ICYD 63 - Bangaranga!

[wizyard]

poll entries

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1. bravelion83 vs Rithaniel

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non-Dragon Elder

Yeuda, Eternal Goodness 3{G/W}W{W/U}
Legendary Creature — Elder Angel (M)
Flying, vigilance
At the beginning of your second main phase, if this creature is untapped and you control another untapped creature, choose one —
• Scry 3.
• Draw a card.
• Create two 1/1 white Cleric creature tokens.
"I will always be there for you. Will you be there for me?"
5/5

Pheadisdome, the First Terror
Legendary Creature - Elder Specter M
Flying, haste, ward—Discard three cards, pay 6 life
Whenever Pheadisdome deals combat damage to a player, for each card in that player's hand, they discard that card unless they pay 2 life.
At the beginning of your end step, if Pheadisdome didn't attack this turn, target opponent discards a card unless they pay 2 life.
3/3

2. BatBite vs SinisterSister

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A card that cares about mana value.

Overzealous Force
Sorcery (R)
Overzealous Force deals damage to each creature equal to their mana value.
"One must never hold back when repelling the wicked." - Ruby, Boros General

Artemis, Arcane Archivist
Legendary Creature - Human Wizard (R)
Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell with mana value 3 or less, exile it as it resolves.
: Cast a copy of a spell you own in exile without paying its mana cost.
"One's grimoire naturally grows with experience."
1/3

3. wizyard vs JessWill

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Resonate

Flight of Fantasy U
Instant (U)
Exile target creature you control, then return that card to the battlefield under its owner's control.
Resonate with Illusions (This spell has additional effects depending on how many Illusions you control.)
1+ — That creature returns with a flying counter on it.
3+ — If that creature entering this way causes a triggered ability of a permanent you control to trigger, that ability triggers an additional time.

Obsidian, the Living Totem
Legendary Artifact Creature - Golem Shrine (R)
Resonate with Shrines (This creature gains additional abilities based on how many Shrines you control.)
+1: This creature gets +1/+1 for each Shrine you control.
+3: : Add equal to the number of Shrines you control.
+6: , Sacrifice a Shrine: This creature deals damage equal to that shrine's mana value to any target.
0/0

4. BatBite vs bravelion83

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A nongreen card that finds forests.

Blessed Terrain
Enchantment (U)
When this enchantment enters, search your library for a Forest, Plains, or Island, then put it onto the battlefield tapped.
Domain - When a land you control enters, you gain X life, where X is three times the number of basic land types among lands you control.

Vegetal Growth 2W
Enchantment (U)
When this enchantment enters or is put into exile, you may search your library for a basic Forest card or a basic Plains card, put that card into your hand, then shuffle.
4W: Exile this enchantment.
Whether it's wheat or weed, it will be fully grown by the time of harvest.

5. wizyard vs Alchemist

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multicolored sagas with at least 4 chapters.

Apocalyptic Prophecy 1WB
Enchantment — Saga (M)
I, II — Exile a creature you control until this Saga leaves the battlefield.
III — Create a legendary 7/7 white and black Angel creature token with flying and indestructible named The Judge.
IV — Destroy all creatures. This ability can't be countered.

The Endride of Gastal 1BR
Enchantment - Saga (U)
I - Create a 4/4 artifact Vehicle token with haste and crew 2.
II - Target Vehicle you control becomes a creature for as long as you control this Saga.
III - All creatures get -2/-2 until end of turn.
IV - Sacrifice a creature you control. This Saga deals damage to each opponent equal to the sacrificed creature's power.

6. folding_music vs. JessWill

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A Planescape: Torment themed card.

Dabus Talk gw
Enchantment
At the beginning of your upkeep, reveal all but one card from your hand. Target opponent names a card. Then, you reveal the last card from your hand. If they named that card, sacrifice this enchantment. Otherwise, you may cast that card without paying its mana cost.
At the end of your turn, return this enchantment to your hand if you have one or less card in your hand.

Pharod, King of Rags
Legendary Creature - Human Noble (R)
Whenever you reveal or look at a card from the top of your library or search your library for a card, you may put that card into your graveyard.
: Exile target creature or planeswalker card from a graveyard. Create a treasure token.
"You think I like the work? You think I enjoy picking clean the leavings of this sinkhole? It's survival, nothing more."
2/2

7. Ink-Treader vs bravelion83

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Design a card with a red and/or green color identity (no other colors) that connives and is set on a Magic IP plane.

Callous Delver 1RR
Creature - Goblin Rogue (R)
Trample
Whenever this creature attacks, it connives.
Whenever you discard a land card, this creatures deals 1 damage to each player.
"A tip for surviving sky ruins? Don't hesitate."
2/1

One of the Pack 3G
Creature — Wolf (U)
Ferocious — When this creature enters, if you control a creature with power 4 or greater, it connives. (Draw a card, then discard a card. If you discarded a nonland card, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature.)
2G: This creature gains trample until end of turn.
3/3

seems like JessWill forgot to include an entry vs SinisterSister, so that's an auto-win for SinisterSister

SinisterSister vs JessWill

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Create a 5 color card with either a line of text or an ability/effect relevant to each color.

Over the Rainbow
Enchantment (R)
Prismatic - Whenever you cast a spell, choose one for each of the following colors of mana spent to cast that spell:
- Create a food token.
- Create a clue token.
- Create a blood token.
- Create a treasure token.
- Create a map token.

"I Challenge You to a Duel!"

overall duels won

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Alchemist 26 of 39
archemediesx 1 of 3
Arksight101 1 of 4
barbecube 1 of 4
BatBite 11 of 29
bravelion83 114 of 187
Discobolos 2 of 10
EsperCormorant 3 of 4
folding_music 2 of 4
GavMan15 0 of 2
gilroygilgalahad 1 of 5
Indighost 9 of 17
Ink-Treader 11 of 20
JessWill 21 of 41
JovialJovian 0 of 1
Juancu 1 of 1
KB52665 0 of 1
Komandon 10 of 25
kwanyeegor-ii 3 of 7
LandellXil0cent 7 of 9
marioguy3 4 of 11
MonoRedMage 7 of 11
netn10 21 of 30
Raptorchan 0 of 1
Rithaniel 42 of 63
Rocco 3 of 7
ryder 3 of 5
Sagharri 17 of 29
SinisterSister 3 of 4
slimytrout 17 of 17
somedue1019 0 of 1
Sporegorger_Dragon 3 of 4
Subject16 1 of 1
wizyard 69 of 129
Ulka 7 of 22
void_nothing 40 of 54

duelist scores

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Alchemist vs bravelion83 7-5 (1 tie)
Alchemist vs Discobolos 1-0
Alchemist vs EsperCormorant 1-1
Alchemist vs JessWill 2-1 (1 tie)
Alchemist vs Komandon 0-1
Alchemist vs Rithaniel 1-1
Alchemist vs Rocco 2-0
Alchemist vs void_nothing 2-1
Alchemist vs wizyard 8-3 (2 tie)
archemediesx vs wizyard 1-0
Arksight101 vs BatBite 0-1
Arksight101 vs bravelion83 0-1
Arksight101 vs wizyard 1-1
barbecube vs bravelion83 0-1 (1 tie)
barbecube vs Rithaniel 0-1
barbecube vs wizyard 0-1
BatBite vs bravelion83 1-7 (2\ tie)
BatBite vs Ink-Treader 1-0
BatBite vs JessWill 0-1
BatBite vs Komandon 0-1
BatBite vs netn10 2-0
BatBite vs Rithaniel 0-4
BatBite vs Sagharri 0-1
BatBite vs SinisterSister (1 tie)
BatBite vs slimytrout 0-1
BatBite vs void_nothing 0-3
BatBite vs wizyard 1-5 (1 tie)
bravelion83 vs Discobolos 1-0
bravelion83 vs EsperCormorant 1-0
bravelion83 vs gilroygilgalahad 1-0
bravelion83 vs Indighost 6-3 (2 tie)
bravelion83 vs Ink-Treader 3-5 (1 tie)
bravelion83 vs JessWill 4-6
bravelion83 vs KB52665 1-0
bravelion83 vs Komandon 8-1 (2 ties)
bravelion83 vs kwanyeegor-ii 3-1 (1 tie)
bravelion83 vs LandellXil0cent 1-0
bravelion83 vs marioguy3 5-2
bravelion83 vs MonoRedMage 2-3 (2 tie)
bravelion83 vs netn10 3-9 (2 tie)
bravelion83 vs Raptorchan 1-1
bravelion83 vs Rithaniel 6-8 (2 ties)
bravelion83 vs Rocco 1-0
bravelion83 vs Sagharri 3-7 (4 ties)
bravelion83 vs SinisterSister 1-0
bravelion83 vs slimytrout 1-7
bravelion83 vs Sporegorger_Dragon 0-0 (1 tie)
bravelion83 vs ryder 1-2
bravelion83 vs Ulka 3-1
bravelion83 vs void_nothing 4-8 (4 tie)
bravelion83 vs wizyard 9-4 (2 ties)
Discobolos vs gilroygilgalahad 0-1
Discobolos vs Indighost 0-2
Discobolos vs netn10 1-0
Discobolos vs Sporegorger_Dragon 0-1
Discobolos vs wizyard 0-3
EsperCormorant vs ryder 1-1
EsperCormorant vs wizyard 0-0 (1 tie)
folding_music vs JessWill 1-0
folding_music vs wizyard 0-1
folding_music vs LandellXil0cent 0-1
gilroygilgalahad vs JessWill 0-1
gilroygilgalahad vs void_nothing 0-1
gilroygilgalahad vs wizyard 0-1
Indighost vs JessWill 1-1
Indighost vs Rithaniel 0-1
Indighost vs wizyard 1-1
Ink-Treader vs Komandon 1-0
Ink-Treader vs Rithaniel 1-0
Ink-Treader vs wizyard 3-2
Ink-Treader vs void_nothing 0-2
JessWill vs netn10 0-1
JessWill vs Rithaniel 2-3
JessWill vs Rocco 0-1 (1 tie)
JessWill vs SinisterSister 0-1
JessWill vs Ulka 1-0
JessWill vs wizyard 7-6 (1 tie)
JovialJovian vs void_nothing 0-1
Juancu vs void_nothing 1-0
Komandon vs marioguy3 3-0
Komandon vs MonoRedMage 0-1
Komandon vs netn10 0-1
Komandon vs Rithaniel 1-0
Komandon vs slimytrout 0-1
Komandon vs void_nothing 0-2
Komandon vs wizyard 0-0 (1 tie)
Kwanyeegor-ii vs Rithaniel 0-2
LandellXil0cent vs Rithaniel (1 tie)
LandellXil0cent vs wizyard 1-2 (1 tie)
marioguy3 vs Rithaniel 1-1
MonoRedMage vs Rithaniel 0-0 (1 tie)
MonoRedMage vs wizyard 0-1
netn10 vs BatBite 1-0
netn10 vs Rithaniel 0-2 (1 tie)
netn10 vs void_nothing 0-1
netn10 vs wizyard 4-2
Rithaniel vs Sagharri 0-1
Rithaniel vs SinisterSister (1 tie)
Rithaniel vs slimytrout 0-2
Rithaniel vs Sporegorger_Dragon 0-0 (1 tie)
Rithaniel vs Ulka 3-0
Rithaniel vs void_nothing 1-2
Rithaniel vs wizyard 6-6 (3 ties)
Rocco vs Ulka 0-1
Rocco vs wizyard 1-0
ryder vs wizyard 0-1
Sagharri vs slimytrout 0-1
Sagharri vs Ulka 2-0 (1 tie)
Sagharri vs void_nothing 1-3 (1 tie)
Sagharri vs wizyard 1-4 (2 tie)
slimytrout vs Ulka 0-0 (1 tie)
slimytrout vs void_nothing 1-0
slimytrout vs wizyard 4-0
somedue1019 vs wizyard 0-1
Sporegorger_Dragon vs wizyard 0-1
Subject16 vs wizyard 0-1
Ulka vs void_nothing 0-2 (1 tie)
Ulka vs wizyard 2-1
void_nothing vs wizyard 9-4 (2 tie)

This weekly contest is broken up into two phases--

1. Monday-Thursday is the "throwing down the gauntlet" phase:

During this phase, you can enter the contest by challenging up to three other people to a duel. To challenge another person, you can use the following format: "I challenge @[username] to a duel!"

Once someone has been challenged, they can enter the contest before 11:59p on Thursday PST by accepting the challenge. To accept a challenge, reply with a design prompt that both duelists will follow in the next phase.

Each participant can accept multiple duels, but can only be involved in one duel per person per week.

2. Thursday-Sunday is the "challenge accepted" phase:

For each challenge that was accepted, the duelists must each post a single card that fulfills the prompt. Designs are due before 11:59p PST on Sunday.

If one duelist posts a design for a duel and the other does not, the one who did automatically wins that duel.

The contest thread for each week shall be posted with a public poll to decide winning duelists of the previous week. The poll runs three days.

Ties count as 1 win for each duelist.

[JessWill]

Totally forgot about entry vs SinisterSister, brain fart, sorry. So in that case lets try this again LOL! I re-challenge @SinisterSister to a duel! Along with a new challenge for @wizyard.

[wizyard]

a new challenge for @wizyard.

accepted!

umm, let's say- kindred modal spells

[BatBite]

This week's prompts:
Drakuseth, Maw of Flames - Damage split across multiple individually chosen targets.
Talisman of Dominance - A mana rock in .
Spectacular Tactics - Modal spell where one of the modes is "Destroy target creature with power X or greater."
Wandering Ones - 1 mana 1/1
Thunder Spirit - 3 mana 2/2

For my challenges, I challenge @wizyard

[wizyard]

I challenge @wizyard

ok, how about- land with a new subtype

[SinisterSister]

Totally forgot about entry vs SinisterSister, brain fart, sorry. So in that case lets try this again LOL! I re-challenge @SinisterSister to a duel! Along with a new challenge for @wizyard.

Ok. Lets do Kindred Curses.

[bravelion83]

@wizyard Are you a Eurovision Song Contest fan too? The winning song this year is titled "Bangaranga"... Jamaican slang for "riot". Don't ask me why a Bulgarian entry used it. By the way, since we're here, how about a challenge?

@BatBite This week I'd be interested in the Spectacular Tactics, the modal spell one, thanks!

Keep the third one for later.

d20, list, you all know about that.

[BatBite]

@BatBite This week I'd be interested in the Spectacular Tactics, the modal spell one, thanks!

Accepted.

[Rithaniel]

Wandering Ones - 1 mana 1/1

This one. Me challenge thou.

Also, I give y'all a smorgasbord of challenges to challenge me to:

• Time Loop - Make a non-permanent card with suspend that exiles itself with some number of time counters on it as it resolves.
• Mana Costs are Fun - Make a card that costs either or . Whichever you pick, I will take the other.
• Exotic Locales - Make a land card with an ability that functions in a zone other than the battlefield.

[wizyard]

@wizyard how about a challenge?

other definitions for the meaning of bangaranga:
'a joyful kind of disorder', 'uproar', or 'mischief'

our challenge will be to create a card in the spirit of Bangaranga

Exotic Locales - Make a land card with an ability that functions in a zone other than the battlefield.

let's take a trip to Exotic Locales

[bravelion83]

A challenge:
@Rithaniel That was what I was waiting for. I'll take Time Loop, thanks!

And a clarification of my previous post:
@wizyard Yes, all those other meanings are also correct. I was just mentioning the one the singer, Dara, uses in the song to avoid making a whole list. The chorus of the song specifically says "come alive, welcome to the riot".

[wizyard]

oh yes, i merely wanted to expand the potential area of our duel, not to suggest your explanation of bangaranga was lacking

other sources of inspiration in relation to the bangarang challenge could include the movie Hook or the dubstep track Bangarang by Skrillex, which was my initial inspiration for the thread title

-THURSDAY- entries may be posted. last day for throwing/accepting challenges..

[JessWill]

Vs Wizyard

SPOILER

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Kindred Modal Spells

Frogger's Hallucination
Kindred Sorcery - Frog (U)
As an additional cost to cast this spell, Behold a Frog, then choose one:
- Put a polymorph counter on target creature. (This creature loses all abilities and becomes a Frog with base power and toughness 3/3.)
- Create a 3/3 green and blue Frog creature token.

Vs SinisterSister

SPOILER

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Kindred Aura Curses

Afternoon of a Faun
Kindred Enchantment - Elk Aura Curse (R)
Enchant player
Creatures controlled by enchanted player loses all abilities and become Elk creatures with base power and toughness 3/3.
"If only they would stay forever – nymphs, whose rosy flesh can spur the drowsy air to dancing." - Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun

[Rithaniel]

Aspiring for BatBite

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Ruminative Phantom
Creature - Spirit R
: This creature becomes a Spirit Advisor with base power and toughness 1/3 and it gains ": Draw two cards, then discard a card."
: If this creature is an Advisor, it becomes a Spirit Advisor Noble with base power and toughness 2/6 and gains "If you would discard a card, you may shuffle that card into your library instead."
: If this creature is a Noble, it gains "Whenever you shuffle, each opponent loses 2 life."
1/1

Repeating for bravelion83

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Plague of Calcification
Sorcery R
If all creatures on the battlefield have defender, exile this spell and all creatures. Otherwise target player who controls a creature without defender puts a defender counter on a creature without defender they control. Then exile this spell with a time counter on it.
Suspend 1—

Exploring for wizyard

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Desodao, the Soul Jungle
Legendary Land - Forest R
(: Add .)
This land enters tapped.
, Discard this card: Until end of turn, Forests you control are 2/2 green Elemental creatures. They're still lands.
It is said that one can only travel to Desodao if the land is at peace. If the world is in turmoil, Desodao comes to you, instead.

[SinisterSister]

@JessWill

SPOILER

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Kindred Curses

Haunting Poltergeist
Creature - Spirit (R)
Flying
Spells you control cost an additional 1 life to cast unless that spell is cast from a graveyard.
Hexcraft (: Return this card from your graveyard to the battlefield under your control transformed enchanting target player.)
4/4
///
Haunting Nightmare
Kindred Enchantment - Spirit Aura Curse (R)
Enchant player
Spells controlled by enchanted player cost an additional 1 life to cast unless that spell is cast from a graveyard.

[BatBite]

vs wizyard

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land with a new subtype

Central Trailhead
Land - Path (M)
(Tap a creature you control: This land becomes traveled.)
: Add .
: Add one mana of any color. Activate only if you control three or more traveled lands.

one of the path duals

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Beachside Trail
Land - Path (R)
(Tap a creature you control: This land becomes traveled.)
: Add .
: Add or . Activate only if this land is traveled.

vs bravelion83

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Spectacular Tactics - Modal spell where one of the modes is "Destroy target creature with power X or greater."

Gideon's Tactic
Sorcery (R)
X can't be 0.
Choose one -

• Create X 2/2 white Soldier creature tokens.
• Destroy target creature with power X or greater.

vs Rithaniel

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Wandering Ones - 1 mana 1/1

Recruited Recruiter
Creature - Human Soldier (R)
, Sacrifice this creature: Create a 1/1 white Human Soldier token named Recruited Recruiter with this ability.
1/1

[wizyard]

BatBite

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land with a new subtype

Tolarian Tributary
Land — River (C)
1, Tap an untapped River you control: Add CU.
Tap two untapped Rivers you control: Add WU or UB.

Rithaniel

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Exotic Locales - Make a land card with an ability that functions in a zone other than the battlefield.

Prism Spire
Land — Tower (R)
This land enters tapped.
T: Add W.
W: Add U.
U, Reveal this card from your hand: Add W.

bravelion83

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bangaranga

Reckless Rioter 1RR
Creature — Human Rebel (U)
Haste
It's against the law for a player to attack with all creatures that player controls able to do so.
Whenever you break the law, creatures you control gain menace until end of turn.
2/2

JessWill

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kindred modal spells

Snake Charm G
Kindred Instant — Snake (C)
Choose one —
• Regenerate target creature.
• Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature.
• Create a 1/1 green Snake creature token.

[bravelion83]

My tablet is dying, the new one shipping is delayed, and my monsters keep attacking. Not a good period for me. Sorry. In the meantime, here are my cards.

vs wizyard

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A card in the spirit of "Bangaranga" (ESC 2026 winning song).

Joyful Uproar 2RG
Enchantment (R)
Whenever a nontoken creature you control enters with one or more +1/+1 counters on it, that creature gains haste.
Whenever a nontoken creature you control with haste enters, put a +1/+1 counter on that creature.
{R/G}{R/G}: Create a 1/1 red and green Human creature token with riot. Activate only as a sorcery and only once each turn. (That token enters with your choice of a +1/+1 counter or haste.)
"This is not mischief, it's a party! Please don't stop us!"

vs BatBite

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Inspired by Spectacular Tactics - Modal spell where one of the modes is "Destroy target creature with power X or greater."

Revolving Tombs {W/B}
Sorcery (U)
As an additional cost to cast this spell, pay X. X can't be 2 or less. (It must be 3 or greater.)
Choose one —
• Return target creature card with power X or less from your graveyard to the battlefield.
• Destroy target creature with power X or greater.
"To a necromancer, a tomb is nothing more than a door, one through which people can enter or leave."
—Lestin, necromancer

Design and rules notes

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The first version of this card, the one I had in mind when I chose this challenge, was the following:

? X{W/B}
Sorcery (U)
Choose one —
• Return target creature card with power X or less from your graveyard to the battlefield.
• Destroy target creature with power X or greater.

Reanimate small creatures or kill big creatures, with the same power threshold. I thought this was it, and that it was very elegant. Then thinking more about it, I realized there were two problems with that design:
1. For the second mode, you would always choose X = 0 and have it turn into a sorcery speed Murder. This is when I understood the real hidden difficulty of this challenge. Congratulations, BatBite, for creating it. I totally fell into the trap you set up. Bravo! (That's both in Italian and French.)
2. What if, for some reason, you are casting this from anywhere other than your hand (most often your graveyard) and/or "without paying its mana cost"? Then the rules force you to choose X = 0, it's the only admitted value of X in those cases. This too transforms the second mode into a sorcery Murder, which wasn't at all my intention. So I just thought to say X can't be zero, like this (second version):

? X{W/B}
X can't be zero.
Sorcery (U)
Choose one —
• Return target creature card with power X or less from your graveyard to the battlefield.
• Destroy target creature with power X or greater.

What do the two problems turn into here?
1. Ok, if you can't just choose zero, then choose 1. The second mode is now a two-mana "destroy power 1 or greater". I have only excluded 0-powered creatures, which is way too few, and that mode still is almost universal.
2. The rules force X = 0 but X can't be zero, so now you can't even cast the spell in those cases.

Not a lot of progress. I started thinking more about point 1. How much mana would I need to charge? I turned to Scryfall and searched for similar cards. There are more than I expected, though it's almost always "power 4 or greater", and I've seen that base effect for two, three, and four mana. Also, in SOS there is a "power 3 or greater" for three mana. How much those options would require X to be? "power 4 or greater" requires X = 4 which is five mana. Too much, given my research. "power 3 or greater" requires X = 3 which is four mana. I've seen "power 4 or greater" for four mana, though it was the highest cost, and it looked to me there was room for improvement, so I thought whether "power 3 or greater" would have been fine at four mana. The SOS card said yes, as it was exactly that for three mana. I could see it being one more mana to account for the added flexibility of a modal spell. So X = 3 was acceptable. What about X = 2 then? You kill everything from "bears" (and also 2/1s) to Dragons and Eldrazi for just three mana, the only things you can't kill are 0- and 1-powered creatures. It looked a bit too much to me. So, X = 3 was ok but X = 2 was too much, and X = 1 would have obviously been even worse. So now I knew I wanted a threshold at X = 3. And so I just wrote it (third version):

? X{W/B}
X can't be 2 or less. (It must be 3 or greater.)
Sorcery (U)
Choose one —
• Return target creature card with power X or less from your graveyard to the battlefield.
• Destroy target creature with power X or greater.

I added reminder text for clarity. There was still the second problem though: if you're casting this from anywhere other than your hand, X is forced to be 0 but it can't, so you just can't cast it. It would sit in your graveyard and even giving it flashback wouldn't work, as if the flashback cost was equal to the mana cost, as usually effects granting flashback set, you're still casting it from your graveyard so the only legal value for X is zero, but the card says it can't be zero. The card is uncastable and stays in your graveyard. I thought to solve this problem by not letting it go into your graveyard at all, that is exiling it on resolution. You normally don't cast spells from exile. So, fourth version:

? X{W/B}
X can't be 2 or less. (It must be 3 or greater.)
Sorcery (U)
Choose one —
• Return target creature card with power X or less from your graveyard to the battlefield.
• Destroy target creature with power X or greater.
Exile this spell.

Now it's better, but it's not very elegant and the "exile this spell" part could be read as part of the second mode while it's not. I thought about moving it before the modes (fifth version):

? X{W/B}
X can't be 2 or less. (It must be 3 or greater.)
Sorcery (U)
Choose one, then exile this spell.
• Return target creature card with power X or less from your graveyard to the battlefield.
• Destroy target creature with power X or greater.

Now the problem has changed. Written like this, it doesn't work. You always follow a spell's instructions in order while resolving it, so what would happen on resolution? You choose a mode, then exile the card from the stack, and then... what? The card is no longer on the stack! I think the rest would just not resolve. I needed to come up with a different solution. That's when I thought about having X as an additional cost. Even if you're casting a spell from your graveyard, or from anywhere else, and even "without paying its mana cost", you must still pay additional costs. So, if I put X as an additional cost, there is no way for you to escape paying it, and that was exactly what I wanted, so I did it, which, after adding flavor, brought me to the final version I've submitted.

vs Rithaniel

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Time Loop - Make a non-permanent card with suspend that exiles itself with some number of time counters on it as it resolves.

Ambidexterity 3RW
Instant (U)
Put a +1/+1 counter on up to one target creature you control. That creature gains double strike until end of turn. Exile this spell with three time counters on it.
Suspend 3—1{R/W} (Rather than cast this card from your hand, you may pay 1{R/W} and exile it with three time counters on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a time counter. When the last is removed, you may cast it without paying its mana cost.)