February MCC Finals: We Are As Gods

[slimytrout]

Banner based on Halvar, God of Battle by Lie Setiawan and Wizards of the Coast. Thanks to bravelion83 for the "Core Set Style" MCC Logo

February MCC Round 4: We Are As Gods

Welcome to the February MCC! We've been exploring the flavor and mechanics of the set with Kaldheim Month here at the MCC, but our time is rapidly drawing to a close. Only three competitors remain, who have survived our trials through godlike efforts...

Main Challenge: Design a Modal Double-Faced God.
Subchallenge 1: The backside of your card has the same mana cost as your Round 3 card.
Subchallenge 2: The rules text of your card includes the names of at least three zones.

DEADLINES

Design deadline: Sunday, March 14th 23:59 EDT

Judging deadline: Wednesday, March 17th 23:59 EDT

Clarifications

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Subchallenge 1: The backside probably should be the non-God side, following the template of the Kaldheim gods, although if you come up with an unusual take on them I can imagine a version where this is not true. Also, note that this is mana cost and not CMC (or mana value, for forward-thinking folks).

Subchallenge 2: The zones are: battlefield, hand, graveyard, library, exile, command zone, and stack. It won't count if you use one as part of the name of your card, but it will count if you use "exile" as a verb rather than a noun.

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:
slimytrout
void_nothing

Players:
@Henlock
@Daylit
@Ink-Treader

[Daylit]

Byrjun, TItan of Genesis 4GW
Legendary Creature - Giant God (M)
Trample
Whenever Byrjun attacks, search your library for a snow land card, put it onto the battlefield tapped, shuffle your library, then You gain 1 life for each snow permanent you control.
He tended the Tree as a sapling and carved the realms into its branches.
6/6
//
Isskapur, Ice Tomb 1UUBB
Legendary Snow Enchantment - Aura
Enchant creature or land
Enchanted permanent is a colorless snow land with "T: Add C" and loses all other card types and abilities.
At the beginning of your upkeep, if you control seven or more snow permanents, you may exile Isskapur and enchanted permanent. As long as they remain exiled, you may cast creature cards exiled this way. You may spend mana from snow sources as though it were mana of any color to cast those spells.

[Ink-Treader]

Enheit, the Unifier 2{G/W}{G/W}
Legendary Creature - God (R)
When Enheit, the Unifier enters the battlefield, for each creature you control, choose up to one of its creature types that hasn't been chosen this way. You gain life equal to the number of creature types chosen this way, and put a +1/+1 counter on up to that many creatures.
If a creature you control would be dealt damage, you may divide that damage as you choose among creatures you control.
3/3
//
Table of Concord 1GW
Legendary Artifact (R)
At the beginning of your upkeep, reveal cards from the top of your library until you reveal a creature card, then you may tap an amount of untapped creatures equal to that card's mana value. If you do, put that card onto the battlefield. Otherwise, put that card into your hand. Put all other cards revealed this way on the bottom of your library in a random order.
There's always an empty seat.

[void_nothing]

Reaching out for @Henlock's entry.

[Henlock]

Vozina, God of Victories 2rw
Legendary Creature - God (r)
Creatures you control have protection from permanents that entered the battlefield this turn.
Whenever six or more creatures you control deal combat damage to an opponent, that opponent loses the game.
4/4
//
Clarion of the Victors 1rw
Legendary Artifact (r)
, Untap a tapped attacking creature you control: Create a 2/1 red Dwarf Berserker creature token that's tapped and attacking.

[slimytrout]

Ok, round is closed! void and I will judge all three entries.

[void_nothing]

Bump to remind myself.

[void_nothing]

Daylit

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Design
(2/3) Appeal - Txmmy and Jxnny are both into it, but Spike would rather have either or both of the powerful cards this card emulates (see below).
(1.5/3) Elegance - Byrjun's only really inelegant feature is all the searching/shuffling - but then you get to Isskapur and its incredibly wordy nature. It only occurred to me after a second reading that when you use the exile ability, you get to cast both the enchanted creature and Byrjun!

Development
(2.5/3) Viability - It's at least odd to see a card with that much positive snow-matters on it while not being snow. The aforementioned fact that you can play Byrjun for any type of mana using Isskapur also is color pie questionable, but at least that requires hoop jumping.
(3/3) Balance - The costing on both sides is prohibitive enough that there's nothing to object to here.

Creativity
(1/3) Uniqueness - Both sides are riffs on well-known cards it seems. Byrjun looks like a less broken take on Primetime, while Isskapur is a weirdly wordy version of Imprisoned in the Moon.
(2.5/3) Flavor - I like the story of a creator god entombed by his own work. The name "Isskapur" is way on the nose though considering it just means "Ice Cap, Ice Tomb."

Polish
(2.5/3) Quality - That "you" in the middle of the triggered ability shouldn't be capitalized.
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) - Done.
(2/2) Subchallenges - And done.

Total: 19/25

Ink-Treader

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Design
(3/3) Appeal - This is a complex, powerful card that encourages playing a lot of cool creatures, so, all-rounder.
(0.5/3) Elegance - Boy oh boy is this card both wordy and complicated in multiple ways. There's the math/comprehension complexity of the ETB, the MUCH HIGHER math complexity of the damage division, and the gameplay slowing potential of the back face.

Development
(3/3) Viability -
(2/3) Balance - The damage division clause, while not worryingly overpowered per se, is at least potentially frustrating, and the Table is quite cost-efficient for something that, minimum, gives you a "curated" draw every turn that's guaranteed to be not a dead card.

Creativity
(3/3) Uniqueness - A lot of wacky stuff going on here. The "playing different creature types matters" is something I wish were carried through the rest of the card. That "banding but for everyone all the time" ability is quite interesting even if it adds way too much math (see above).
(3/3) Flavor - Enheit's name is really close to being just German for "unity" and I think it's well-known how much I dislike on-the-nose names but I can easily forgive it just because Table of Concord has such excellent flavor.

Polish
(2.5/3) Quality - Table needs a "you control" in there somewhere for the "convoke" portion of the ability.
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) - Done.
(2/2) Subchallenges - And done.

Total: 21/25

Henlock

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Design
(3/3) Appeal - Lots of potential for Txmmy, Jxnny, and Spike alike.
(2/3) Elegance - That mass protection ability has a lot of, let's say, implications. I'm sure the primary thing you want out of it is that it stops flash blockers and hoses haste, but also, it makes all Auras fall off unless they are moved onto your creatures and protects from the likes of Caldera Hellion.

Development
(3/3) Viability - None of the abilities is out of place for the colors and of course the rarity is only natural.
(2/3) Balance - The Clarion is a casual infinite combo with the likes of Aphetto Alchemist and Kiora's Follower, and I feel like Vozina's game-loss ability is set to a bit too low of a number, particularly for EDH.

Creativity
(3/3) Uniqueness - A lot of new notions here without being too too complicated.
(3/3) Flavor - The Clarion I'm assuming is a trumpet? Good resonant stuff all around.

Polish
(3/3) Quality - Looks good.
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) - Done.
(1/2) Subchallenges - No multiple zone names.

Total: 22/25

[slimytrout]

Sorry for the delay folks, I had a busy week trying to get reviews done on a paper I was submitting. Congrats to @Henlock on the win!

Daylit

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Byrjun, TItan of Genesis 4GW
Legendary Creature - Giant God (M)
Trample
Whenever Byrjun attacks, search your library for a snow land card, put it onto the battlefield tapped, shuffle your library, then You gain 1 life for each snow permanent you control.
He tended the Tree as a sapling and carved the realms into its branches.
6/6
//
Isskapur, Ice Tomb 1UUBB
Legendary Snow Enchantment - Aura
Enchant creature or land
Enchanted permanent is a colorless snow land with "T: Add C" and loses all other card types and abilities.
At the beginning of your upkeep, if you control seven or more snow permanents, you may exile Isskapur and enchanted permanent. As long as they remain exiled, you may cast creature cards exiled this way. You may spend mana from snow sources as though it were mana of any color to cast those spells.

I don't know if I've ever done this before, but I needed to start with a statement outside the confines of the rubric. First off, I wanted to note that what I'm about to say could all be very wrong, since I am not a judge. If it is, please inform me in the discussion thread. But my sense is that, because this is a creature card on the front side, you can then cast the back side from exile as well after it's exiled itself. If you said "creature spells" then you'd be safe, but unfortunately the way it's written is very misleading as well as being terrifically unbalanced. I don't think this is what you intended so I'm going to try to judge this as if it were written the way you wanted it to be written, and take off points in quality rather than balance, which would have been even more punishing.

Design
(2.5/3) Appeal — Spike loves the Primeval Titan impression on the front side and, while they're not wild about a 5-mana Imprisoned in the Moon, they start getting interested once it becomes a Hostage Taker. Timmy loves this in so many ways. Johnny can think of a few interesting things to do with Isskapur, but overall the raw power is a bit too much.
(2/3) Elegance — Pretty wordy and complex on the backside, which ended up causing some problems.

Development
(2.5/3) Viability — I have a bit of a problem with Isskapur allowing you to cast Byrjun using no green or white mana. I don't think it's a full-fledged break, but it's treading on thin ice. No problems with rarity.
(3/3) Balance — Once I ignore the repeatability mistake, this is in the right ballpark for a mythic. Potentially a three-for-one if you cast Isskapur first, but it ends up requiring >11 mana investment to do, even if it can be spread out over multiple turns.

Creativity
(2/3) Uniqueness — I cited a lot of the inspirations in the Appeal section above, but the overall package is definitely fresh.
(2/3) Flavor — The typing feels a bit off on both sides. I don't like the "Giant God" aspect – Halvar isn't a Dwarf God so it doesn't seem like Gods get other types. I also feel a bit weird about an "Ice Tomb" being an enchantment rather than a land, but worse things have been done.

Polish
(1.5/3) Quality — A few random capitalization and spacing errors that I'm lumping together. Big mistake leads to a full one point deduction.
(2/2) Main Challenge — Yep.
(2/2) Subchallenges — Library, battlefield, exile.

Total: 19.5/25

Ink-Treader

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Enheit, the Unifier 2{G/W}{G/W}
Legendary Creature - God (R)
When Enheit, the Unifier enters the battlefield, for each creature you control, choose up to one of its creature types that hasn't been chosen this way. You gain life equal to the number of creature types chosen this way, and put a +1/+1 counter on up to that many creatures.
If a creature you control would be dealt damage, you may divide that damage as you choose among creatures you control.
3/3
//
Table of Concord 1GW
Legendary Artifact (R)
At the beginning of your upkeep, reveal cards from the top of your library until you reveal a creature card, then you may tap an amount of untapped creatures equal to that card's mana value. If you do, put that card onto the battlefield. Otherwise, put that card into your hand. Put all other cards revealed this way on the bottom of your library in a random order.
There's always an empty seat.

Design
(3/3) Appeal — An all-rounder! Spike likes trying to optimize on difficult abilities (on either side), Timmy likes growing things on the front side and putting them onto the battlefield on the back side, and Johnny likes a complex, strange card.
(1/3) Elegance — Man, would this cause games to grind to a halt, and I'm not just referring to the amount of time require to read this card. I'm not even going to enumerate all the ways this is difficult to parse, because it includes basically every ability.

Development
(3/3) Viability — Sure, hybrid g/w can do the front side and the back side feels appropriate as well. Far too complicated to be a mythic, so rare is right.
(2/3) Balance — The front side is more annoying than overpowered, but the back side gives you (at least) "draw a creature at the beginning of your upkeep" for 3 mana on a difficult to destroy body, which is substantially too good.

Creativity
(3/3) Uniqueness — I mean, there are vague hints of existing things, but mostly it's all very new.
(3/3) Flavor — Sure, all feels nice and clean.

Polish
(1.5/3) Quality — Needed an "each of" on the front and "number of creatures you control" on the backside – three distinct errors, although none of them seem functional.
(2/2) Main Challenge — Yes.
(2/2) Subchallenges — Battlefield, library, hand.

Total: 20.5/25

Henlock

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Vozina, God of Victories 2rw
Legendary Creature - God (r)
Creatures you control have protection from permanents that entered the battlefield this turn.
Whenever six or more creatures you control deal combat damage to an opponent, that opponent loses the game.
4/4
//
Clarion of the Victors 1rw
Legendary Artifact (r)
, Untap a tapped attacking creature you control: Create a 2/1 red Dwarf Berserker creature token that's tapped and attacking.

Design
(3/3) Appeal — Another all-rounder! Spike likes the endless value on the back-side that has the versatility of being a beater on the front, Timmy likes alternate win conditions, especially those that involve turning creatures sideways, and Johnny likes the combo potential of the backside.
(2/3) Elegance — Oh man, is that protection ability going to cause confusion. Obviously the primary use is against flash/haste creatures, but it also hoses ETB abilities (straightforward enough) and auras (much more arcane).

Development
(3/3) Viability — Sure, definitely a Boros card and I think rare is correct.
(2/3) Balance — Strong combo potential on the backside – almost certainly too strong given that it's tough to remove. If played fairly I don't see any problems with it though.

Creativity
(3/3) Uniqueness — Yeah, every ability has something new going on, which I think qualifies it for full points.
(2/3) Flavor — I mean, it all ties together nicely, but the lack of flavor text – especially on the back – is just a glaring omission.

Polish
(2.5/3) Quality — The only card to ever phrase a saboteur ability that way is Zhang Liao, Hero of Hefei – all the rest use "player" the second time – so I'm going to say that's a mistake.
(2/2) Main Challenge — Yep.
(1/2) Subchallenges — Only "battlefield."

Total: 20.5/25