NEXUS FLAMINGO ☆ Exclusively For Custom Card Connoisseurs and Gnomes

[Cythare]

Giant Mechanical Hammer 3
Tribal Artifact — Giant Equipment Vehicle (U)
Trample, menace
Equipped creature has trample and menace.
Giant Mechanical Hammer can only be crewed by creatures with power 2 or less.
Crew 2
Equip creature with power 5 or greater 2
4/3

IIW: Barnyard tribal

[vishamon]

Judgings

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Sudden Blossom
Land - Arcane

You may play Sudden Blossom as at instant speed. Play Sudden Blossom only during your opponent's turn.
t: Add G to your mana pool

Splice onto Arcane 1RG When you splice Sudden Blossom, put a copy of Sudden Blossom onto the battlefield.

Wherever they bloom, the Hana Kami always inspire surprise.

IIW: Fantasy Post-Apocalypse

This feels extra busted. Free ramp that can be used as mega ramp at instant speed... it doesn't even ETB tapped! Insane. Would also require an update to the rules in order to exist at all.

Bristling Beeble
⬤ Enchantment Land Creature — Beeble Island (R)
(T: Add U to your mana pool.)
Bristling Beeble can't be blocked.
Mindcraft — Bristling Beeble can't attack or block unless you control three or more enchantments.
3/3

IIW: Barnyard Tribal

I like the use of Mindcraft to keep this from being just a brokenly pushed version of Dryad Arbor. Probably wouldn't even be printed with a silver border, but I think it would be fun to try out in a custom set that supports mindcraft. I also like how summoning sickness means no need to make it enter the battlefield tapped, unlike if you used the Theros-style "~ isn't a creature as long as...."

Clue, Strange Hound of Urza
Legendary Artifact Creature Land - Urza's Weird Dog Clue (M)
T: Add C. Activate this ability only if you control another Urza's land.
2, Sacrifice Clue: Draw a card.
2/2

IIW: French vanilla creatures

If you're going to just put all the words in the typline of a card, I guess this is how you do it. Yikes though. Serious yikes.

Nicol Bolas, Enfeebled Post-Mending
4ubr
Tribal Planeswalker - Elder Dragon Bolas (M)
+2: Until your next turn, Nicol Bolas becomes a 7/7 creature with flying, haste, and "If damage would be dealt to Nicol Bolas, he deals that much damage to you instead" that's still a tribal planeswalker.
+1: Draw a card. Nicol Bolas deals 1 damage to each player.
-5: Return target permanent to its owner's hand. Its controller discards a card.
-9: Target player discards their hand.
Loyalty: 6


IIW: Exotic pet

Putting another card type on a planeswalker is certainly unusual. I guess the advantage here is that you can tutor off of Imperial Hellkite or reveal to Silumgar's Scorn? It's a fun idea. I'm not sure I understand the flavor of Nicol Bolas being enfeebled translating into him gaining loyalty by turning into a creature.

Rumbling Monument
Enchantment Creature - Shrine Elemental (U)
Trample
Rumbling Monument's power is equal to the number of Shrines you control.
*/3

IIW: Adventures

This makes sense, and doesn't suffer from "words words words."

Shrine of the Hidden One 1R
Enchantment Artifact — Shrine (U)
When Shrine of the Hidden One enters the battlefield, it deals X damage to target creature, where X is the number of shrines you control.
Creatures you control have haste and get +1/+0.
1R, Sacrifice two artifacts: Return Shrine of the Hidden One from your graveyard to the battlefield.



IIW: Blaseball and other surreal splorts

I don't like that this shrine only does the shrine thing on ETB trigger, instead of doing a thing once per turn like the Honden and Sanctums (Sancta? whatever). Also, what is the flavor of the shrine rebuilding itself by consuming artifacts? Is the "Hidden One" a reference to Urabrask? I'm not sure I get it.

Cloud Castle 2WW
Artifact - Fortification Vehicle
Flying, Vigilance
Fortified land has "2W, T: Create a 4/4 white Giant creature token with Flying."
Fortify WW (WW: Attach to target land you control. Fortify only as a sorcery. This card enters the battlefield unattached and stays on the battlefield if the land leaves.)
Crew 3 (Tap any number of creatures you control with total power 3 or more: This Vehicle becomes an artifact creature until end of turn.)
5/5


IIW: Instant Combat Tricks at Uncommon

This is super gross, mechanically. If you fortify your land with this, you can make flying giants (woohoo), but then, if you want to crew your castle with the giant token and use that 5/5 flying vigilance body, it becomes unattached from the land. It's also like 9 lines of text.

Bonus judging:

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Giant Mechanical Hammer 3
Tribal Artifact — Giant Equipment Vehicle (U)
Trample, menace
Equipped creature has trample and menace.
Giant Mechanical Hammer can only be crewed by creatures with power 2 or less.
Crew 2
Equip creature with power 5 or greater 2
4/3

IIW: Barnyard tribal

as much as I like "Giant Equipment Vehicle," this is like 10 lines of rules text if you include the reminder text for crew and equip. It avoids the weird tension of the fortification vehicle by not being equippable by the creatures who can crew it, so that's a plus.

Gygan, Living Legend 2GU
Legendary Enchantment Planeswalker — Gygan Saga {M}
Treat lore counters on Gygan as though they were loyalty counters.
[ I ]: Draw two cards, then you may put a land card from your hand onto the battlefield.
[II]: Proliferate.
[III-IV]: Put two +1/+1 counters on up to one target land you control. It becomes a 0/0 Elemental creature that's still a land.
[V]: Draw seven cards. You may play an additional seven lands this turn.
{0}

IIW: existing card names

I like Enchantment Planeswalker better than Tribal Planeswalker, so kudos there. This is an interesting design space, where you might conceivably want to ping your own dude to replay one of the saga abilities. I suggest exploring this further at some point.

Winner and Next

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Cythare and Mellifluoresce were for sure the top two entries, but Melli's economy of words in the rules text of her card gives her the edge.

Next: Adventures

[Megiddo]

too slow

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Gygan, Living Legend 2GU
Legendary Enchantment Planeswalker — Gygan Saga {M}
Treat lore counters on Gygan as though they were loyalty counters.
[ I ]: Draw two cards, then you may put a land card from your hand onto the battlefield.
[II]: Proliferate.
[III-IV]: Put two +1/+1 counters on up to one target land you control. It becomes a 0/0 Elemental creature that's still a land.
[V]: Draw seven cards. You may play an additional seven lands this turn.
{0}

IIW: existing card names

current round entry to be edited in...

[Sporegorger_Dragon]

I'm not sure I understand the flavor of Nicol Bolas being enfeebled translating into him gaining loyalty by turning into a creature.

Well, he used to be a creature (card), an Elder Dragon (Nicol Bolas), then became a planeswalker, but then the Time-Spiral Mending happened and he lost a lot of power, so he became an ancient but mortal dragon again, which pissed him off to no end, hence why he spent the next dozen blocks trying to ascend to godhood.

So the first ability represent his failing powers as a planeswalker and slowly becoming a creature again. Using his magic is now costly to him, so the cheapest option in a battle is attacking the old-fashioned Dragon way.

So this is snapshot of him right after the last rift on Dominaria closes.

Edit: Mechanically, Tribal typing means when he turns into a creature he retains the creature types and becomes an Elder Dragon creature.
And there is Crucible of the Spirit Dragon and Dragonlord's Servant too.

[chetoos]

Labingi, eager bandit 1WB
Legendary Creature - Halfling Rogue
Whenever an artifact enters the battlefield under your control, you gain 1 life, each opponent loses 1 life, and Labingi can't be blocked this turn.
2/2
--------
Battle of Riddles 2B
You and target opponent each reveal the top card of your library. Create a treasure token, then create 2 more treasure tokens if your card has a higher Mana Value than your opponent's card.


IIW: Fun with sagas

[Cythare]

Roadside Hostel
Land (R)
Roadside Hostel enters the battlefield tapped.
T, Pay 1 life: Add one mana of any color.
T: Add two mana in any combination of colors. Spend this mana only to cast spells from exile.

IIW: Barnyard tribal

[NinjaCaterpie]

Entranced Traveler 1GG
Creature - Human Scout (R)
Entranced Traveler costs 2 more to cast from exile.
When Entranced Traveler enters the battlefield, it explores once for each color of mana spent to cast it.
1/2

//

Into the Feywild G
Sorcery - Adventure (R)
Look at the top five cards of your library. You may reveal a land from among them and put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.

IIW: Adventures in the Forgotten Realms

[Sporegorger_Dragon]

Wise Vampire
2b
Creature - Vampire Advisor (U)
2b, Sacrifice another creature: You draw a card and lose 1 life.
2/1
====
Advice at a Price
1b
Sorcery - Adventure
You draw a card and lose 1 life.


IIW: Bolas's Charm

[vishamon]

Kindly Grandmother 1G
Creature - Wolf (C)
__
"The better to eat you with, my dear."
2/2
Enter the Cottage G
Sorcery - Adventure
Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature you control. It gains haste until end of turn.
__
"Such big teeth you have!"

IIW: Graveyard mechanics

[Megiddo]

Oblivion Demon 2BB
Creature — Demon {R}
Flying
At the beginning of your upkeep, if Oblivion Demon is exiled, put it into your graveyard. If you do, discard your hand and you lose 4 life.
Demons always collect their debts.
4/4

//

Deal with the Devil 1B
Sorcery — Adventure {R}
Search your library for a card, then shuffle and put that card on top.

IIW: remnants

[lookingupanddown]

Lost Traveler W
Creature - Spirit
1W: Return Lost Traveler to its owner's hand.
Many return, wondering why their group is one shorter. Others don't return.
1/1
//
Another Lost Soul 2WW
Instant - Adventure
Exile target attacking or blocking creature.

IIW: creature type Dreadnought

[Ulka]

Count Strahd Von Zarovich 2BB
Legendary Creature - Vampire Noble (M)
Flying, Deathtouch, Lifelink
Whenever another creature dies, create a 2/2 black zombie creature token.
1B: Regenerate Count Strahd Von Zarovich.
2/2
"Many come to fear their host as they enter the dark lands of Barovia..."
//

The Curse of Strahd 1BB
Instant - Adventure (M)
Exile target creature or planeswalker until a creature named Count Strahd Von Zarovich dies.
"... only to find out they are trapped in the Mists until the Devil of Barovia dies."

IIW: DnD monsters

[mellifluoresce]

Labingi, eager bandit 1WB
Legendary Creature - Halfling Rogue
Whenever an artifact enters the battlefield under your control, you gain 1 life, each opponent loses 1 life, and Labingi can't be blocked this turn.
2/2
--------
Battle of Riddles 2B
You and target opponent each reveal the top card of your library. Create a treasure token, then create 2 more treasure tokens if your card has a higher Mana Value than your opponent's card.


IIW: Fun with sagas

I assume this is a cut I'm oblivious too, but adventure on a legendary creature is similar to a MDFC as a way to dodge the problem of drawing multiples. Rare? I'm not entirely big on the minigame but it's ok.

Roadside Hostel
Land (R)
Roadside Hostel enters the battlefield tapped.
T, Pay 1 life: Add one mana of any color.
T: Add two mana in any combination of colors. Spend this mana only to cast spells from exile.

IIW: Barnyard tribal

I can't wait until I can travel again.

Entranced Traveler 1GG
Creature - Human Scout (R)
Entranced Traveler costs 2 more to cast from exile.
When Entranced Traveler enters the battlefield, it explores once for each color of mana spent to cast it.
1/2

//

Into the Feywild G
Sorcery - Adventure (R)
Look at the top five cards of your library. You may reveal a land from among them and put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.

IIW: Adventures in the Forgotten Realms

The wording feels a bit clunky, but it does give you a decision on when you need to run it out aside from just needing a body, which is decent.

Wise Vampire
2b
Creature - Vampire Advisor (U)
2b, Sacrifice another creature: You draw a card and lose 1 life.
2/1
====
Advice at a Price
1b
Sorcery - Adventure
You draw a card and lose 1 life.


IIW: Bolas's Charm

Not big on the dynamic where the creature just does the same thing as the adventure except more of it. Pretty weird that we get this at a discount compared to Foulmire Knight, which is already good and doesn't draw further cards.

Kindly Grandmother 1G
Creature - Wolf (C)
__
"The better to eat you with, my dear."
2/2
Enter the Cottage G
Sorcery - Adventure
Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature you control. It gains haste until end of turn.
__
"Such big teeth you have!"

IIW: Graveyard mechanics

No issues here.

Oblivion Demon 2BB
Creature — Demon {R}
Flying
At the beginning of your upkeep, if Oblivion Demon is exiled, put it into your graveyard. If you do, discard your hand and you lose 4 life.
Demons always collect their debts.
4/4

//

Deal with the Devil 1B
Sorcery — Adventure {R}
Search your library for a card, then shuffle and put that card on top.

IIW: remnants

Only one so far aside from NC's which actually innovates upon the adventure play pattern, and I dig it. Also get rekt by exile removal LMAO

Lost Traveler W
Creature - Spirit
1W: Return Lost Traveler to its owner's hand.
Many return, wondering why their group is one shorter. Others don't return.
1/1
//
Another Lost Soul 2WW
Instant - Adventure
Exile target attacking or blocking creature.

IIW: creature type Dreadnought

Getting to loop this without anything else going on sounds pretty obnoxious. The second time is open-book, but that's just going to create action paralysis on the part of the opponent, which is suboptimal for gameplay.

Count Strahd Von Zarovich 2BB
Legendary Creature - Vampire Noble (M)
Flying, Deathtouch, Lifelink
Whenever another creature dies, create a 2/2 black zombie creature token.
1B: Regenerate Count Strahd Von Zarovich.
2/2
"Many come to fear their host as they enter the dark lands of Barovia..."
//

The Curse of Strahd 1BB
Instant - Adventure (M)
Exile target creature or planeswalker until a creature named Count Strahd Von Zarovich dies.
"... only to find out they are trapped in the Mists until the Devil of Barovia dies."

IIW: DnD monsters

My heart wants this to just have Nighthawk stats. I think the issue here is that the best way to play this card is just doing one or the other, but the adventure text lures you into trying to do both, so it'd probably be less misleading to just have it be a DFC.

Winner: Meg's demon because the rules text made me laugh

Next challenge: remnants

[vishamon]

Kederekt Remnant 1b
Creature - Skeleton Horror (U)
Deathtouch
Cascade

1/1

IIW: Graveyard mechanics

[chetoos]

It's a play on Bilbo, from the Hobbit.

[Cythare]

Shattered Loyalty 1B
Instant (R)
Destroy target nonlegendary creature. Create a token that's a copy of it except it's a 1/1 black Skeleton.

IIW: Barnyard tribal

[Sporegorger_Dragon]

Decrepit Harpy
2ub
Creature - Harpy (C)
Flying
Persist
As long as Decrepit Harpy has a -1/-1 counter on it, it can't block and is a Skeleton in addition to its other types.
3/3
Nothing but feathers and bones.


IIW: Mosquitofish (Gambusia)

[spacemonaut]

It's a play on Bilbo, from the Hobbit.

With Clash! Nice one

[Sporegorger_Dragon]

Greater Shedhusk Cicada

Creature - Insect (M)
Convoke, delve
Flying, vigilance
When Greater Shedhusk Cicada enters the battlefield, if you cast it, create Empty Husk, a 0/1 black Insect Skeleton creature token with protection from all colors.
7/10


IIW: tadpole

[Ulka]

Meat From The Bones 2GB
Instant (U)
Destroy target creature. You create a Food token. (It's an artifact with "2, T, Sacrifice this artifact: You gain 3 life.")
If you control a black Wizard or Warlock creature, create a 1/1 Black Skeleton creature token with "T: Regenerate this creature."
"We let nothing go to waste."

IIW: Uncommon Artifact Limited Bombs

[spacemonaut]

Renowned Thief 1BR
Creature — Rogue (R)
Haste
Whenever Renowned Thief deals combat damage to an opponent, create a Treasure token.
When Renowned Thief dies, create a 0/0 black Shade creature token with "This creature gets +1/+1 for each Treasure you control."
1/2


IIW: Blaseball and other surreal splorts

[stille_nacht]

Phyrexian Fragment 2B
Artifact (R)
When Phyrexian Fragment enters the battlefield, create 2 clue tokens and lose 2 life.
Melds with Mirran Fragment

'ZQ|MxHX:D^ X:Xx ~X:GD^N" X:ENxOZ^N` MxNxL'ZNxT^'X:FT| 'Xv_^ T^L~X:ET [this is phyrexian script]

Mirran Fragment 2U
Artifact (U)
Whenever you sacrifice a clue, draw an extra card.
1U,t: If you both own and control an artifact called Mirran Fragment and an artifact called Phyrexian Fragment, exile them, then meld them into The Lumengrid Stone.

While Mirran language is well known, examples of Phyrexian remain scarce. Our enemy remains indecipherable. Our search grows desperate.

The Lumengrid Stone
Legendary Artifact
When The Lumengrid Stone enters the battlefield, lose all poison counters, you can't gain poison counters.
If a creature would get -X/-X, it instead gains +X/+X.
Sacrifice a clue: Counter target spell with Phyrexian mana in its mana cost or destroy target praetor.

Now that we know their language, we can know them. What is known can be understood. What is understood can be killed.

IIW: Fantasy Post Apocalypse

[Megiddo]

ok we're coming along well.

i'll judge tomorrow morning-ish, so get any last minute entries in.

[lookingupanddown]

Sandblasted Ruin
Land - Desert
Sandblasted Ruin enters the battlefield tapped.
: Add C. Put a brick counter on Sandblasted Ruin.
: Add one mana of any color. Activate only if there are three or more brick counters on Sandblasted Ruin.
3, : Add WUBRG. Activate only if there are six or more brick counters on Sandblasted Ruin.

IIW: IIW: creature type Dreadnought

[Megiddo]

as I half-jokingly suggested to somebody, when working with a prompt like this, just pop it into thesaurus.com and see what catches your eye. you guys did seem to come up with a good range of responses.

Kederekt Remnant 1b
Creature - Skeleton Horror (U)
Deathtouch
Cascade

1/1

IIW: Graveyard mechanics

Kathari Remnant (the only card with "remnant" in its name) sends its regards. So does Living End, which would appreciate another 3-mana cascader.
For those who don't know, I find these mixed-mana costs very aesthetically unappealing (I about had a stroke when Daemogoth Woe-Eater was spoiled). However, they are very functional. In this case, though, I wonder what's red or blue about this card?

Shattered Loyalty 1B
Instant (R)
Destroy target nonlegendary creature. Create a token that's a copy of it except it's a 1/1 black Skeleton.

IIW: Barnyard tribal

Good take on the prompt. The card looks like Skeletonize meets Fractured Identity. Take a look at the mana value of those cards.

Decrepit Harpy
2ub
Creature - Harpy (C)
Flying
Persist
As long as Decrepit Harpy has a -1/-1 counter on it, it can't block and is a Skeleton in addition to its other types.
3/3
Nothing but feathers and bones.


IIW: Mosquitofish (Gambusia)

Cute twist on Persist to have additional state changes after persisting. This reminds me a bit of Childhood Horror and the other cards like it from Torment.

Greater Shedhusk Cicada

Creature - Insect (M)
Convoke, delve
Flying, vigilance
When Greater Shedhusk Cicada enters the battlefield, if you cast it, create Empty Husk, a 0/1 black Insect Skeleton creature token with protection from all colors.
7/10


IIW: tadpole

I'd say we haven't learned from Hogaak, Arisen Necropolis, but we did add ten mana to the cost, so I think that should be safe. Right?
I hope the cicadas aren't bothering you too much. None in my area this year. That said, I like the concept here a lot!

Meat From The Bones 2GB
Instant (U)
Destroy target creature. You create a Food token. (It's an artifact with "2, T, Sacrifice this artifact: You gain 3 life.")
If you control a black Wizard or Warlock creature, create a 1/1 Black Skeleton creature token with "T: Regenerate this creature."
"We let nothing go to waste."

IIW: Uncommon Artifact Limited Bombs

The story the rules text tells here is delightful. This feels like it fits into Zendikar Rising or similar, where you might have a spell that represents an action you can take that gets upgraded if you have the requisite skills in your party. Worth exploring to see how deep that mechanical/flavor design vein goes.

Renowned Thief 1BR
Creature — Rogue (R)
Haste
Whenever Renowned Thief deals combat damage to an opponent, create a Treasure token.
When Renowned Thief dies, create a 0/0 black Shade creature token with "This creature gets +1/+1 for each Treasure you control."
1/2


IIW: Blaseball and other surreal splorts

The design that came to my head when I read the name and the card text up until the comma was,
"Whenever Renowned Thief deals combat damage to an opponent, gain control of target artifact that player controls and that player creates a treasure token,"
Which takes this into Indiana Jones territory.
I feel like I'm missing something here as far as why this thief turns into a shade. Maybe it's something obvious; I'll think on it. That said, the card itself works pretty well and feels like it's in the right colors.

Phyrexian Fragment 2B
Artifact (R)
When Phyrexian Fragment enters the battlefield, create 2 clue tokens and lose 2 life.
Melds with Mirran Fragment

'ZQ|MxHX:D^ X:Xx ~X:GD^N" X:ENxOZ^N` MxNxL'ZNxT^'X:FT| 'Xv_^ T^L~X:ET [this is phyrexian script]

Mirran Fragment 2U
Artifact (U)
Whenever you sacrifice a clue, draw an extra card.
1U,t: If you both own and control an artifact called Mirran Fragment and an artifact called Phyrexian Fragment, exile them, then meld them into The Lumengrid Stone.

While Mirran language is well known, examples of Phyrexian remain scarce. Our enemy remains indecipherable. Our search grows desperate.

The Lumengrid Stone
Legendary Artifact
When The Lumengrid Stone enters the battlefield, lose all poison counters, you can't gain poison counters.
If a creature would get -X/-X, it instead gains +X/+X.
Sacrifice a clue: Counter target spell with Phyrexian mana in its mana cost or destroy target praetor.

Now that we know their language, we can know them. What is known can be understood. What is understood can be killed.

IIW: Fantasy Post Apocalypse

Nice, this flavor is something I was hoping to see for this challenge. Not the merging specifically, but piecing together the past through the clues left behind. I think this does well with that concept; specifically drilling how we must not only know our enemy but also ourselves in order to overcome and move forward.
The design I think could use some revisions (the last line on your merged card stands out as a bit clunky, for example), but I'd fight to find a design that fills these two slots conceptually.

Sandblasted Ruin
Land - Desert
Sandblasted Ruin enters the battlefield tapped.
: Add C. Put a brick counter on Sandblasted Ruin.
: Add one mana of any color. Activate only if there are three or more brick counters on Sandblasted Ruin.
3, : Add WUBRG. Activate only if there are six or more brick counters on Sandblasted Ruin.

IIW: IIW: creature type Dreadnought

Brick counters! I'd be a little worried about the tracking here on a land, as this does it a bit differently than other lands do. Adding a second "layer" to the pyramid is nice, though, as is putting it onto a land in the first place. Playtest and see how it feels.

Winner: Ulka
Next: Uncommon Artifact Limited Bombs