September CCL Round 3: The Suspects

[Lorn Asbord Schutta]

CCL September Top 5/Round 4

"The Suspects"

Queen Marchesa and Grenzo, Dungeon Warden, by Wizards of the Coast and Kieran Yanner, Lucas Graciano, respectively.

Welcome to the Card Creation League! Everyone is free to participate in either or both of the first two rounds. Come join us!

Theme

It's Mystery Story month here at the CCL. This month we will follow characters of contestants' design through they journey to uncover some thrilling secrets.

Challenge

Design two legendary creature cards representing two main suspects of the investigation done by your character; each of them must have a different multicolor color identity and share only the color of your Clue with your legendary from round 1.

Clarifications

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• Let say that your legendary from round 1 has color identity and you have made a blue Clue in round two. Now you must design two legendary creatures, that will have blue in their color identity, but not white, and both have to be a different combination, for instance and , or maybe and .
• Remeber to add rarity.

Contestanst:
@CunningGabe

CunningGabe

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Gorlinax, Private Eye 1GUB
Legendary Creature - Beholder (M)
All-Seeing -- Whenever an opponent draws a card, you may pay 1U. If you do, Investigate.
Suspicious Gaze -- 1B, sacrifice X Clues: Target creature gets -X/-X until end of turn.
On Constant Watch -- Whenever you sacrifice a Clue, you may pay 1G. If you do, untap Gorlinax and put a +1/+1 counter on it.
3/3

Counterfeit Coin
Artifact - Treasure Clue
, Sacrifice Counterfeit Coin: Add one mana of any color.
, Sacrifice Counterfeit Coin: Draw a card.
When you sacrifice Counterfeit Coin, flip a coin. If you win the flip, return it to the battlefield under your control at the beginning of the next end step.

Scrutinize 1B
Sorcery (U)
Choose target opponent. If you control a Beholder, choose each opponent instead. Look at each chosen player's hand, then choose one --
* Choose a creature or artifact card in that player's hand. That player discards that card.
* That player loses 2 life. Investigate.
After he started his investigation, Gorlinax kept his eye on everybody - and still had some to spare.

@slimytrout

slimytrout

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Mintha, Chief of the Watch 1WU
Legendary Creature — Human Soldier (R)
Flash
When Mintha, Chief of the Watch enters the battlefield, investigate.
Whenever you sacrifice a Clue, counter target spell unless its controller pays 1.
2/3

Secret Alcove 1W
Artifact - Clue (U)
Flash
When Secret Alcove enters the battlefield, exile up to one target creature you control until Secret Alcove leaves the battlefield.
2, Sacrifice Secret Alcove: Draw a card.
Jex strained to hear the vampires' conversation over the sound of his own heartbeat pounding in his ears.

Dawn Raid 1W
Sorcery (U)
Exile target artifact, enchantment, or black permanent.
With a powerful kick, Mintha blew the door off its hinges, allowing sunlight -- and watchmen -- to stream into the vampires' hideout.

@kwanyeegor-ii

kwanyeegor-ii

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Dylzian, Idea Drinker 3BB
Legendary Creature - Nightmare Vampire (Rare)
At the beginning of each upkeep, investigate and you lose 1 life
Whenever you sacrifice a Clue, you may pay UR. If you do, tap up to one target permanent, then Dylzian deals 2 damage to any target
4/4

Etched Wyvern 3RR
Artifact Creature - Clue Drake (Uncommon)
Flying, haste
When Etched Wyvern dies, create a 2/2 blue Drake creature token with flying.
2, Sacrifice Etched Wyvern: Draw a card.
Renegade magescholars use drakes coated in symbiotic arcano-armor as messengers.
3/3

Violent Interrogation RR
Instant (Uncommon)
Choose target permanent you control. Until end of turn, that permanent gains "Whenever you sacrifice a Clue, if this permanent would deal damage to one or more permanents and/or players this turn, it deals that much damage plus 1 instead."
Investigate.
The magescholar was insulted by the mind-fiend's speech, and began to walk away. Dylzian suddenly had no other choices.

@void_nothing

void_nothing

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Varitin, the Trilling Heron 2G
Legendary Creature - Human Wizard (R)
You and legendary permanents you control have ward 1.
Whenever a legendary permanent or player becomes the target of a spell, investigate.
2W: Target Clue you control becomes a copy of target nonland permanent card in your graveyard with mana value 3 or less until end of turn. It gains haste until end of turn.
"Through me, Sigarda chronicles a better era."
2/2

Cultcarved Gravestone 1G
Artifact - Clue (R)
Spells that are cast from graveyards cost 2 less to cast and can only be cast any time their controller could cast a sorcery. (Players can't cast spells from graveyards unless another effect causes them to.)
Whenever a card leaves a player's graveyard, that player gains 1 life.
At the beginning of each player's upkeep, choose two cards in their graveyard. That player shuffles those cards into their library.
2, Sacrifice Cultcarved Gravestone: Draw a card.

Ancient Consultation 5G
Instant (R)
Choose two permanent types. Exchange up to one card in your hand of the first chosen type with one in your graveyard and up to one card in your hand of the second chosen type with one you own on the battlefield.
Flashback 5W
Varitin meditated on the glyphs, recalling similar ones he had seen in a ruin long ago.

@netn10

netn10

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Trigori and Sirislav of the Bureau WUUB
Legendary Creature - Human Vedalken Advisor (Mythic)
Hexproof
Whenever you draw a card or discard a card, investigate.
Whenever you sacrifice a clue, detain target nonland permanent.
The Azorius denies their existence and the Dimir denies their relationship so the Bureau of Interplanar Defense would solve crimes too hard to explain to the masses.
1/1

Unexplained Biomass
Creature - Clue (Rare)
At the beginning of your upkeep, if Unexplained Biomass is in your graveyard, discard two cards. Then, return Unexplained Biomass to the battlefield.
2, Sacrifice Unexplained Biomass: Draw a card.
"Tag it under 'things I never want to see again'"
"No, tag it under 'things that wants us to see them again and again.'"
- Trigori and Sirislav
1/1

The Truth Is Out There 2B
Enchantment (Mythic)
Whenever one of the following actions happens, investigate. —
Unexplained Abductions — A creature becomes exiled.
Marked Sites — A land enters the battlefield from a library.
Paranormal Activity — An noncreature permanent becomes a creature.
Make Contact — Sacrifice three Clues: If you did all of the above this turn, Create 8/12 black Alien creature token.

Your submissions are due Sunday, October 2nd, 12:00 EST.

Schedule

• Round 1 — Open to Everyone (September 1st-10th)
• Round 2 — Open to Everyone (September 10th-19th)
• Rounds 1 and 2 Critiques (Due September 22nd)
• Top 8 — Open to top 8 finishers (September 22nd–25th)
• Top 8 Critiques (Due September 28th)
  
• Top 5 — Open to top 5 finishers (September 30th–October 2nd)
• Top 5 Critiques (Due October 5th)
• Final (October, winner determined by public poll)

Please note: For this month we will continue asking first and second round contestants to evaluate seven other contestants during the critique and top 3 period, in order to increase the total number of evaluations each contestant gets.

[netn10]

The Hooded Cultist UB
Legendary Creature - Alien Cleric (Mythic)
When The Hooded Cultist enters the battlefield, sacrifice it unless you sacrifice three clues.
U, T: Draw two cards, then exile a card from your hand.
B, T: Exile target creature.
UB, T: If you have four or more cards exiled with The Hooded Cultist, you may put a card named It From Unknown Place from your hand or graveyard onto the battlefield.
1/1

It From Unknown Place 5BG
Legendary Creature - Alien (Mythic)
When It From Unknown Place enters the battlefield, if it didn't enter the battlefield by an ability of a creature named The Hooded Cultist, sacrifice it unless you sacrifice seven clues.
Flying, vigilance, trample, haste, protection from even mana value.
2U, Reveal It From Unknown Place from your hand: Put a stun counter on target permanent and tap it.
8/12

[CunningGabe]

Turako, the Extortionist 3BR
Legendary Creature - Vampire Rogue (M)
Flying
Turako gets +1/+1 for each Treasure you control.
Whenever a creature you control deals combat damage to an opponent, that player chooses one:
* That player loses 1 life and you gain 1 life.
* You create a Treasure token.
3/3

Pelya, Obsydia's Devoted 1WB
Creature - Human Cleric (R)
Whenever a creature enters the battlefield under your control, create a Treasure token. This ability triggers only once each turn.
Whenever you sacrifice a Treasure, you gain 2 life.
2/3
The dragon-god Obsydia only wants what every god and dragon wants -- complete devotion and incalculable wealth.

[kwanyeegor-ii]

Ansagor, Lightning Keeper 1RW
Legendary Creature - Human Wizard (Rare)
1RW, T: Destroy target artifact. If it's destroyed this way, you gain life equal to its mana value. If you controlled it and it's destroyed this way, put +1/+1 counters on Ansagor, Lightning Keeper equal to its mana value. If you controlled it, it was legendary, and it's destroyed this way, Ansagor deals damage equal to its mana value to each opponent.
"What does it matter if I cause destruction? Everything that survives will be what's worthy of my new knowledge."
2/2

Khabdiig the Rouser 3RG
Legendary Creature - Centaur Warrior (Rare)
Trample
As long as it's your turn, your opponents can't draw cards.
Whenever a player plays a card, Khabdiig the Rouser deals 1 damage to that player and they draw a card.
5/4

[slimytrout]

Svelja, Heartless Ringleader RWB
Legendary Creature - Vampire Rogue (M)
Double strike, deathtouch
Sacrifice a creature: Svelja, Heartless Ringleader gets +1/+0 until end of turn.
"The Font of Souls will be mine, if I have to fill the city with blood to get it."
0/4

Alvina, Life's Champion 2GW
Legendary Creature - Human Druid (R)
Vigilance, protection from black
Whenever Alvina, Life's Champion or another nonblack creature enters the battlefield under your control, you gain life equal to that creature's toughness.
"A dusty vault is no place for the Font of Souls -- it belongs to all living things."
3/5

[void_nothing]

Rutstein, the Tight-Lipped 2BG
Legendary Creature - Human Peasant (R)
T: Choose any number of card types, then mill three cards. If you chose artifact and an artifact card was milled this way, create a 2/2 green Wolf creature token. The same is true for creature and 1/1 black Vampire with lifelink, enchantment and 1/1 white Spirit with flying, land and Treasure, instant and Clue, sorcery and 3/2 blue Zombie Horror with defender. planeswalker and 1/1 red Devil with "When this creature dies, it deals 1 damage to any target", and tribal and token that's a copy of a token you control. Then you lose 1 life for each chosen type not among the cards milled this way.
2/4

The Shurmarik Transnormality 2GUR
Legendary Creature - Devil Illusion (M)
First strike, ward 3
Whenever The Shurmarik Transnormality deals combat damage to a player, create a number of Clue tokens equal to its power.
You may sacrifice two artifacts rather than pay the activation cost of the first ability of a creature you activate each turn.
You may sacrifice four artifacts rather than pay the mana cost of the first spell you cast each turn.
"Let me introduce myself. At this point, mortals typically scream 'Aaaah, I'm hallucinating!'"
3/3

[void_nothing]

With everyone now entered, can we critique?

[Lorn Asbord Schutta]

With everyone now entered, can we critique?

Yes, of course.
The round is closed, please critique and make a top 3.
The critique period will end at 5th October, Wednesday, 12:00 EST and the two topmost contestants in terms of score will advance.

[void_nothing]

Critiques

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netn10 - These don't seem to fit the challenge in terms of color identity; both of them should have been black but not white or blue. I'm not a big fan of the "pay for with Clues" thing - it seems a bit parasitic. It's fitting with your past cards, however. The Hooded Cultist's "charge up to get out It From Unknown Place" is actually a pretty interesting Spirit of the Night type of variant, and It itself is a satisfying enough beater.

CunningGabe - Turako does feel like a blackmailer in terms of his saboteur effect - nice job on the flavor. Pelya feels... hm, like black isn't necessarily the right second color for it mechanically. Seems sort of like a RW card? You needed to keep the black in the color identity of course, and I'm not sure if Obsydia is an actual god from a D&D setting offhand.

kwanyeegor-ii - Ansagor is actually doing a couple of different things - it's effectively both an artifact destroyer and something that sacrifices artifacts. I like the lenticularity of it all and Jxnny would have an interesting time making a legendary artifacts tribal deck. (Using stuff like Helvault?) Khabdiig is... hard to evaluate. Recycle is a genuinely crazy effect if it doesn't have restrictions but it IS symmetrical and I like the internal synergies a lot, and it's something a bit different for RG. Would definitely close out games quickly!

slimytrout - I really like both of these cards: Svelja looks like potentially THE ultimate Aristocrats commander and Alvina - while maybe a bit more bland - is just a plain strong legend that Txmmy and Spike would both like.

Top 3

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1. slimytrout
2. kwanyeegor-ii
3. CunningGabe

[kwanyeegor-ii]

For now just top 3

1 slimytrout
2 voidnothing
3 cunninggabe

[CunningGabe]

Critiques

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netn10: As void_nothing pointed out, these don't quite fit the prompt, so I can't T3 you. These are both cool but tough to evaluate. The Hooded Cultist looks kind of crazy - repeatable creature exile! - but it does require the player to jump through hoops, and it dies to everything. Your cards all together fit very nicely in a single deck, and I guess in that deck, you keep some countermagic handy when you play The Hooded Cultist. Very innovative design, and would be interesting to try out.

kwanyeegor-ii: I love the escalation of Ansagor's ability! Khabdiig is also cool, providing a symmetric effect but providing a way to break that symmetry, all while hosing blue.

slimytrout: Svelja is a very clean design and a great mythic. Alvina is less exciting - we've more or less seen the ability before (Trostani, Selesnya's Voice) though you've given it a bit of extra flavor.

void_nothing: Rutstein is an interesting mechanic. Some of the card types and rewards seem a little funny to me - why do you get a wolf for milling an artifact? All in all, this is a neat guessing game (and a great reward for scrying!) The Shurmarik Transnormality is awesome - a great name, and a fun way to cheat some mana.

Top 3

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This is very close; it's hard for me to pick my favorites!

1. void_nothing
2. slimytrout
3. kwanyeegor-ii

[Lorn Asbord Schutta]

Less then a day left for critiques and top 3!

[slimytrout]

netn10

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I don't really love the fact that neither of these can really be played except in an investigate deck. Also man is the cultist swingy in that it either dies to Gut Shot or starts picking off creatures. Also weird that you can play "It from..." as your commander but then you just have to rely on drawing the cultist naturally.

CunningGabe

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Turako is very fun -- I like it a lot. I'm going to (safely) assume the lack of legendary on Pelya was just a typo, but it's still a bit generic -- not sure if the flavor really comes through.

kwanyeegor-ii

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Ansagor looks fun but man does it take a lot of words to spell out that ability. I really wish Khabdiig said "whenever a player casts a spell" to avoid lands, and also that it was black so that it wasn't a bit of a color pie violation.

void_nothing

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Once I got it Old Rutstein seemed extremely fun, but that's a lot of text. My biggest concern about the Shurmarik Transnormality is that "activation cost" presumably includes tapping, but at least there are some guardrails built in.

T3

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Ditto for what @CunningGabe said.
1. CunningGabe
2. void_nothing
3. kwanyeegor-ii

[Lorn Asbord Schutta]

The round is closed!
The competition was fierce, but in the end the final contestants are
slimytrout
void_nothing

Thanks to all for participation.
Final round will come in shortly.