow outsiders into their family. Now they are the strongest crime syndicate on Kamigawa.
3/3

[netn10]

Round 1

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Benzir of Temple Might
Creature - Elf Druid (Rare)
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a -1/-1 counter on target creature you control. If that creature didn't died, you draw a card and you gain 3 life.
"A soul in a compleat body, this should be the vision of Sylvok from now forward."
2/2

Xirex, Apex of Compleation 6
Legendary Artifact Creature - Golem (Rare)
Whenever a -1/-1 counter is put on Xirex, Xirex gets +3/+3 until end of turn and you may have it fight target creature you don't control.
2G: Put a -1/-1 counter on each artifact creature.
"My masterpiece, a body of infinite growth meets a soul of infinite rage."
- Benzir of Temple Might
6/6

[void_nothing]

Round 1

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Kyrimakhia, Firstborn Overseer 3WW
Legendary Creature - Archon (M)
Flying
T: Kyrimakhia deals 1 damage to target attacking creature at end of combat.
At end of combat, create a Gold token for each creature that attacked this turn.
Golds you control are enchantments in addition to their other types and have all activated abilities of white creatures you control.
"All of Theros must pay the archons' tariff - and worship is its greatest resource."
4/3

Blank-Eyed Trader 1W
Creature - Cat Drone (U)
Lifelink, vigilance
1W, T: Create a Gold token and you gain 1 life. Activate this ability only if you gained life this turn.
1/1

[RaikouRider]

Sedraxis Psion 1UB
Creature - Zombie Wizard {U}
When Sedraxis Psion enters the battlefield, target opponent mills cards until they mill a creature card. If a creature card isn't milled this way, that player shuffles the milled cards into their library.
3/3

Round 1

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Sedris the Corpsewaker 2UBR
Legendary Creature - Zombie Warrior {M}
Menace
At the beginning of your upkeep, choose up to one target creature card that was put into an opponent's graveyard from anywhere since your last turn ended. Put that creature card onto the battlefield under your control. It gains haste. Exile that creature at the beginning of the next end step or if it would leave the battlefield.
5/5

[slimytrout]

Bumping this! Only 12 hours left to enter -- the train is leaving the station at midnight if we have at least 7 entries, so don't think that you won't get left behind!

[Raptorchan]

Grim Captain's Bloodspiller 2br
Creature - Zombie Pirate (U)
First strike
Whenever a player or permanent is dealt damage, that player or that permanent's controller loses 1 life.
"Seas the Grim Captain travels will be painted red."
3/2

[Lorn Asbord Schutta]

Decimating Captain
Creature — Zombie Soldier (U)
First strike
When Decimating Captain enters the battlefield, target opponent creates a 1/1 white Human creature token. When they do, destroy target creature that player controls.
"Rulership is nothing like butchery — you kill the strong and keep the cattle alive."
—Nevinyrral, Necromancer's Handbook
3/3

[Henlock]

Silvertongue Slanderer
Creature - Human Rogue (u)
Whenever a player scries, each opponent loses 1 life. (If an effect would instruct a player to scry 0, no scry event happens.)
Inns, markets, parties... Each a stage for his masterly delivered tirade of rumours and indiscretions.
2/2

[kwanyeegor-ii]

Mega-Memnite 6
Artifact Creature--Construct (Uncommon)
Trample
0: Mega-Memnite gets -1/-1 until end of turn. Another target artifact creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery
5/5

[slimytrout]

Ok, round is closed! Please critique the other contestants and provide a Top 3.

[Lorn Asbord Schutta]

Done

Subject16

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Okiba-Gang Racketeer 3B
Creature — Ogre Rogue (U)
Menace
Whenever one or more creatures you control become blocked, defending player discards a card and you draw a card.
The Okiba were the first nezumi gang to allow outsiders into their family. Now they are the strongest crime syndicate on Kamigawa.
3/3

A ninja enabler, with both menace and Psychic Symbiont on block. However, even if its ability would apply only when Rackateer is blocked, it stills make blocking it so punishable that you would be hard pressed to attempt it. Maybe it should be "whenever one or more creatures you control other then Okiba-Gang Rackateer..."? Also, while it still makes sense in flavour, I am little irked that someone accepted to ninja family is not a ninja.

netn10

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Xirex, Apex of Compleation 6
Legendary Artifact Creature - Golem (Rare)
Whenever a -1/-1 counter is put on Xirex, Xirex gets +3/+3 until end of turn and you may have it fight target creature you don't control.
2G: Put a -1/-1 counter on each artifact creature.
"My masterpiece, a body of infinite growth meets a soul of infinite rage."
- Benzir of Temple Might
6/6

The synergy with Benzir is quite obvious. I think the key to this card is the activated ability. With arbitraly high amount of mana you could spam activated ability and get net +2/+2 on Xirex until the end of turn, while shrinking each other artifact creature and slowly wiping all nonartifact creatures opponent controls. But outside of such infinite mana shaneningas it is just a removal asking to jump through hoops and giving diminishing results. Golem tribal has some utility, but it is not enough.
But sadly, it is rare, both in typeline and effect, so I cannot give you top 3 even if I wanted.

void_nothing

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Blank-Eyed Trader 1W
Creature - Cat Drone (U)
Lifelink, vigilance
1W, T: Create a Gold token and you gain 1 life. Activate this ability only if you gained life this turn.
1/1

The keywords and p/t seem right. The activated ability on the other hand is hard to evaluate. It would make sense in set where white has Gold or noncreature artifact interactions, but outside of such environment giving white mana fixing - or potential ramp even - feels off. The whole flavour hinges on typeline and previous knowledge of Kyrimakhia, to be honest, but it works.

RaikouRider

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Sedraxis Psion 1UB
Creature - Zombie Wizard {U}
When Sedraxis Psion enters the battlefield, target opponent mills cards until they mill a creature card. If a creature card isn't milled this way, that player shuffles the milled cards into their library.
3/3

I understand why there is a clause of returning the milled cards back to library - so it does not destroy creatureless decks at three mana - but looking at Mind Funeral and how it deals with landless decks I am inclined to say that you could get rid of that line by upping the cost to . I find it inelegant and it makes Psion a "look at target opponent library, then shuffle it." against creatureless decks, something that - depending on players at match - could become a hassle with time. Other then this, it is not bad in any way, but not that exciting either.

Raptorchan

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Grim Captain's Bloodspiller 2br
Creature - Zombie Pirate (U)
First strike
Whenever a player or permanent is dealt damage, that player or that permanent's controller loses 1 life.
"Seas the Grim Captain travels will be painted red."
3/2

Neat! A nice signpost uncommon, espescially since black also gets direct damage, even if on smaller scale. The effect is fittingly symmetrical, while first strike gives Bloodspiller a tactical edge. Tribal synergy with Grim Captain, while still being its own thing, is also appreciated.

Henlock

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Silvertongue Slanderer
Creature - Human Rogue (u)
Whenever a player scries, each opponent loses 1 life. (If an effect would instruct a player to scry 0, no scry event happens.)
Inns, markets, parties... Each a stage for his masterly delivered tirade of rumours and indiscretions.
2/2

I think the triggered ability should be worded diffrentely, but it gets the idea across. It is certainly interesting take on black bleeding and it makes sense both due to symmetry and ties to Mereena, which is Dimir, but I would not associate mono-black with scry "outlet" at first. But on the other hand the colors have to slowly expand and like I said before, it is a fresh idea for sure.

kwanyeegor-ii

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Mega-Memnite 6
Artifact Creature--Construct (Uncommon)
Trample
0: Mega-Memnite gets -1/-1 until end of turn. Another target artifact creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery
5/5

While activation is free, the sorcery restriction is - well - restrictive. It does not help withstand removal, it telegraphs what will attack and what not and the choice for buff is obvious - the most evasive critter you control. Would it be too strong as an instant? Or at least some other timing restriction, that allows more tactical depht to it? I understand it has to be cost of , because there is the flavour of "making" Memnite out of Mega one, but I am not sure if I like the execution in game terms, even if flavour is spot on.

top 3

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1. Raptorchan
2. Henlock
3. Subject16

[slimytrout]

Bumping this! In theory these are supposed to conclude in 6 hours (although I think that's very unlikely considering we currently have 0.5 critiques out of 8) but please do them soon! Even just a top 3 if you don't have time for critiques.

[void_nothing]

Critiques

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Subject16 - Interesting global evasion effect. Hard to evaluate imho because the card advantage is so real.

netn10 - I adore this card but unfortunately it's a rare and not an uncommon. Still, what a great commander this'd be!

RaikouRider - Nice tech to make millouts not possible. Still pretty close to existing grind effects.

Raptorchan - Spectacular! Absolutely grand, it's a mini-damage doubler-plus that speeds up games and makes them unpredictable and tense.

Lorn Asbord Schutta - This is tremendous flavor. Mechanically this is close to a "polymorph" effect so it's weirdly part-blue.

Henlock - Neat "hatebear"; scry being evergreen makes this feel weirdly appropriate as a Core Set card.

kwanyeegor-ii - Neat ability but I'm not sure it feels like Memnarch other than the flavor of the name.

Top 3

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1. Raptorchan
2. Lorn Asbord Schutta
3. Subject16

[Henlock]

Only a top 3 this time, sorry.

1. Raptorchane
2. Subject16
3. RaikouRaider

[slimytrout]

I think it would be irresponsible for me to fire with <50% of the possible T3's, so, anyone who hasn't submitted one, please get at least a T3 in so we can move forward!

[kwanyeegor-ii]

crits

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subject16: kind of interesting but having to give u a card just to block might be too unfair for your ops for the cost

nentn10: not an uncommon but really cool imho

void_nothing: Like this as a contributor to the combo with your original legend

raikourider: nice variation on the dimir mill cards from RTR block

raptorchan: Pretty much perfect design, really feels like a pirate

Lorn Asbord Schutta: I like this but not sure it feels black especially with first strike, that's only occasionally used in blac

Henlock: Perfect imo, fair and interesting card

top 3

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1. raptorchan
2. henlock
3. netn10

[Raptorchan]

crits

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void_nothing
Ramp in white, but it seems fair with white restrictions. Still, I have doubts that such card would be actually printed by WotC.

Subject16
Nice and simple. From the first glance one can say this has no synergy with your villain, but it actually does.

netn10
Not a big fan of repeatable fighting cards with great power - weekly commander games teached me a bit. But I appreciate the synergy between this and your commander.

Henlock
Looks like a signpost uncommon. A bit pushed but nothing to point your finger on, really.

kwanyeegor-ii
I always think you should be careful with 0 mana abilities, but the sorcery speed restriction at least makes this look safe.

RaikouRider
THis feels quite specific but I definetely see the purpose of this card.

Lorn Asbord Schutta
Interesting, but this feels more like a white card than black, but maybe this just shows how similar black and white can be despite being enemy colors.

top

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1) Subject16
2) kwanyeegor-ii
3) void_nothing

[slimytrout]

Leaving critiques open until the morning just in case, but I want to keep things moving so now that we have a few more T3's I'm going to post the Top 4 tomorrow AM no matter what.