September MCC, Round 3 - Hacking the Magic

[void_nothing]

Banner based on Jalira, Master Polymorphist by Steve Prescott and Wizards of the Coast. Thanks to bravelion83 for the "Core Set Style" MCC Logo

September MCC, Round 3 - Hacking the Magic

Welcome to the September MCC! It's Alterations Month here at the MCC.

Main Challenge: Design a card that can directly change the text of one or more spells and/or permanents
Subchallenge 1: Your card is not an instant.
Subchallenge 2: Your card is multicolored.

DEADLINES

Design deadline: Sunday, October 10th 23:59 EDT

Judging deadline: Wednesday, October 13th 23:59 EDT

Clarifications

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Main Challenge: Simply adding an ability is not a direct text change. Most effects like this literally start with the phrase "Change the text" but you could theoretically have a different wording instead.

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
bravelion83

Players:
@Freyleyes
@Lorn Asbord Schutta
@slimytrout
@netn10

[netn10]

Urza, Ingenious Designer WUBRG
Legendary Creature - Human Artificer (Mythic)
W: Target artifact gains lifelink until end of turn.
U: Change the text of target artifact by replacing each "T" with "2".
B: Target artifact gains deathtouch until end of turn.
R: Change the text of target artifact by replacing each "Target" with "Each".
G: Put a +1/+1 counter or a charge counter on target artifact.
3/3

[slimytrout]

Yrathur, Archrevenant 2UB
Legendary Creature - Spirit Wizard (R)
Flash
Flying
2U: Target player draws a card. Activate only as a sorcery.
B: Change the text of target spell or activated ability by replacing all instances of "draw" or "draws" with "discard" or "discards."
3/3

[Freyleyes]

Midnight Sun BB
Enchantment {R}
Zombie creatures you control get +1/+1.
All instances of the word Human in the text of spells and permanents are changed to the word Zombie.
Exile five cards from your graveyard: Create a 2/2 black Zombie creature token.
Pray to Avacyn, but she won't hear you.

[Lorn Asbord Schutta]

No Heaven
Enchantment (M)
All instances of "flying" from all permanents on the battlefield, all spells and all cards that aren't on the battlefield are removed.
"The Talpas burrowed out of baronies and were schorched by the searing gaze of Heavenly Phoenix. They fled to their abyssal halls and in hatred vowed that one day the Sea Above will be buried by the Mounds and Tunnels."
—On Fur, Scale and Other enemies of Avenfolk

[void_nothing]

And the round is closed! This is the versus round, and both judges will evaluate both brackets. Top total scorer in each bracket will move on to the finals. The brackets are as follows:

netn10 vs. Freyleyes
slimytrout vs. Lorn Asbord Schutta

[bravelion83]

Judgments complete.

netn10

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Urza, Ingenious Designer WUBRG
Legendary Creature - Human Artificer (Mythic)
W: Target artifact gains lifelink until end of turn.
U: Change the text of target artifact by replacing each "T" with "2".
B: Target artifact gains deathtouch until end of turn.
R: Change the text of target artifact by replacing each "Target" with "Each".
G: Put a +1/+1 counter or a charge counter on target artifact.
3/3

Design
Appeal 2/3 - Timmy likes a creature with lots of activated abilities. Johnny likes the abilities, especially the text-changing ones. Spike probably see this card as too niche for a five-colored card.
Elegance 2.5/3 - My inner Mel is pleased with an ability for each color in color pie order. Despite each ability being relatively short, the overall text is quite long. Very easy to understand nonetheless.
Development
Viability 3/3 - Each ability is well in its own color. If this is not a mythic, I don't know what a mythic is. I see no problems in the rules.
Balance 2.5/3 - Normally, five-colored creatures are bigger than 3/3 but here it feels good as it has a lot of upside, though you must have a lot of artifacts to get the most out of this card. In limited, it might be possible in artifact sets and blocks, like Mirrodin or Kaladesh, but probably not in your average set. In constructed, just play this in an artifact deck with a lot of fixing. Luckily there is a lot of artifact fixing, getting better the older in time you get. I see no problems in casual or multiplayer.
Creativity
Uniqueness 2.5/3 - Nothing really new here, but the whole package does feel fresh enough to me.
Flavor 3/3 - While I have obviously heard of Urza, I don't know the character enough to say which colors he is. I've heard it's all five colors, but his only card in black border is monoblue. Of course there is also Urza, Academy Headmaster that is all five colors but it's in silver border. He's probably core blue and acquires all other colors later. I don't know his story, it's way before my time as a Magic player. I think I will have to learn it in The Brothers' War next year. The name fits well with the concept of an artificer. There is obviously no room for flavor text here, the rules text barely fits in the M15 frame as is, so not including it was the right choice..
Polish
Quality 2/3 - The blue and red activated abilities should read "...by replacing all instances of (something) with (something else)". Relatively recent example: Trait Doctoring and there are twelve more. (-0.5 twice)
Main Challenge 2/2 - Good.
Subchallenges 2/2 - Both met.
TOTAL 21.5/25

Freyleyes

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Midnight Sun BB
Enchantment {R}
Zombie creatures you control get +1/+1.
All instances of the word Human in the text of spells and permanents are changed to the word Zombie.
Exile five cards from your graveyard: Create a 2/2 black Zombie creature token.
Pray to Avacyn, but she won't hear you.

Design
Appeal 3/3 - Timmy likes pumping all his Zombies of his Zombie deck, but he probably wishes this was a creature. Johnny could use the text-changing effect in interesting ways, and also the tokens. Spike likes a lord effect aggressively costed that can create the very same creature it pumps.
Elegance 3/3 - The text is not the shortest, but it's still very easy to understand.
Development
Viability 3/3 - Most text-changing effects are blue, but New Blood gives us a precedent in black. Rarity looks fine to me. No problems with the rules.
Balance 2/3 - There are four Zombie +1/+1 lords, all with additional upside: Cemetery Reaper, Diregraf Captain, Narfi, Betrayer King, and Risen Executioner. The first two cost three mana, and in particular the Reaper is the closest to this card: the lord effect plus another ability that exile cards from graveyards and creates Zombie tokens. This has the text-changing ability on top of that. I think this should also cost three mana given the precedent. I would say 1BB. Playable in black Zombie decks, more in constructed than limited, maybe with the addition of some Humans, even if it doesn't change the Human creature type. No problems in casual or multiplayer.
Creativity
Uniqueness 2.5/3 - The text-changing ability is new. The rest not so much.
Flavor 2.5/3 - I see name, rules text, and flavor text as three separate entities, I don't see a lot of connection among them. Each is individually good though.
Polish
Quality 2.5/3 - The second ability should read "Change the text of spells and permanents by replacing all instances of Human with Zombie." See New Blood. (-0.5)
Main Challenge 2/2 - Good.
Subchallenges 1/2 - Not an instant but not multicolored.
TOTAL 21.5/25

slimytrout

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Yrathur, Archrevenant 2UB
Legendary Creature - Spirit Wizard (R)
Flash
Flying
2U: Target player draws a card. Activate only as a sorcery.
B: Change the text of target spell or activated ability by replacing all instances of "draw" or "draws" with "discard" or "discards."
3/3

Design
Appeal 3/3 - Timmy likes this as a relevant flyer. Johnny really likes the last ability and how it interacts with the draw ability. Spike likes a flash flying creature that draws her cards.
Elegance 2.5/3 - The text is unexpectedly a bit long in the M15 frame. The complexity here is more in how this plays, not how it reads.
Development
Viability 3/3 - No problems with the color pie, rarity, or the rules.
Balance 2.5/3 - This is playable in limited even if you never use the activated abilities. I can see making a splash in Standard too. In casual, it's not that fun being on the other side of the text-changing ability, but it's true that it's an on-board trick, if you have the mana open your opponent should see it coming. In multiplayer, the possibility to affect any player with the last ability is relevant.
Creativity
Uniqueness 3/3 - The last ability is definitely new. We've seen targeted draw a lot of times, but here it's relevant because it can turn into discard if this creature targets its own draw ability with its last ability.
Flavor 3/3 - The name is good. MSE shows me that the text box is already nicely filled by the rules text even if some short flavor text could fit. Probably not having it is the right call.
Polish
Quality 3/3 - All good.
Main Challenge 2/2 - Good.
Subchallenges 2/2 - Both met.
TOTAL 24/25

Lorn Asbord Schutta

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No Heaven
Enchantment (M)
All instances of "flying" from all permanents on the battlefield, all spells and all cards that aren't on the battlefield are removed.
"The Talpas burrowed out of baronies and were schorched by the searing gaze of Heavenly Phoenix. They fled to their abyssal halls and in hatred vowed that one day the Sea Above will be buried by the Mounds and Tunnels."
—On Fur, Scale and Other enemies of Avenfolk

Revised judgment based on this:

Viability 2/3 - I think green could do this by itself, as the flying-hate color.

The reason why this is a BG card is because, if the rules supported the intent of this card, I think that cards like Plummet would become a discounted Murder among other effects. Of course that would be a straight up break in mono-G, so I added black.
That is why I disagree with the viability judgement and to lesser extent with some other parts. I understand that it will probably drop my points in elegence but I wanted to make it clear.

Design
Appeal 2/3 - Timmy doesn't card. Johnny is in love with this card. Spike is intrigued by the effect but I'm not sure it's exciting to her.
Elegance 2/3 - This card is easy to understand in what it does, but some of its consequences could not be, we'll talk about this in just a moment..
Development
Viability 2/3 - I think green could do this by itself, as the flying-hate color. Ok, now I see why this is BG. I can see this at mythic. I think the rules support what this card does, but may not support unwanted consequences. In the provided example, Plummet becomes Murder, but it's not exactly true. It actually becomes "Destroy target creature with." With what? You need rules specifying that "with" is ignored, and I honestly don't see how those rules could be written to cover all the possible corner cases you can imagine and even those you can't.
Balance 2/3 - I see this as a sideboard card against flying-heavy decks, both in limited and constructed. The mana cost is also very hard to pay without the help of the mana bases available in older formats. In casual, some players won't like that this card is symmetric and affects their own creatures too. I see no problems in multiplayer.
Creativity
Uniqueness 3/3 - Removing text has never been done before.
Flavor 3/3 - The name is fine, and fits the concept well. I really like the flavor text, and I could see it printed for real. Excellent job.
Polish
Quality 3/3 - Removing text is new so there is no precedence for templating. I'll accept the one you proposed here. It looks plausible enough.
Main Challenge 2/2 - According to clarifications, "removing" text does count as "changing", even though it's like "change to nothing".
Subchallenges 2/2 - Both met.
TOTAL 21/25

Results

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netn10: 21.5
Freyleyes: 21.5

slimytrout: 24
Lorn Asbord Schutta: 21

[void_nothing]

netn10

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Design
(3/3) Appeal - Txmmy wants his super robot army and they want it now. Jxnny's head is spinning. Spike literally just wants a Grim Monolith infinite.
(1/3) Elegance - This card is a lot. I mean, it's Urza, so of course he's going to be doing a lot, but that's a lot of abilities, a couple of them have complicated interactions, and a couple of them have potential memory or tracking issues.

Development
(3/3) Viability - Needs to be five-color and mythic.
(2.5/3) Balance - On one hand, there are some potentially… crazy interactions with this. On the other, it's hard to see how you can combo out all that efficiently with Urza or do so without something that's already OP.

Creativity
(3/3) Uniqueness - EXTREMELY new. Almost too new - if not for the flavor I'd think this were an Unstable style uncard.
(3/3) Flavor - The sheer weight of the character you used carries this card. Of course Urza can modify artifacts in all those ways, he's history's greatest artificer.

Polish
(2/3) Quality - Overload suggests both that you have to replace "all instances of" a word, and that words being replaced should not be capitalized in the ability doing the text editing.
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) - Done.
(2/2) Subchallenges - And done.

Total: 21.5/25

slimytrout

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Design
(3/3) Appeal - Txmmy is excited at turning an opponent's giant draw spell into them discarding their hand. Jxnny has plenty of things to modify. Spike likes the efficiency.
(1.5/3) Elegance - A fair amount of text plus a pretty complicated marquee ability. Also, no changing triggered abilities?

Development
(3/3) Viability - Colors and rarity are pretty clear here.
(2/3) Balance - The text change ability isn't actually worrisome, but the flying, instant-speed body and the draw ability are quite efficient.

Creativity
(2.5/3) Uniqueness - This kind of text change is pretty unprecedented. The rest of the card is more or less familiar though.
(1/3) Flavor - That's a cool name and it rolls off the tongue but it doesn't tell much about the character or the mechanics. A card like this would have to be a storyline character of some sort to make sense.

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

Total: 20/25

Freyleyes

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Design
(3/3) Appeal - All-rounder. Everyone wants their Zombie horde.
(2.5/3) Elegance - Definitely a text-heavy card, but far from an inelegant one.

Development
(3/3) Viability - Very much a black rare. Could even be mythic but rare is just fine.
(2.5/3) Balance - It's possible the token creation ability is too efficient, considering it costs no mana and effectively makes 3/3s.

Creativity
(2.5/3) Uniqueness - While creature types changing in text has been done before, the rest of the card is a unique package.
(3/3) Flavor - Excellent all over. Great flavor text.

Polish
(2/3) Quality - "Replace all instances of "Human"..."
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) - Done.
(1/2) Subchallenges - Is monocolored.

Total: 21.5/25

Lorn Asbord Schutta

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Design
(2.5/3) Appeal - Txmmy wants to experience the wackiness of a world where one of the oldest evergreen keywords doesn't exist. Jxnny salivates. Spike sees plenty of utility yet thinks that's a steep cost for what is largely a hoser card.
(2.5/3) Elegance - While the rules implications are unusual, by and large this card is what is sometimes called "grokkable" - rules interactions being novel or no, everyone understands what's going on.

Development
(3/3) Viability - This is such a strange effect that it's hard to put any colors to it - green seems like a must, RG could have worked, but I can definitely see BG.
(3/3) Balance - No objections here.

Creativity
(3/3) Uniqueness - Definitely unique in many ways.
(3/3) Flavor - Perfection. I love these very sinister molepeople implied by the flavor text.

Polish
(2/3) Quality - Instances are "in" text, not "from", and there's a minor spelling mistake in the flavor text.
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) - Done.
(2/2) Subchallenges - And done.

Total: 23/25

[void_nothing]

Well - this is a different situation.

Both blocks are tied - netn10 and Freyleyes received tied scores from both judges, and my score gives Lorn the same point advantage that bravelion's gives to slimytrout. This means that every semifinalist will move on to the finals. Round to come soon...