November MCC, Round 2: Cooking Techniques

[void_nothing]

Banner based on Feasting Troll King by Nicholas Gregory and Wizards of the Coast. Thanks to bravelion83 for the "Core Set Style" MCC Logo

November MCC, Round 2 - Cooking Techniques

Welcome to the November MCC! It's Food Month here at the MCC. This month will loosely deal with the Food subtype.

Main Challenge: Design an instant or sorcery card that can create one or more Food tokens
Subchallenge 1: Your card can create more than one Food token at a time
Subchallenge 2: Your card also can create non-Food tokens and/or place counters

DEADLINES

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

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

Clarifications

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None yet!

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
StonerOfKruphix

Players:
@Subject16
@RaikouRider
@slimytrout
@Sagharri
@Henlock
@Lorn Asbord Schutta
@Freyleyes
@netn10

[netn10]

Prepare the Feast 4WW
Sorcery (Rare)
Create three food tokens and three 1/1 white Human Peasant creature tokens.
Tap three untapped Peasants you control: Return Prepare the Feast from your graveyard to your hand.
The chefs of Ardenvale are never tired, for their food is the most rejuvenating of all.

[Sagharri]

Feast Before Battle XXGW
Sorcery (R)
Create X Food tokens. Until end of turn, whenever you sacrifice a Food, put +1/+1 counter on each creature you control.
"And they knew that tomorrow that nightmare will end - in one way or another. So they didn't think more about that and just enjoyed meals and drinks." - Zuku, the bard

[Lorn Asbord Schutta]

Asmor's Contract
Sorcery (M)
Create a 7/7 black Demon token with flying and trample. If this spell was cast from a graveyard, target opponent creates seven Food tokens.
Flashback (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)
"It begins when I, Asmoranomardicadaistinaculdacar, faced dilemma due to my reckless summons: cook, or be eaten."
—preface to The Underworld Cookbook

[Freyleyes]

Slaughtered Feast B
Instant {R}
Destroy target creature. Create three food tokens for that creature's controller and a 1/1 white Human creature token.
That's all we could find of him milord.

[slimytrout]

Roasting Dragonfire XR
Sorcery (R)
Kicker 2G
Roasting Dragonfire deals X damage to any target. If Roasting Dragonfire was kicked, create X Food tokens and X Treasure tokens.
The knight sat astride his stallion, his lance held high and his gilded armor brilliant in the noonday sun. The dragon smiled.

[Subject16]

Feast of Winter's End GW
Sorcery (Rare)
Create two Food tokens. At the beginning of the next end step, if you gained life this turn, create that many 1/1 white Human creature tokens.
When the first frosts thaw, the outer communities join together in a celebration that lasts til sunrise.

[void_nothing]

Bump.

[Henlock]

Potluck Festival 1gg
Sorcery (u)
When you cast Potluck Festival, if you control no creatures, create a white 1/1 Peasant creature token.
Create a Food token for each creature you control.
All families, as one big family

[void_nothing]

And the round is closed.

void_nothing:
Lorn Asbord Schutta
Freyleyes
slimytrout
Henlock

StonerOfKruphix:
netn10
Sagharri
Subject16

Each judge's top 2 will advance.

[StonerOfKruphix]

I don't know why, but the the editor is all weird and shows me the mana symbols instead of letters.
While this is not how I like to format my judgings, this will have to do for this time.

Netn10:

SPOILER

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Design
(1.5/3) Appeal - Spike appreciates the finishing power and its resilience, but boy is this slow. Jxnny likes the two tokens it leaves behind and the recursion, but it's a bit limited. Txmmy digs the big board it creates, but it's not as big as they would like it to be.
(3/3) Elegance - Very elegant.

Development
(3/3) Viability - Token making and food making fall into the purview of White's abilities, and the late game power definitely deserves the rarity.
(3/3) Balance - It's not the flashiest of effects, but something like this will definitely take over the late game, making sure you don't die to burn or damage because of all the food you're making. I also appreciate the fact that it's tied to a niche creature subtype, so that the recursion clause can't be abused. Not all kinds of decks will want this in limited, but it's a huge payoff for those who do. Constructed-wise, it is a bit too slow for older formats, but I could see this seeing play in standard, especially if paired with cards like Trail of Crumbs or Wicked Wolf.

Creativity
(2/3) Uniqueness - It reminds me of Battle Screech, and the singular parts of the card are nothing totally new, but the whole package manages to feel somewhat fresh.
(2.5/3) Flavor - I really like the flavor of the card, but the flavor text is a bit redundant and too blunt. It would've been better without the second part of the sentence.

Polish
(3/3) Quality - All correct.
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) - Yep.
(2/2) Subchallenges - Yep yep.

Total: 22/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.

Sagharri:

SPOILER

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Design
(1/3) Appeal - Too demanding for Spike and not big enough for Txmmy. Jxnny is interested, but it's a bit too linear.
(3/3) Elegance - Pretty elegant and easily understandable.

Development
(2.5/3) Viability - While the effects are definitely Green and White, I could easily see this as the signpost uncommon for a potential G/W food archetype in limited, as I find it a bit weak as a rare.
(2/3) Balance - As it is, the card seems a bit weak. There are already some mass-counter effects in these colors, like Pledge of Unity (which I would always take over this, btw), and I get that the ceiling on this could be pretty high, but the card in itself does nothing to help you on an empty board or if you have no food already available (thus getting the counters clause just by paying GW. I think one way to fix it would be to just remove an X from the cost, since casting it for 4 mana (and getting the counters for another 2 mana) feels pretty underwhelming. It's definitely not a high pick in draft unless you are already committed to these colors or you're trying to force a Food archetype. It's too slow for older constructed formats, and I don't think it would be a cornerstone in a standard deck. Maybe a two of?

Creativity
(1.5/3) Uniqueness - While something like this has never been done before, there's nothing particularly original about this card.
(3/3) Flavor - The flavor of this card (and of the food it makes) is pretty good: eat the food, get strong, battle! Very cute.

Polish
(2.5/3) Quality - There should be a dash instead of a hyphen in the flavor text for the quote.
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) - Yep.
(2/2) Subchallenges - Yep yep.

Total: 19.5/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.

Subject16:

SPOILER

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Design
(2/3) Appeal - Spike likes the efficiency and the value it can generate. Jxnny likes the high ceiling, but it's a bit linear. Txmmy likes it, but is not as big or splashy as they would like.
(2.5/3) Elegance - Easily understandable with a read. Could cause some memory problems though.

Development
(3/3) Viability - Tokens and lifegain fall squarely into Green and White, so no problems here. For its late game potential of flooding the board, the rarity is appropriate.
(3/3) Balance - While not a finisher in the raw-power aspect, this card will make sure that your board is nice and wide in the late game (or even from turn four), and it would synergize pretty well with the card above. The fact that the token-making clause is tied to lifegain opens this up for degeneracy in a good way, as you have to actively work for it (through sacrificing the food or having lifelink on some of your creatures). This would definitely be a high pick in draft, and I think this would definitely see play in standard. It's not splashy or strong enough for older formats, though, but it's fine.

Creativity
(2/3) Uniqueness - There's nothing completely new about this card, but the token-making clause and the way it ties the card together makes this feel at least a little fresh.
(3/3) Flavor - Perfect. Just perfect. Love it.

Polish
(3/3) Quality - All correct here.
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) - Yep.
(2/2) Subchallenges - Yep yep.

Total: 22.5/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.

Results:

SPOILER

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Subject16 22.5
Netn10 22
Sagharri 19.5

[void_nothing]

Lorn Asbord Schutta

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Design
(2.5/3) Appeal - Txmmy and Jxnny obviously have a lot of ideas for this. Spike eyes this as a potential finisher, but the lifegain from all that Food makes it a bit too survivable.
(2.5/3) Elegance - That is a lot of tokens on the board.

Development
(2.5/3) Viability - One of those odd things - mechanically this is almost more GW than black, but then again nothing about it is out of black's slice of the pie and the flavor is there for sure.
(2.5/3) Balance - The one objectionable thing is the potential to discard this card and flash it back in the early game before your opponent has the mana to use the Food to self-protect, but even that is a relatively slow thing.

Creativity
(1.5/3) Uniqueness - Lord of the Pit variants are as old as Magic but the token and the give-opponent-Food aspects are new.
(3/3) Flavor - Absolutely perfect. I LOVE the story of Asmor and Vincent and Underworld Cookbook references, and if I could give more than 3 points here I would.

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

Total: 21.5/25

Freyleyes

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Design
(1.5/3) Appeal - Txmmy doesn't care. Jxnny sees funky stuff with multiple tokens and has some interest in an otherwise straightforward spell. Efficient removal is right up Spike's alley.
(2/3) Elegance - Quite complicated for a removal spell, i.e. something that "should" be simple.

Development
(2.5/3) Viability - Black is sort of correct, but it's white that's more likely to get Swords to Plowshares variants, obviously. The token is even white! The rarity is what it needs to be, particularly for Limited.
(2/3) Balance - The fact that you get a token out of this - even a 1/1 - makes me think this card is a bit undercosted.

Creativity
(1/3) Uniqueness - Plenty of precedent for removal that replaces creatures with tokens. Using Food is a new idea though.
(2/3) Flavor - It's hardly clear who's doing the slaughtering and who's doing the feasting here. Did someone on the opponent's own side kill and eat one of their creatures?

Polish
(1/3) Quality - "Create" is not being used correctly here: "That creature's controller creates..." Food should be capitalized. The whole token clause is confusingly worded - honestly, put the Human token you get at the front of the sentence. Flavor text feels like it should have quotation marks.
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) - Done.
(2/2) Subchallenges - And done.

Total: 16/25

slimytrout

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Design
(3/3) Appeal - Everybody wants a piece of this one.
(2/3) Elegance - Variable numbers of BOTH Food and Treasure may get hard to keep track of.

Development
(2.5/3) Viability - The odd thing is Treasure isn't really a green thing despite being mana ramp. Otherwise colors and rarity seem right.
(3/3) Balance - Looks fine and playable enough. Even a bit overly conservative - the kicker cost could be 1G and/or you could have made this an instant (although I understand why you may not want to make a bunch of Treasures at an opponent's EOT).

Creativity
(1.5/3) Uniqueness - This is "just a Blaze rehash like is done every block" - you could say that - but it also uses two of the relatively new "consumable artifact" tokens in a new way.
(3/3) Flavor - Excellent. Makes use of two things Dragons really love!

Polish
(2.5/3) Quality - Just one of those things: Kicker effects that happen as a spell's resolving now use "if this spell" instead of the card's name.
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) - Good.
(2/2) Subchallenges - And done.

Total: 21.5/25

Henlock

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Design
(2.5/3) Appeal - Txmmy and Jxnny both have uses for a LOT of Food; Spike would only care if they were all in for Food.dek.
(2.5/3) Elegance - But why a cast trigger? Just make the check for no creatures/create a token effect the first thing in the text.

Development
(2.5/3) Viability - The fact that Congregate/Festival of Trokin/similar have historically been white, and the use of a white token, make this seem like a bit more of a white card than it is green.
(2.5/3) Balance - The no-creatures "mode" of this card feels in an odd place balance-wise - if you're creatureless and considering casting this because your life total's in THAT bad a spot, how much is the one token going to help? I feel like it'd make more sense if it were two tokens (especially flavorwise: see below).

Creativity
(1.5/3) Uniqueness - Not a lot of exact precedent per se but we've seen this general kind of thing before.
(2/3) Flavor - The "panic button" Peasant token seems at odds with the flavor: a one-person potluck? The name also seems slightly too modern (and Upper Midwestern) for Magic.

Polish
(2/3) Quality - It's "1/1 white" when you're talking about a token, and the flavor text is missing a period.
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) - Looks good.
(2/2) Subchallenges - And done.

Total: 19.5/25

Totals (Bold advance)

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Lorn Asbord Schutta 21.5
slimytrout 21.5
Henlock 19.5
Freyleyes 16