August MCC Round 1
The beginning
Some would call this a new beginning. It's like when you move and change your house. You're abandoning your old one but a new one is ready to welcome you. In that moment you don't know yet if it will be better, but you certainly hope so. Or it's like when you get your clothes dirty and you change them. You're separating yourself from comfortable ones but new and fresh ones are awaiting for you. And you hope that they will be as comfortable as the ones you were wearing, or even more. Or it's like when a child is born. Nobody knows what their destiny will be yet, but everybody wishes them a fulfilling, satisfactory, and enjoyable life. Or it's like when a new pup enters the world and joins its pack. It's so weak for now, but everything it needs to become a strong and fierce adult is already there. And we all know that the strongest pack has the fiercest pups. That's why our mascot for this month is Ferocious Pup. I think it symbolizes perfectly this moment. We've just been born, and we're so small for now. But we wish to become as big and strong as our mother behind us. And we know that with time, we will. And in that moment, no matter how close or how far in the future it might be, we will have the privilege to be able to say that we've been there since the beginning.
What's the beginning of a turn of Magic? Let's say it all together: untap, upkeep, draw! Do you remember when that actor impersonating Nicol Bolas in a game with giant cards was screaming it with the audience every turn? I think it was a preview event for Hour of Devastation at some convention if I recall correctly. But let's get back on track. When do you receive priority for the first time each turn? During the upkeep step. Even abilities that triggered during your untap step are put onto the stack only at the beginning of your upkeep. Wait! What did I just say? "At the beginning of your upkeep"... That gives me an idea...
Main Challenge - Design a card with a triggered ability that triggers "At the beginning of your/each upkeep". Please see clarifications.
Subchallenge 1 - Your card is a permanent card.bravelion83 wrote: ↑4 years agoFirst, a note for everybody: as of now, there are a couple cards submitted that have abilities that trigger "At the beginning of each player's upkeep". Those technically do NOT pass the Main Challenge. As I've written in the clarifications spoiler, it has to be literally "your upkeep" or "each upkeep". Any other variations, including "each player's upkeep", do NOT pass the Main Challenge.
Subchallenge 2 - Your card is monocolored.
bravelion83 wrote: ↑4 years agoNow for some answers.Sojourner Dusk wrote: ↑4 years agoHow is it that Sphinx of Foresight would not meet the main challenge? It's third ability (below flying) reads "At the beginning of your upkeep, scry 1." That's a triggered ability that uses your exact required wording.void_nothing's answer is the correct one. I was talking about the first ability saying "first upkeep", completely overlooking the fact that the Sphinx has a last ability that would totally make it pass the Main Challenge. I'm going to remove it from the examples and substitute it with the other ones that void_nothing mentioned.void_nothing wrote: ↑4 years agoI assume what is meant that "At the beginning of your first upkeep..." and other not-exact-words abilities don't pass - so a better example would be Chancellor of the Dross or Providence.That's one of the first things that I actually thought about when I started writing the document and then I completely forgot to write it in. My current intention is that the classic card text formatting (the one I detail in section 4) is preferred, though obviously judges should not penalize you if you use the new "cardtext" tag that has been built specifically for custom card creation.
• The card must contain the exact phrase "At the beginning of your upkeep," or "At the beginning of each upkeep," (including the comma) as the trigger of a triggered ability. Any other variation is NOT allowed. Any addition is also NOT allowed, with the only exception of "intervening if" clauses, which are explicitly and specifically allowed.bravelion83 wrote: ↑4 years agoNo. It has to be actual rules text. Adding this to clarifications.slimytrout wrote: ↑4 years agoClarification request: does reminder text count? Thinking specifically about suspend and fading/vanishing, but might be relevant elsewhere as well.
• Your card can have any other ability in addition to the required triggered ability.
• If the card is a DFC (those from Innistrad), a flip card (those from Kamigawa), or a split card, the required trigger being there on only one side/half of the card is enough, no matter on which side/half of the card. The card can also just have it on both sides without any problem.
Examples:
The following cards would pass the challenge.
Ajani's Mantra ("your upkeep")
Verdant Force ("each upkeep")
Colossal Majesty ("your upkeep" with intervening if.)
First Response ("each upkeep" with intervening if.)
Tendershoot Dryad ("each upkeep" with additional abilities.)
Darigaaz Reincarnated ("your upkeep" with intervening if and additional abilities.)
Cloistered Youth ("your upkeep", on one side of a DFC. The other side is Unholy Fiend, that has a different trigger, but one side is enough.)
Any werewolf from Innistrad, basic example: Villagers of Estwald/Howlpack of Estwald ("each upkeep", on both sides of a DFC, with intervening if.)
The following cards would NOT pass the challenge.
Davriel, Rogue Shadowmage ("each opponent's upkeep" is different from "each upkeep".) The autocard gives the Japanese promo version, here is a direct link to the English version.
Rekindling Phoenix (The token has the required trigger, not the card itself.)
Chancellor of the Dross or Providence (For two reasons: it's not a triggered ability, and "your first upkeep" is different from "your upkeep".)
Stab Wound ("the upkeep of enchanted creature's controller" is different from "your upkeep" or "each upkeep".)
Errant Ephemeron (The required trigger is there but in reminder text, and that doesn't count. It has to be there in the actual rules text of the card.)
Subchallenge 1
• What the challenge means is that your card is not an instant or sorcery. A "permanent card" means an artifact, creature, enchantment, land, or planeswalker. Cards having more than one card type, like artifact creatures, are fine.
Subchallenge 2
• This challenge only checks the actual colors of the card, that is those in the mana cost or color indicator, and does NOT look at color identity. That means that a colorless card with a monocolored mana symbol in its rules text (such as Soliton or Desert of the True) does NOT count.
• The challenge means that your card is exactly one color. Colorless or multicolored (both traditional gold and hybrid) card don't pass the challenge. Remember that lands are normally colorless.
If you have any other questions, feel free to ask in the discussion thread.
DEADLINES
Design deadline: Wednesday, August 7th 23:59 EDT
Judging deadline: Sunday, August 11th 23:59 EDT
RUBRIC
The rubric has undergone no changes in the transition from MTGSalvation to MTGNexus. As a reminder for everyone, here it is. As usual, it will be there in all round threads. If you want a more detailed explanation of the rubric, you can find it in the brand new MTGNexus MCC Guidelines and FAQ, written by me and approved by void_nothing (Custom Card moderator). The detailed explanation of the rubric is in section 6.2. If you have time and will to read that (admittedly long) document in its entirety, I invite you to do so.
(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
void_nothing
Rithaniel
mellifluoresce
A reminder to everyone:
In the MCC, putting rarity on cards is mandatory! If you don't put a rarity on your card, expect huge deductions in both Viability AND Quality.
Also, you should format your text cards accordingly to the brand new MTGNexus MCC Guidelines and FAQ. Again, expect deductions in Quality otherwise. The recommended card formatting is in section 4. As I've said before, if you have time and will to read that document in its entirety, I invite you to do so. It should be useful to everybody, hosts, judges, and players. And speaking of players...
PLAYERS
Everyone can enter this round. Just reply to this thread posting a card that meets the main challenge and any number (that includes zero) of subchallenges. Future rounds will only be open to those who advance. Come join us!
BRACKETS
Judge: Rithaniel
Freyleyes
kwanyeegor-ii
Kypster
Sagharri
SecretInfiltrator
Superbajt
Judge: bravelion83
Flatline
Gateways7
marioguy3
netn10
Raptorchan
spacemonaut
StonerOfKruphix
Judge: void_nothing
Algernone25
barbecube
Henlock
Icarii
RaikouRider
Subject16
+ mellifluoresce's card out of competition
Judge: mellifluoresce
Dragonlover
Jimmy Groove
slimytrout
Sojourner Dusk
The_Hittite
user_938036
The top 4 from each bracket advance to Round 2.