November MCC, Round 1 - The Poison Blade

[void_nothing]

Banner based on Deadly Insect by Scott Kirschner and Wizards of the Coast. Thanks to bravelion83 for the "Core Set Style" MCC Logo

November MCC, Round 1 - The Poison Blade

Welcome to the November MCC! It's Deadly Month here at the MCC.

Main Challenge: Design a creature card with deathtouch
Subchallenge 1: Your card has power 4 or greater.
Subchallenge 2: Your card has another evergreen keyword besides deathtouch.

DEADLINES

Design deadline: Tuesday, November 9th 23:59 EDT

Judging deadline: Friday, September 12th 23:59 EDT

Clarifications

Show

Hide

Main Challenge: The card must have deathtouch at all times. Deadeye Brawler and Egon, God of Death are acceptable. Endling and Arisen Gorgon are not.

MCC Rubric

Show

Hide

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
slimytrout

If you are not interested in playing, please sign up to judge the contest!

Players:
Anyone is welcome to enter this first round!

[netn10]

The Cozen 1WBR
Legendary Creature - Human Assassin (Rare)
Deathtouch, lifelink.
Sacrifice three Treasures or 6: The Cozen deals damage equal to its power to another target creature. Any player may activate this ability but only during their turn.
"I'm freelancing for every power in Ravnica. Too bad for everyone that the Orzhov pays me the most."
4/4

[Jimmy Groove]

Living Cloudkill
Creature - Elemental Ooze (R)
Deathtouch, trample
Whenever Living Cloudkill dies, each creature opponents control gets -X/-X until end of turn, where X is the amount of life that creature's controller lost this turn.
"Sometimes wild magic zones or other phenomena cause spells to gain a life of their own. With this right spell, this can be harmless and entertaining. Cloudkill is not the right spell."
- Tasha, Free Thinker
4/3

[void_nothing]

Bumping for entries.

[RaikouRider]

Bloodthorn Thicket 2G
Creature - Plant Wall {C}
Defender, deathtouch
Humans living on the Nayan jungle floor have developed a generational resistance to bloodthorn poison. Many of their settlements are built around such bushes for protection against the Gargantuans--and vengeant elves from the canopy.
1/4

[kwanyeegor-ii]

Szaborog, the Changing Bane 2UBR
Legendary Creature - Dragon Shapeshifter (Mythic)
Flying, deathtouch, haste
{U/R}: Szaborog gets +1/-1 or -1/+1 until end of turn.
Whenever another creature enters the battlefield under your control, it gains all abilities of Szaborog until end of turn.
"All will receive my beauty and my terror."
4/3

[vishamon]

Damia, Deadly Oracle
Legendary Creature — Gorgon Wizard (R)
Deathtouch
Exploit (When this creature enters the battlefield, you may sacrifice a creature.)
When Damia, Deadly Oracle exploits a creature, you draw two cards and lose two life. Then, you may put a land card from your hand onto the battlefield tapped.
4/3

[MonoRedMage]

Sky-Tall Dismantler 5R
Creature - Giant Rogue {U}
Reach, deathtouch
Sky-Tall Dismantler can't block nonartifact creatures.
Sky-Tall Dismantler can't be blocked except by artifact creatures.
Raulaug hated many things: Thopters, colossi, low bridges.
4/4

[bravelion83]

Thunderous Harpy 2BB
Creature — Harpy (R)
Flying, deathtouch
B, Discard a card, Pay 4 life: Return Thunderous Harpy from your graveyard to the battlefield tapped.
The screeching of a returning harpy can often be mistaken for a thunder, but without lightning.
4/1

[Henlock]

Morbid Miasma 3bb
Creature - Elemental Horror (r)
Flying, deathtouch
, : Morbid Miasma deals 1 damage to each creature with toughness X or greater. Activate as a sorcery.
Stagnant vapours of a sick green slowly dissipate from tthe borders of the decayed forest. It is unclear wether they are the cause or the effect of the forest's doom.
4/3

[Venedrex]

Nezumi Assassin
Creature — Rat Assassin (R)
Deathtouch, haste
Ward—Discard a card. (Whenever this permanent becomes the target of a spell or ability an opponent controls, counter it unless that player discards a card.)
4/2

[Lorn Asbord Schutta]

Bloodcrazed Potwor
Creature — Mutant Berserker (R)
Deathtouch, trample
Whenever Bloodcrazed Potwor becomes blocked, it gets +2/+0 until end of turn for each creature defending player controls that isn't blocking it.
"It tore through frontline, spraying crimson mist left and right. And it didn't stop there, energized by the fear it caused."
—Officer's report on the Battle of Gmin
5/3

[Freyleyes]

Apologies for being late, if it is not to late for my submission

Hekate the Lost 1CC
(B) Legendary Creature -- Primordial {M}
Deathtouch, indestructible
Hekate the Lost gets -1/-1 for each permanent you control.
As long as Hekate the Lost is in exile, creatures you control have deathtouch.
A Forgotten soul, lost in the nightmare.
6/6

[marioguy3]

Semi-Corrupted Dragon
Creature — Dragon (Rare)
Deathtouch, flying, haste,
As long as Semi-Corrupted Dragon is enchanted or equipped, it has infect. (This creature deals damage to creatures in the form of -1/-1 counters and to players in the form of poison counters.)
: Destroy all enchantments and equipments attached to Semi-Corrupted Dragon. Any player may activate,
4/3

[void_nothing]

And the round is closed. Judging assignments are the following:

void_nothing:
netn10
RaikouRider
MonoRedMage
bravelion83
Lorn Asbord Schutta
marioguy3

slimytrout:
Jimmy Groove
kwanyeegor-ii
vishamon
Henlock
Venedrex
Freyleyes

Top four contestants per judge will advance.

[slimytrout]

Jimmy Groove

Show

Hide

Living Cloudkill
Creature - Elemental Ooze (R)
Deathtouch, trample
Whenever Living Cloudkill dies, each creature opponents control gets -X/-X until end of turn, where X is the amount of life that creature's controller lost this turn.
"Sometimes wild magic zones or other phenomena cause spells to gain a life of their own. With this right spell, this can be harmless and entertaining. Cloudkill is not the right spell."
- Tasha, Free Thinker
4/3

Design
(2.5/3) Appeal – Spike is absolutely in for a potential one-sided board wipe that's also a nearly-impossible-to-block beater, and so is Timmy. Johnny considers this a bit of a blunt instrument.
(1.5/3) Elegance – There's a reason we've never had a creature with both deathtouch and trample before, which is that the interaction confuses newer players and is difficult to block well.

Development
(2.5/3) Viability – Doesn't feel super green, but the rarity is okay.
(2.5/3) Balance – This would very often feel like a one-sided board wipe for 5 mana, which is not great. The main thing that keeps it from being that is the vulnerability to instant speed removal and the fact that it has no ETB effect.

Creativity
(2.5/3) Uniqueness – Very vague Death's-Head Buzzard vibes, but mostly fresh.
(1/3) Flavor – I can vaguely see where you're going with this (a kind of living poison cloud) but the flavor text is awkward and "cloudkill" sounds much more like it would be killing clouds rather than a deadly cloud. Plus I'm not sure why a cloud would have trample.

Polish
(1.5/3) Quality – Death triggers are "when" not "whenever," should be "your opponents," "this" should be "the" in the flavor text. No major errors so -0.5 each.
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) – Yep.
(2/2) Subchallenges – Yep yep.

Total: 18/25

kwanyeegor-ii

Show

Hide

[Szaborog, the Changing Bane 2UBR
Legendary Creature - Dragon Shapeshifter (Mythic)
Flying, deathtouch, haste
{U/R}: Szaborog gets +1/-1 or -1/+1 until end of turn.
Whenever another creature enters the battlefield under your control, it gains all abilities of Szaborog until end of turn.
"All will receive my beauty and my terror."
4/3

Design
(3/3) Appeal – An all-rounder! Spike likes the profusion of decisions. Timmy likes being able to turn all their creatures sideways immediately and give them flying. Johnny has lots of crazy stuff to do with ability copying and haste.
(2/3) Elegance – Man, this would lead to complicated board states with all of these abilities and changing power and toughness – it would be very hard to track everything in paper.
Development
(3/3) Viability – Color combination seems fine, and definitely mythic.
(3/3) Balance – The base stats on the turn you play it (5 mana 4/3 flying haste) are good but by no means insane, and it does have a challenging mana cost. If you can untap with it you can go crazy, but on a mythic that seems fine.

Creativity
(2.5/3) Uniqueness – The keyword combination was on Vengeful Reaper and the shapechanging is on Brightling and Endling (among others) but the last ability is quite new.
(3/3) Flavor – There's a cute bit of zeugma with the fact that his own stats can change but he's also changing other creatures' abilities. I like it.

Polish
(3/3) Quality –
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) – Yep.
(2/2) Subchallenges – Yep yep.

Total: 23.5/25

vishamon

Show

Hide

Damia, Deadly Oracle
Legendary Creature — Gorgon Wizard (R)
Deathtouch
Exploit (When this creature enters the battlefield, you may sacrifice a creature.)
When Damia, Deadly Oracle exploits a creature, you draw two cards and lose two life. Then, you may put a land card from your hand onto the battlefield tapped.
4/3

Design
(1.5/3) Appeal – Spike likes turning one creature into two. Timmy doesn't like sacrificing things, but does like ramping. Johnny doesn't see much for them.
(3/3) Elegance – Sure, nice and clean.
Development
(1.5/3) Viability – It doesn't feel terribly green, although the character is green so it's not a huge problem. More importantly, it definitely doesn't feel rare – it's very much a sidegrade to Fell Stinger, which is uncommon.
(2/3) Balance – Significantly underpowered at five mana and three colors – you get +1/+1 worth of stats from Fell Stinger (which is worth less than usual because it has deathtouch) and, if you exploit, you get to drop a land, but you already have five mana, so not very exciting.

Creativity
(1/3) Uniqueness – Basically just Fell Stinger plus a pinch of Growth Spiral, but not very new at all.
(2.5/3) Flavor – It does feel like Damia, but not a very exciting version of her.

Polish
(3/3) Quality – Sure.
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) – Yep.
(2/2) Subchallenges – Yep yep.

Total: 18.5/25

Henlock

Show

Hide

Morbid Miasma 3bb
Creature - Elemental Horror (r)
Flying, deathtouch
, : Morbid Miasma deals 1 damage to each creature with toughness X or greater. Activate as a sorcery.
Stagnant vapours of a sick green slowly dissipate from tthe borders of the decayed forest. It is unclear wether they are the cause or the effect of the forest's doom.
4/3

Design
(2/3) Appeal – Spike likes the challenge of deciding what to make X, with the potential for an asymmetric board wipe. Timmy likes a beater in the air that can kill things, but doesn't like the fact that it will often kill his big things. Johnny is maybe interested in buffing their opponent's things to make this into a repeatable one-sided wrath, but it's a little blunt.
(2/3) Elegance – You have to think about this for a second, but the wording is clear so I don' think that's a big problem. The more concerning thing is that this really should just be "destroy each creature with toughness…" – there's never been a creature with deathtouch that has a way to deal noncombat damage, probably because it's doing in two steps what youcould do in one.
Development
(3/3) Viability – Black rare seems right – could be mythic but I don't think it has to be.
(3/3) Balance – Very strong in the right situations, but it is situational as well as vulnerable – it has no ETB or protection, so often it will just attract a removal spell immediately.

Creativity
(3/3) Uniqueness – It looks like a Crypt Rats thing, but it's really not, so full points.
(2/3) Flavor – Miasmas have always been instants or sorceries so far, so it's a little bit weird to see one as a creature, but the flavor text does do some work to explain it.

Polish
(2/3) Quality – "Activate only as a sorcery," and a couple minor typos in the flavor text.
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) – Yep.
(2/2) Subchallenges – Yep yep.

Total: 21/25

Venedrex

Show

Hide

Nezumi Assassin
Creature — Rat Assassin (R)
Deathtouch, haste
Ward—Discard a card. (Whenever this permanent becomes the target of a spell or ability an opponent controls, counter it unless that player discards a card.)
4/2

Design
(1/3) Appeal – Spike is kinda interested in a creature that's a solid attacker and blocker and not vulnerable to removal, but it just doesn't quite do enough to have their full interest. Timmy is pretty much the same. Johnny has zero interest whatsoever.
(3/3) Elegance – Hard to get too much simpler.
Development
(2/3) Viability – It's black, but there's no way it's a rare – just doesn't have much distinguishing it.
(1.5/3) Balance – This card isn't particularly bad at anything, but it also isn't very good at anything. It can crash in for 4 if their shields are down, but it could also trade for a Grizzly Bear. It can guarantee a trade on the ground, but you're probably not getting much mana advantage. In constructed, decks are usually built around cards that do one thing really powerfully, so a card that's a C at everything can see a lot less play than cards that are an A in one category and an F in another.

Creativity
(0.5/3) Uniqueness – Questing Beast had deathtouch and haste on a 4-power 4-drop, and Graveyard Trespasser had "Ward – discard a card" so this feels like just a paint-by-numbers.
(1.5/3) Flavor – Pretty bland, honestly. I mean, sure, it works as a Nezumi assassin, but it's not really telling much of a story.

Polish
(3/3) Quality – All good.
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) – Yep.
(2/2) Subchallenges – Yep yep.

Total: 16.5/25

Freyleyes

Show

Hide

Hekate the Lost 1CC
(B) Legendary Creature -- Primordial {M}
Deathtouch, indestructible
Hekate the Lost gets -1/-1 for each permanent you control.
As long as Hekate the Lost is in exile, creatures you control have deathtouch.
A Forgotten soul, lost in the nightmare.
6/6
[/quote] Design
(1.5/3) Appeal – Johnny is quite stoked about such a weird card. Spike doesn't want something that keeps them from developing their board, but maybe they're a little intrigued by the hidden mode of getting this into exile somehow and getting a free deathtouch anthem. Timmy is initially excited about a deathtouch indestructible creature, but then they do the math to realize that it basically maxes out at a 2/2 and lose interest.
(2.5/3) Elegance – Minor memory issues with having battlefield effects from something in a different zone, but nothing that Wonder hasn't done before.
Development
(3/3) Viability – Yeah, I guess so? Hard to evaluate a strange card like this, but that means it's also hard to say it's wrong.
(2/3) Balance – I mean, it's not great on the battlefield – without land sacrifice or Sol Ring it's hard to get it larger than a 2/2, which would be ok if it didn't keep shrinking if you continue playing things. I'm sure there are ways to get it into exile, but even the free deathtouch is hardly busted. My sense is that this would be pretty weak, unless it's actually super busted somehow, which is not the best zone for a card to live in.

Creativity
(2/3) Uniqueness – There have been things like Grim Strider and Nyxathid, but none that count hands. And there's the Wonder cycle, but those don't use exile. So definitely some old things done in new ways.
(1/3) Flavor – Ever since Arabian Nights, Magic always reskins existing characters at least a little bit, so I don't think that a card explicitly named after a Greek goddess would really pass muster.

Polish
(2.5/3) Quality – Minor capitalization error in the flavor text.
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) – Yep.
(2/2) Subchallenges – Yep yep.

Total: 18.5/25

Results

Show

Hide

kwanyeegor-ii: 23.5
Henlock: 21
Freyleyes: 18.5
vishamon: 18.5
Jimmy Groove: 18
Venedrex: 16.5

[void_nothing]

netn10

Show

Hide

Design
(3/3) Appeal - Txmmy likes a walking, life-gaining weapon. Jxnny wants to build Treasures.dek. Spike likes an efficient creature with all that built-in removal.
(2/3) Elegance - The two costs you could pay for the activated ability are a mouthful, and this could certainly create standoffish, feel-bad board states (thankfully it doesn't mess up combat math THAT much but I can see an argument for making the ability sorcery speed).

Development
(3/3) Viability - Rare's definitely fine although there's an argument for mythic. Colors are all represented.
(2/3) Balance - Could get at least troublesome in long Commander games, but otherwise the activated ability is both symmetrical and prohibitively expensive to abuse.

Creativity
(2/3) Uniqueness - The alternate Treasure-only cost and the overall execution (heh) are new, but there have been a couple of cards that allow any player to remove troublesome creatures.
(3/3) Flavor - Good stuff. His flavor text appearance identifies him as an "Orzhov assassin" but of course the person under that eyeless helmet can be anyone and do anything.

Polish
(2.5/3) Quality - There's no period at the end of the evergreen keywords line.
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) - Done.
(2/2) Subchallenges - And done.

Total: 21.5/25

RaikouRider

Show

Hide

Design
(1/3) Appeal - Not a lot here for Txmmy or Jxnny but Spike can appreciate just how board-stally that one keyword and set of stats can be.
(3/3) Elegance - Nothing to argue with here.

Development
(3/3) Viability - No complaints about color or rarity.
(3/3) Balance - Yeah, just about where it needs to be. Could buy some critical time in Limited.

Creativity
(0.5/3) Uniqueness - While it's obviously very hard to make a unique French vanilla, I have to give this one to you - there is no existing card with defender and deathtouch. Corpse Blockade comes close.
(3/3) Flavor - Perfect, nothing to complain about here. Consistent with the known facts about Naya and well-written.

Polish
(3/3) Quality - Looks good.
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) - Done.
(1/2) Subchallenges - Power is 1.

Total: 19.5/25

MonoRedMage

Show

Hide

Design
(1/3) Appeal - Txmmy would certainly like a large creature with multiple keywords and evasion besides but unfortunately those keywords are not relevant that often given the rest of the card. This is wacky, but not necessarily in a way Jxnny can even use properly. Spike thinks six mana is a big ask for a card that's mostly "4/4, hard to block" even in Limited.
(2.5/3) Elegance - "This can only get into combat with artifact creatures" is a little bit wordy to express.

Development
(1.5/3) Viability - Uncommon looks just right. I appreciate the trick you're trying to pull here, but even with Ogre Leadfoot existing and the conditions you put on this card, deathtouch strictly shouldn't be in monored. I like the idea very much but I have to be somewhat objective with color pie regulations.
(3/3) Balance - Nothing to object to here. It's an odd enough card that it's not what I'd even call underpowered because it's made, I suppose, for taking down really big artifact flyers, so in that situation you'd like to have it around?

Creativity
(1.5/3) Uniqueness - A somewhat new-feeling card made out of very old elements. Deathtouch in monored does get a nod here for the noble effort to make it feel right.
(2/3) Flavor - Name is a bit of a mouthful but the card gets its point across and the flavor text made me chuckle.

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

Total: 18.5/25

bravelion83

Show

Hide

Design
(3/3) Appeal - Txmmy likes the size and keywords. Jxnny likes the recursion. Spike likes both.
(2.5/3) Elegance - Suffers from a bit of an overlong cost in the recursion ability but mostly very elegant.

Development
(3/3) Viability - Spot-on color and rarity.
(3/3) Balance - Sure - this is a flyer with pretty high power that you can just keep resurrecting for one mana, but a card and 4 life are steep additional costs. A great rare for sui-black decks as well as being a Limited high pick (as long as you have lifelinkers).

Creativity
(1.5/3) Uniqueness - Black has plenty of recursive creatures but this is new in a couple of ways.
(1.5/3) Flavor - I think Magic needs to use the Harpy type more but the idea that a screech can sound like thunder is pretty far-fetched. That is a serious basso profundo harpy in that case.

Polish
(2.5/3) Quality - That would just be "thunder", not "a thunder."
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) - Done.
(2/2) Subchallenges - And done.

Total: 21/25

Lorn Asbord Schutta

Show

Hide

Design
(2.5/3) Appeal - Txmmy's appeal here is obvious. Jxnny likes that strange triggered ability condition. Although this card can readily end the game in one attack Spike finds it possibly too slow and fragile.
(2/3) Elegance - Deathtouch and trample have a… let's say unintuitive interaction together, which is why they haven't appeared naturally on the same card yet and you have to work for that combined power.

Development
(3/3) Viability - Definitely a rare. Works fine in monoblack even if I think it would also make sense to have some green in the cost.
(3/3) Balance - No issues - can be VERY big against certain decks but c'mon, look at that mana cost.

Creativity
(2.5/3) Uniqueness - "That isn't blocking" is some really clever stuff, and the marrying of two evergreen keywords not used before (even if it's for good reason) and the typeline are also interesting wrinkles.
(2.5/3) Flavor - Not sure what a potwor is meant to be, but that's a vivid description of what one is capable of.

Polish
(2.5/3) Quality - Missing "the" before "frontline".
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) - Done.
(2/2) Subchallenges - And done.

Total: 22/25

marioguy3

Show

Hide

Design
(1/3) Appeal - Txmmy does not like that drawback at all. Jxnny, however, could possibly do something odd with it. Spike has better options at that mana value.
(2/3) Elegance - That activated ability is pretty messy and mostly just serves to complicate the life of this card's controller.

Development
(3/3) Viability - Colors and rarity technically seem right but the drawback of letting anyone destroy any Aura or Equipment attached to this card seems disappointing for a rare that should technically be encouraging that.
(2.5/3) Balance - While the base stats and keywords are at least a good rate, the ability that grants infect is very disappointing considering how your opponents can just wreck your investment and leave you down a card.

Creativity
(1/3) Uniqueness - This feels like nothing so much as a less effective Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon.
(1/3) Flavor - "Semi-Corrupted Dragon" really feels like a playtest name, and I'm not sure why just any Aura or Equipment (Holy Strength? Celestial Mantle? Godsend?!) could corrupt it all the way, nor why it makes those Auras and Equipment so vulnerable.

Polish
(1/3) Quality - Lots of mistakes here. Flying always comes first in a list of evergreen keywords (except for defender). There's an extra comma at the end of that line. It's "Auras and Equipment attached to…" and "Any player may activate this ability."
(2/2) Main Challenge (*) - Done.
(2/2) Subchallenges - And done.

Total: 15.5/25

Totals (Bold advance)

Show

Hide

Lorn Asbord Schutta 22
netn10 21.5
bravelion83 21
RaikouRider 19.5
MonoRedMage 18.5
marioguy3 15.5