January MCC Round 2 - Lessons well learned

[Ryder]

(This month's banner is my own elaboration on the art of the card Learn from the Past by Chase Stone.)


January MCC Round 2

Lessons well learned

2023 is gone for good. What have you learned from it?

Main Challenge - Design a DFC that is also a Lesson on the front face.

Subchallenge 1 - The card is not modal.

Subchallenge 2 - The card has the highest mana value among all entries of this round.

Clarifications

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Main challenge:
Double-faced cards
Lessons

Subchallenge #1
You card is not a MDFC.

Subchallenge #2
This is relative to other contestants' entries. If there is a tie (ex. three entries at mana value 6), each of the tied entries gets a full point.

DEADLINES

Design deadline: Saturday, January 13th 2024, 23:59 Eastern Time

Judging deadline: Tuesday, December 16th 2024, 23:59 Eastern Time


RUBRIC

MCC Rubric

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The MCC Rubric is given below, in an easily "copy and pasted" form. (Courtesy of Rithaniel.)

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Code: Select all

[b]Design[/b]
[b](X/3) Appeal[/b] - Do the different player psychographics (Timmy/Johhny/Spike) have a use for the card?
[b](X/3) Elegance[/b] - Is the card easily understandable at a glance? Do all the flavor and mechanics combined as a whole make sense?
 
[b]Development[/b]
[b](X/3) Viability[/b] - 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?
[b](X/3) Balance[/b] - 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?
 
[b]Creativity[/b]
[b](X/3) Uniqueness[/b] - 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"?
[b](X/3) Flavor[/b] - 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?
 
[b]Polish[/b]
[b](X/3) Quality[/b] - Points deducted for incorrect spelling, grammar, and templating.
[b](X/2) Main Challenge (*)[/b] - Was the main challenge satisfied? Was it approached in a unique or interesting way? Does the card fit the intent of the challenge?
[b](X/2) Subchallenges[/b] - One point awarded per satisfied subchallenge condition.
 
[b]Total: X/25[/b]
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.

PLAYERS & SCORES

@AnotherAlias 20
@Raptorchan 19
@MonoRedMage 17.5
@Subject16 16
@haywire 15.5
@Freyleyes 14.5
@Caspernicus 14
@Komandon 13

BRACKETS

Judge: Ryder
Subject16
haywire
Komandon
AnotherAlias

Judge: bravelion83
Caspernicus
Freyleyes
MonoRedMage
Raptorchan

The top 3 from each bracket advance.

[AnotherAlias]

Celestial Coaching
Sorcery — Lesson (U)
Surveil 1, then draw a card.
Descend 4 — : Put Celestial Coaching from your graveyard onto the battlefield transformed. Activate only as a sorcery and only if there are four or more permanent cards in your graveyard.

//

Stardust Summon
(White and Black) Creature — Horse Spirit (U)
Flying, vigilance
If Stardust Summon would die, put it on the bottom of its owner's library instead.
A being made of pure stardust, forged by the undeniable will of its creator.
3/2

[Caspernicus]

Archaic's Riddles
Sorcery — Lesson (M)
Each player surveils 2, then draws a card. You may cast a noncreature spell from your graveyard with mana value 3 or less without paying its mana cost. If a spell cast this way would leave the battlefield, exile it instead.
: Return Archaic's Riddles from your graveyard to the battlefield transformed under your control with a finality counter on it. Activate only as a sorcery.
///
Bestower of Lost Wisdom (colorless)
Creature — Avatar
When Bestower of Lost Wisdom enters the battlefield, draw three cards.
You may cast spells from your graveyard. If a spell cast this way would leave the battlefield, exile it instead.
"Held in their minds are the secrets of a thousand years. We can learn much from their teachings."
—Augusta, Dean of Lorehold
5/5

[Raptorchan]

Pull from History 1rw
Sorcery — Lesson (U)
Create a 3/2 red and white Spirit creature token.
Disturb 3rw (You may cast this card from your graveyard transformed for its disturb cost.)
Finding a wintess is a good starting point to study history.
//
Timeless Historian
●● Creature — Spirit
Timeless Historian enters the battlefield with a finality counter in it. (If a creature with a finality counter on it would die, exile it instead.)
Whenever Timeless Historian or another Spirit enters the battlefield under your control, learn. (You may reveal a Lesson card you own from outside the game and put it into your hand, or discard a card to draw a card.)
4/4

[Freyleyes]

Demonic Scriptures 3BBB
Sorcery — Lesson {M}
Convoke (Your creatures can help cast this spell. Each creature you tap while casting this spell pays for 1 or one mana of that creature's color.)
Destroy all creatures. Then if at least six creatures were destroyed this way, exile Demonic Scriptures, then return it to the battlefield transformed under your control.
///
Zan'Xaja
● Legendary Creature — Demon {M}
Flying, first strike, trample, protection from Angels and Eldrazi
Sacrifice six other creatures: Each opponent loses 6 life and you gain 6 life. Activate only once each turn.
"It was bold of you to summon me, I am not your servant and you are not my equal. But I will reward your efforts."
6/6

[Subject16]

Group Project 4
Sorcery — Lesson (M)
Creatures you control get +X/+X until end of turn, where X is the number of colors among permanents you control.
At the beginning of your end step, if you control a permanent of each color, you may put Group Project onto the battlefield transformed.
///
Everlasting Friendship
Legendary Enchantment
Creatures you control have vigilance if you control a white permanent, ward 1 if you control a blue permanent, menace if you control a black permanent, haste if you control a red permanent, and trample if you control a green permanent.
WUBRG Creatures you control get +X/+X until end of turn, where X is the number of colors among permanents you control.

[Komandon]

Advanced Stitchery 2UB
Sorcery — Lesson (Rare)
Mill three cards. Exile any number of creature cards from your graveyard.
Create a X/X blue and black Zombie token creature, where X equal to the number of cards exiled in this way.
1UB: Exile Advanced Stitchery from your graveyard. Return it to the battlefield under your control transformed. Activate this ability only as a sorcery and only if three or more creature cards were put into your graveyard from anywhere this turn.
///
Havengul Laboratory
Legendary Land
T, Mill a card: Add U or B. If the milled card was a creature, create a tapped 2/2 black Zombie token creature.
"Though Geralf always feuding with his sister, Gisa, she knows she is always welcome back to his laboratory if ever she is in need." — Ludevic

[MonoRedMage]

Forked Lightning Seminar 6R
Sorcery - Lesson {U}
When you put this card into your hand with a learn ability, you may pay UR. When you do, Forked Lightning Seminar deals 1 damage to any target, then draw a card, then discard a card.
Forked Lightning Seminar deals 4 damage to each of two targets.
//
Splitting Rivers Discussion 5U
Sorcery - Lesson {U}
Look at the top four cards of your library. Put two of them into your hand and exile the rest. When you do, up to one target permanent becomes a copy of a permanent card exiled this way until end of turn.

[haywire]

Lightbulb Moment 6UU
Sorcery — Lesson {M}
Draw seven cards. Until the end of your next turn, you may cast Lesson spells and spells with learn without paying their mana costs.
When you reveal this card from outside the game due to a learn ability, you may put it onto the battlefield transformed.
"I finally get it!"
//
Remedial Classes
Enchantment (blue color indicator)
Spells you cast cost 1 more to cast.
Whenever you learn, put a study counter on Remedial Classes, scry 1, then draw a card. Then, if there are three or more study counters on Remedial Classes, you may pay U. If you do, exile Remedial Classes, then cast it. (You cast its front face this way.)
"I'm never gonna figure this out!"

[Ryder]

The round is closed

AnotherAlias

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Celestial Coaching
Sorcery — Lesson (U)
Surveil 1, then draw a card.
Descend 4 — : Put Celestial Coaching from your graveyard onto the battlefield transformed. Activate only as a sorcery and only if there are four or more permanent cards in your graveyard.

//

Stardust Summon
(White and Black) Creature — Horse Spirit (U)
Flying, vigilance
If Stardust Summon would die, put it on the bottom of its owner's library instead.
A being made of pure stardust, forged by the undeniable will of its creator.
3/2

Design
(1/3) Appeal - Spike loves an off-color Consider with a big upside. Not splashy enough for Timmy and no combo potential for Johnny.
(2/3) Elegance - Surveil reminder text is missing (-1). Other than this, clear and understandable.

Development
(1/3) Viability - Consider is blue. Card draw and surveil are blue and black. White does not get to surveil or draw (-2).
(2/3) Balance - Sorcery speed Consider that also likely gets you something between Abbey Griffin and Ghostly Sentinel for 3? That's too much (-1).

Creativity
(2/3) Uniqueness - Putting the Spirit on the bottom instead of exile is a decent twist to the usual "can't do this again" mechanic.
(2/3) Flavor - Stardust Summon doesn't feel Black at all (-1). Other than this, I'd say it's alright.

Polish
(3/3) Quality - No problems here.
(1/2) Main Challenge - Met.
(1/2) Subchallenges - It's not a MDFC.

Total: 15/25

Komandon

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Advanced Stitchery 2UB
Sorcery — Lesson (Rare)
Mill three cards. Exile any number of creature cards from your graveyard.
Create a X/X blue and black Zombie token creature, where X equal to the number of cards exiled in this way.
1UB: Exile Advanced Stitchery from your graveyard. Return it to the battlefield under your control transformed. Activate this ability only as a sorcery and only if three or more creature cards were put into your graveyard from anywhere this turn.
///
Havengul Laboratory
Legendary Land
T, Mill a card: Add U or B. If the milled card was a creature, create a tapped 2/2 black Zombie token creature.
"Though Geralf always feuding with his sister, Gisa, she knows she is always welcome back to his laboratory if ever she is in need." — Ludevic

Design
(2/3) Appeal - Timmy would love to stich up a big Zombie. Johnny would love to Fling it. Spike has better things to do with 4 mana.
(3/3) Elegance - Clear and understandable.

Development
(3/3) Viability - This is perfect in Blue/Black and Rare is appropriate.
(3/3) Balance - Really well balanced as a whole. Legendary was a good choice for the land. Overall compares well to Corpseweft.

Creativity
(2/3) Uniqueness - A good combination of known effects.
(2.5/3) Flavor - I love it, the only thing slightly lacking here is the name of the land, could be more specific for a legendary.

Polish
(2.5/3) Quality - What you have functions, but should have used Startled Awake's wording anyway (-0.5).
(1/2) Main Challenge - Met.
(1/2) Subchallenges - It's not a MDFC.

Total: 20/25

Subject16

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Group Project 4
Sorcery — Lesson (M)
Creatures you control get +X/+X until end of turn, where X is the number of colors among permanents you control.
At the beginning of your end step, if you control a permanent of each color, you may put Group Project onto the battlefield transformed.
///
Everlasting Friendship
Legendary Enchantment
Creatures you control have vigilance if you control a white permanent, ward 1 if you control a blue permanent, menace if you control a black permanent, haste if you control a red permanent, and trample if you control a green permanent.
WUBRG Creatures you control get +X/+X until end of turn, where X is the number of colors among permanents you control.

Design
(2/3) Appeal - Timmy dreams of giving all of his creatures superpowers. Johnny wants to cheat it in and play a WUBRG ability ball of doom. Spike isn't convinced.
(1/3) Elegance - It's unclear where you may put it transformed from (-1.5). It may be unclear what "each color" means here. In all existing cards featuring this wording, it's obvious what the phrase means, because it interacts with what's there. Here you require the player to know what's not there - "If my deck is two colors, do I have each color now?" "So are there are five or six colors?". Mythics get away with weird stuff because they can rely on lower rarity cards to explain their concepts. This is a bit beginner-unfriendly (-0.5).

Development
(2.5/3) Viability - It's a color pie bend, giving Blue/Black a team-wide +2/+2 (-0.5). Other than this, looks good.
(2.5/3) Balance - A Mythic Glorious Charge for 4 in two-color deck and absolute bananas in 5C? Probably fine, but extremely hard to predict honestly.

Creativity
(3/3) Uniqueness - That's a healthy dose of uniqueness with this pseudo-domain madness. Good job here.
(2/3) Flavor - The two parts feel a bit disconnected. You will usually get the Friendship a good while after the Group Project is finished.

Polish
(2.5/3) Quality - The enchantment's activated ability is missing a colon.
(1/2) Main Challenge - Met
(1/2) Subchallenges - It's not a MDFC.

Total: 17.5/25

haywire

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Lightbulb Moment 6UU
Sorcery — Lesson {M}
Draw seven cards. Until the end of your next turn, you may cast Lesson spells and spells with learn without paying their mana costs.
When you reveal this card from outside the game due to a learn ability, you may put it onto the battlefield transformed.
"I finally get it!"
//
Remedial Classes
Enchantment (blue color indicator)
Spells you cast cost 1 more to cast.
Whenever you learn, put a study counter on Remedial Classes, scry 1, then draw a card. Then, if there are three or more study counters on Remedial Classes, you may pay U. If you do, exile Remedial Classes, then cast it. (You cast its front face this way.)
"I'm never gonna figure this out!"

Design
(2/3) Appeal - Timmy enjoys lots of cards and free spells. Johnny wants to cheat through the Classes. Spike... is Spike.
(1/3) Elegance - Remedial Classes tries to break the record for an ability with the highest number of chained effects. Then and then and then! (-1).

Development
(3/3) Viability - It's very Blue and very Mythic. No issues here.
(3/3) Balance - Fine, if somebody is willing to study so hard, they deserve the reward.

Creativity
(3/3) Uniqueness - Can't deny your creativity with this one. Making your own spells cost more is great here.
(2/3) Flavor - Lightbulb Moment doesn't feel like a Lesson (-1). Remedial Classes oozes flavor though!

Polish
(1.5/3) Quality - You should have used Unpredictable Cyclone's wording for that "other face on learn" effect (-1). As-is, it seems like it's missing 'instead' at the end (-0.5).
(1/2) Main Challenge - Met.
(1.5/2) Subchallenges - Highest mana value of all entries. Technically not a MDFC, but you're just emulating it with the option to get the other face during learn.

Total: 18/25

Results (bold advance)

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Komandon: 20
Haywire: 18
Subject16: 17.5
AnotherAlias: 15

[bravelion83]

January 14th 9 pm CEST - Judgments complete. As usual, I still have to check typos, so I apologize for any that might be hidden here.
Finishing early is good to allow one day for people who might want to reply to do so. That's another nice part of finishing judging early and most of all on time: people have the time to react before the judgments are final, which technically only happens in the moment of the judging deadline.

---

A note: none of the cards in this bracket meet Subchallenge 2 as the highest mana value is that of haywire's card (8) which is in the other bracket. The pattern of everybody going on top of each other starting at the top of the thread and going down is evident, and I'll be honest, I'm not sure how much I like it... The worries we talked about in the discussion thread have absolutely turned into reality. Well, it's inevitable that in an experimental month like this one some of the experiments don't give as good of a result as it was hoped... As a host, not of this month but of the still ongoing December MCC and already thinking about what to do for MKM (probably in March), I've definitely learned something from the outcome of the experiment that was this round's Subchallenge 2. But now back to the judgments.

Caspernicus

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Archaic's Riddles
Sorcery — Lesson (M)
Each player surveils 2, then draws a card. You may cast a noncreature spell from your graveyard with mana value 3 or less without paying its mana cost. If a spell cast this way would leave the battlefield, exile it instead.
: Return Archaic's Riddles from your graveyard to the battlefield transformed under your control with a finality counter on it. Activate only as a sorcery.
///
Bestower of Lost Wisdom (colorless)
Creature — Avatar
When Bestower of Lost Wisdom enters the battlefield, draw three cards.
You may cast spells from your graveyard. If a spell cast this way would leave the battlefield, exile it instead.
"Held in their minds are the secrets of a thousand years. We can learn much from their teachings."
—Augusta, Dean of Lorehold
5/5

Design
Appeal 2.5/3 - Except for the size of the back face, Timmy doesn't care that much. Lots of things for Johnny to do. Spike likes drawing cards and casting spells for free from her graveyard.
Elegance 2/3 - A bit wordy, especially the front face. That face is also probably more complex in actual gameplay than it looks in reading.
Development
Viability 1.5/3 - I think this card should probably be white-blue. At this rate, colorless might still be fine though, it doesn't look too efficient, and most effects can be done in colorless if the cost is high enough, like for example permanent destruction is allowed in colorless but for no less than seven mana. No problems with this being mythic. I get the design intent here, but as worded, this doesn't work in the rules. Spells exist only on the stack, they can't leave the battlefield, a zone where they can't exist in the first place. (Also see Quality).
Balance 3/3 - The costs are definitely high enough that this shouldn't be a problem in any formats, limited and constructed. This is very tempting to try in constructed: any deck can play it, and it gives you card filtering, card drawing, and free spells. I hope it's not too much at the point of being unfun to play against in casual, but I think the high costs help with this. No problems in multiplayer.
Creativity
Uniqueness 1.5/3 - Default is 1.5, and I don't see any particular reasons for bonuses or deductions, so you get the default.
Flavor 2.5/3 - It works just fine, even though to me it feels a bit too... "generic" is the wrong word, it's more like I've seen similar flavor too many times for it to fully catch my attention, maybe "overused" is a better word for what I mean. A thousand-year-old entity that holds secrets and if it ever speaks it does so in riddles reminds me of too many things at once, like Sphinxes, Eldrazi, and such.
Polish
Quality 0/3 - A functional problem in "If a spell cast this way would leave the battlefield": there are no "spells" on the battlefield, only the "permanents" that those "spells" become. There is no way for a "spell", that exists only on the stack, to leave the battlefield, a zone where it can't exist as a spell. I admit it's ugly, but the technically correct way to word this sentence would be something like "If the permanent that spell becomes would leave the battlefield" (-1 for functional mistake). Finality counters are evergreen but still very new, so I think the reminder text for them would still be needed here. (-0.5) No point for the back face to have a colorless color indicator: if you have no mana cost and no color indicator you're automatically colorless. If this were a real card, the back face would printed with no color indicator. (-0.5) Again, the same functional issue from before on the back face too, and this time the technically correct wording would be even uglier in my opinion, something like: "If a permanent spell was cast this way and the permanent that spell becomes would leave the battlefield, exile it instead." (-1 again for another instance of a functional mistake).
Main Challenge 1/2 - I'm not giving any bonuses for creativity this round as the MC is essentially yes/no: is this a DFC? Has it the Lesson subtype on its front face? If yes to both questions, it's met. Period. Here it's not about the creativity of the card itself (that's Uniqueness, no point in counting that twice), but in the approach to the MC. When the MC is binary like this one, how can you make a binary choice in a creative way? So everybody in this bracket gets this same explanation in the MC section and the same 1 point default for both letter and spirit of the challenge met just fine. I think this way of judging MC works well for more open-ended MCs like in Round 1, but not that well for more binary MCs like in this Round.
Subchallenges 1/2 - Not modal but not the highest mana value this round.
TOTAL 15/25

Freyleyes

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Demonic Scriptures 3BBB
Sorcery — Lesson {M}
Convoke (Your creatures can help cast this spell. Each creature you tap while casting this spell pays for 1 or one mana of that creature's color.)
Destroy all creatures. Then if at least six creatures were destroyed this way, exile Demonic Scriptures, then return it to the battlefield transformed under your control.
///
Zan'Xaja
● Legendary Creature — Demon {M}
Flying, first strike, trample, protection from Angels and Eldrazi
Sacrifice six other creatures: Each opponent loses 6 life and you gain 6 life. Activate only once each turn.
"It was bold of you to summon me, I am not your servant and you are not my equal. But I will reward your efforts."
6/6

Design
Appeal 2.5/3 - Timmy likes this a lot, especially the back face. Johnny could do things like generating himself six small black creature tokens somehow and then playing this for free thanks to convoke, and immediately getting to the back face. Spike always likes Wrath effects, and the back face is a very good finisher if she can manage to get it, which won't be a given to her.
Elegance 3/3 - No problems here.
Development
Viability 3/3 - No problems with the color pie, rarity, or the rules. Black is tertiary in trample, so it can have it on the back face, and we've already seen convoke in black in a core set.
Balance 3/3 - I think the costs are correct. A base Wrath effect costs between four and five mana, so adding convoke and a very powerful back face that will very probably be the only creature on the battlefield after the Wrath with all the potential to close the game all by itself is definitely worth going to six mana with a very color-intensive mana cost. Definitely playable in limited and control decks will just love this in constructed, Standard for sure but I can't exclude older formats. To me this feels like a crossing between Baneslayer Angel and Griselbrand, and that speaks a lot about this card's expected power level. We're talking seriously here. On top of this, "Each opponent loses 6 life" is very relevant in multiplayer obviously.
Creativity
Uniqueness 1.5/3 - Default is 1.5. We've already seen convoke in black, and mass destruction too. +0.5 for caring about the exact number of creatures that have been destroyed or sacrificed. -0.5 for the clear inspiration from Baneslayer Angel for the back face.
Flavor 2.5/3 - I'm not the best fan of this kind of flavor, but when it works, it works. I see only one actual weakness here (and this is the real objective reason for the -0.5 here, not my own subjective personal issues): the "Eldrazi" mention just feels wrong to me, like you just wanted to name drop them here, and I actually think it subtracts from the overall flavor of the card. If the protection were only from Angels, the mirror would have perfect, the flavor would have actually gained from that, and this would have been a 3/3 instead of a 2.5/3.
Polish
Quality 3/3 - All good.
Main Challenge 1/2 - I'm not giving any bonuses for creativity this round as the MC is essentially yes/no: is this a DFC? Has it the Lesson subtype on its front face? If yes to both questions, it's met. Period. Here it's not about the creativity of the card itself (that's Uniqueness, no point in counting that twice), but in the approach to the MC. When the MC is binary like this one, how can you make a binary choice in a creative way? So everybody in this bracket gets this same explanation in the MC section and the same 1 point default for both letter and spirit of the challenge met just fine. I think this way of judging MC works well for more open-ended MCs like in Round 1, but not that well for more binary MCs like in this Round.
Subchallenges 1/2 - Not modal but not the highest mana value this round.
TOTAL 20.5/25

MonoRedMage

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Forked Lightning Seminar 6R
Sorcery - Lesson {U}
When you put this card into your hand with a learn ability, you may pay UR. When you do, Forked Lightning Seminar deals 1 damage to any target, then draw a card, then discard a card.
Forked Lightning Seminar deals 4 damage to each of two targets.
//
Splitting Rivers Discussion 5U
Sorcery - Lesson {U}
Look at the top four cards of your library. Put two of them into your hand and exile the rest. When you do, up to one target permanent becomes a copy of a permanent card exiled this way until end of turn.

Design
Appeal 1.5/3 - Timmy doesn't really care, burn spells are nice to him but here the burn feels like a secondary aspect of the card, more of a bonus than an intended feature. Johnny, at the contrary, can do lots of things with this card. Spike likes this in a vacuum but the mana costs are just too high for her.
Elegance 1.5/3 - The text is understandable well enough, maybe just a little bit too wordy. The most disappointing thing in this area is that Forked Lightning is an already existing card, and the Seminar doesn't replicate exactly its effect. Yes, it's still 4 damage and the target can be two, but it's not the same. The name sets expectations that the effect is exactly the same, so I think you should either change the name to a different one, or change the effect to be exactly that of Forked Lightning. I'd probably do the former, keeping into account that no card named "Splitting Rivers" exists yet in real Magic, so I would want to replicate the effects of known spells either on both faces or on neither of them.
Development
Viability 2/3 - No problems with the color pie or the rules. I think this should be a rare, mainly because of complexity.
Balance 2/3 - At this high of a cost, at best this card will see limited play. For six or seven mana, in constructed it needs to be a card that can win you the game by itself, and this doesn't look like that to me. No problems in casual or multiplayer.
Creativity
Uniqueness 2.5/3 - Default is 1.5. +0.5 for the very original trigger condition. +0.5 for the creative and never-seen-before use of a reflexive trigger on the back face (see Quality). (I always write my judgments out of order, writing first the areas that are easier to me and usually leaving Balance as the final one. I also write all judgments in parallel, not as a sequence. If you're curious and you're following my time travel, I've already written for all cards in my bracket all the Polish section, then Elegance, then Flavor, and now I'm here. I still have Appeal, Viability, and Balance left, and if I go with my usual order, that will also be the order in which I'm going to write them tomorrow as I wake up, as after this I will go to bed. It's already late enough here in Italy.)
Flavor 2/3 - A seminar and a thesis discussion are perfect flavor for Lesson spells, and the Seminar interacting with the learn mechanic is a very nice touch. Too bad for the lack of flavor text. MSE shows me there is plenty of room on both faces, especially the back one.
Polish
Quality 1.5/3 - Hyphens instead of em dashes in both type lines. All your direct opponents in this bracket got it right, so I have to deduct points for that (-0.5 twice makes -1 total). I don't think "with a learn ability" would be enough as actual rules text. If it were reminder text, sure, but as rules text I'm not sure. I think it needs to be either "as the result of a resolving learn ability" or more probably "When a learn ability causes you to put this card into your hand, you may pay..." (-0.5) It's not a technical mistake, so I'm not deducting points for it here (I already did it in Viability), but I want to repeat here that I feel you might want to say "to each of up to two targets." I also want to say that I appreciate a lot the use of a reflexive trigger in the back face not because targets are required, which is the usual reason for using a reflexive trigger and I actually believe it has always been the case in real Magic, but because the effect of that reflexive trigger contains a variable that is not defined until the resolution of the original trigger (which ones among the top four are "a permanent card exiled this way"). I will prize that, or I've already prized that, in Uniqueness. You can choose which verbal tense to use, both are true. (As always, I'm writing Quality as the very first thing, so I still have to write Uniqueness as I'm writing this, but you will read it later. Time travel, I guess?)
Main Challenge 1/2 - I'm not giving any bonuses for creativity this round as the MC is essentially yes/no: is this a DFC? Has it the Lesson subtype on its front face? If yes to both questions, it's met. Period. Here it's not about the creativity of the card itself (that's Uniqueness, no point in counting that twice), but in the approach to the MC. When the MC is binary like this one, how can you make a binary choice in a creative way? So everybody in this bracket gets this same explanation in the MC section and the same 1 point default for both letter and spirit of the challenge met just fine. I think this way of judging MC works well for more open-ended MCs like in Round 1, but not that well for more binary MCs like in this Round.
Subchallenges 0/2 - This is a modal DFC and doesn't have the highest CMC of the round.
TOTAL 14/25

Raptorchan

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Pull from History 1rw
Sorcery — Lesson (U)
Create a 3/2 red and white Spirit creature token.
Disturb 3rw (You may cast this card from your graveyard transformed for its disturb cost.)
Finding a wintess is a good starting point to study history.
//
Timeless Historian
●● Creature — Spirit
Timeless Historian enters the battlefield with a finality counter in it. (If a creature with a finality counter on it would die, exile it instead.)
Whenever Timeless Historian or another Spirit enters the battlefield under your control, learn. (You may reveal a Lesson card you own from outside the game and put it into your hand, or discard a card to draw a card.)
4/4

Design
Appeal 3/3 - Timmy likes this a lot, it gives him two creatures and he likes typal decks. This looks quite good in a Spirit typal deck. Johnny can use the token in unintended ways and the learn ability to dig into his deck for combo pieces. Spike likes that the costs aren't too high and might try it in some of her decks. It's not a given she will keep it in, but she will try it.
Elegance 3/3 - No problems here.
Development
Viability 3/3 - No problems with the color pie, rarity, or the rules.
Balance 3/3 - Rate and costs look good to me, at the point of being potentially strong but not broken. They look very realistic to me. It would see play in limited for sure, in constructed if there is a Spirit typal deck viable in these colors, it might want to try this. No problems in casual or multiplayer.
Creativity
Uniqueness 2.5/3 - Default is 1.5. +0.5 for disturb, a mechanic from Innistrad, on a Lorehold card from the University of Strixhaven, plus an extra +0.5 for how natural you managed to make it feel.
Flavor 3/3 - Ignoring the obvious typo in the flavor text, which I will take care of in Quality, this is just perfect flavor. Every single detail is perfectly in flavor with known Strixhaven lore, and also the use of the disturb mechanic feels good, given the association of both it on Innistrad and the Lorehold magic on Arcavios with Spirits that makes its inclusion feel perfectly natural. How many times have I just used the word "perfect" here? Too many probably...)
Polish
Quality 2.5/3 - A typo in the front face's flavor text: "wintess" doesn't make you actually "win" points here... It should clearly be "witness". (-0.5) All the rest is good.
Main Challenge 1/2 - I'm not giving any bonuses for creativity this round as the MC is essentially yes/no: is this a DFC? Has it the Lesson subtype on its front face? If yes to both questions, it's met. Period. Here it's not about the creativity of the card itself (that's Uniqueness, no point in counting that twice), but in the approach to the MC. When the MC is binary like this one, how can you make a binary choice in a creative way? So everybody in this bracket gets this same explanation in the MC section and the same 1 point default for both letter and spirit of the challenge met just fine. I think this way of judging MC works well for more open-ended MCs like in Round 1, but not that well for more binary MCs like in this Round.
Subchallenges 1/2 - Not modal but not the highest mana value this round.
TOTAL 22/25

Results (bold advance)

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Raptorchan: 22
Freyleyes: 20.5
Caspernicus: 15
MonoRedMage: 14