NEXUS FLAMINGO ☆ Exclusively For Custom Card Connoisseurs and Gnomes

[Phyrexian Editor]

Presence of Valki 2ub
Enchantment {R}
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.)
Backup 2 (When this enters the battlefield, put two +1/+1 counters on target creature. It gains the following ability until end of turn.)
3: This permanent becomes a copy of target creature until end of turn. Activate only as a sorcery.
A gloom descends. The momentary glitter of eyes in the darkness. The sound of a malicious laugh, carried in on the wind.

IIW: An expensive sorcery

[OneAndOnly]

Sewer-Stream Gator -- 1BB
Creature - Alligator
Backup 1
Morbid - This permanent is a Swamp unless a creature died this turn. (It loses all other card types.)
2/2
.
If I Win: Common housepets

[Sporegorger_Dragon]

Propagator Plasmoid
2{U}{G}{G}
Creature - Shapeshifter Ooze (R)
Backup 1, backup 1
Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, creature a token that's a copy of this creature.
3/3


Thermodynamic Weird
1{U}{R}
Creature - Weird (U)
Backup 1
Whenever this creature attacks, switch its power and toughness until end of turn.
1/3


IIW: Attempts by the Golgari to rehabilitate their image

[void_nothing]

Ingenious Scaleblade
2{R}{R}
Creature - Viashino Warrior (U)
Backup 1
Haste
Mentor
3/1
Viashino warriors learned new battle tactics from others right in the midst of aiding them.


Colossaraptor
5{G}{G}
Creature - Dinosaur (U)
Backup 2, backup 2
Trample
4/3
Hope that it decides it's on your side.


Sporecanopy Mycoderm
4{G}
Creature - Fungus Druid (C)
Backup 1, backup 1
When this creature dies, create a 1/1 green Saproling creature token for each counter on it.
2/4
It grants a disgusting and itchy boon, but a boon nonetheless.


IIW: Attempts by the Golgari to rehabilitate their image

Nice flavor texts all around, first of all. Ingenious Scaleblade is clever in that it can itself get mentored thanks to its backup ability but man that's a lot of counters getting thrown around. Colossaraptor is a really nice Limited piece but man that's a lot of counters getting thrown around. Sporecanopy Mycoderm looks like fun for a Ghave, Guru of Spores or Xavier Sal, Infested Captain deck but man that's a lot of - I'm sensing a theme here.

James Buchanan Barnes 2WB
Legendary Creature - Human Soldier
Backup 1
Skulk
Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, that player discards a card. If that card was a land card, you draw a card.
When this creature dies, create a 6/6 white and black human soldier creature token named "Winter Soldier".
2/2

IIW: Mechanics you'd like to see show up in future sets that we know about.

Backup is flavorful for Bucky. So are the "sneaky" abilities. But the fact that anybody can generate a Winter Soldier token in theory thanks to the backup and the fact that there can be multiple running around? A little odd. Still, this would be a great early idea for that Marvel UB set for next year!

Paladin of the Sky Legion
Creature - Human Knight (U)
Backup 1, Backup 1
Flying, Haste
Whenever Paladin of the Sky Legion attacks, create a 1/1 white Soldier creature token that's tapped and attacking.
2/2

IIW: Boros Legion Cards

I'm legitimately unsure how comfortable I am with this card in Limited at uncommon. Even with both backup abilities targeting itself, it's a 4/4 hasty flyer that generates attacking tokens every turn - by every measure a total bomb. If you can back up multiple creatures it might be a total blowout for five mana.

Presence of Valki 2ub
Enchantment {R}
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.)
Backup 2 (When this enters the battlefield, put two +1/+1 counters on target creature. It gains the following ability until end of turn.)
3: This permanent becomes a copy of target creature until end of turn. Activate only as a sorcery.
A gloom descends. The momentary glitter of eyes in the darkness. The sound of a malicious laugh, carried in on the wind.

IIW: An expensive sorcery

Good heavens the FLAVOR on this card! I have a big soft spot for Kaldheim and this hits it, and I love the mechanical aspects of the card as well. My one quibble is it doesn't feel all that black in mechanical terms, but hey, it's Valki flavored, and I assume he's black-aligned with a blue tinge when it's the real him and not Tibalt in disguise.

Sewer-Stream Gator -- 1BB
Creature - Alligator
Backup 1
Morbid - This permanent is a Swamp unless a creature died this turn. (It loses all other card types.)
2/2
.
If I Win: Common housepets

This would be a super clever way to save creatures from removal if it had flash - alas it does not. At sorcery speed, I'm kind of not sure what the point of this backup ability is? In fact, it feels more like a drawback than an advantage.

Propagator Plasmoid
2{U}{G}{G}
Creature - Shapeshifter Ooze (R)
Backup 1, backup 1
Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, creature a token that's a copy of this creature.
3/3


Thermodynamic Weird
1{U}{R}
Creature - Weird (U)
Backup 1
Whenever this creature attacks, switch its power and toughness until end of turn.
1/3


IIW: Attempts by the Golgari to rehabilitate their image

Propagator Plasmoid is a very current-GU design, not that that's a bad thing, and I appreciate how much it makes my Jxnny senses tingle (and scream GIVE IT DOUBLE STRIKE). Thermodynamic Weird is at least neat but would require a UR Limited archetype that was both high-toughness themed and possibly backup themed, and... yeah, I'd like that but it's quite niche.

HM: Sporegorger_Dragon for all that stuff
Winner: @Phyrexian Editor
Next: An expensive sorcery

[Sporegorger_Dragon]

Yeah I saw Phyrexian Editor's entry and already knew the winner was decided.

Great flavor text too!

[chetoos]

Cratermaking stampede 5GGG
Sorcery
Creatures you control get +x/+x and gain haste and trample until end of turn, where X is the number of creatures you control.

Financial Rebirth 2WB
Sorcery
As an additional cost to cast this spell, sacrifice at least one treasure.
Return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield. Then return up to an additional X creature cards from your graveyard to the battlefield, where X is half the number of treasures you sacrificed to cast this spell after the first one, rounded down.
IE: 1 treasure, 1 reanimate. 3 treasures, 2 reanimate, etc.
(If anyone has an idea of how to template this, I'm all ears.)

IIW: Mechanics you want to see in upcoming sets

[OneAndOnly]

Psychic Infiltration -- 5UUUU
Sorcery {R}
Take an extra turn after this one. During that turn, you control each of your opponents.

Next: Whatever negative mana would be

[Phyrexian Editor]

Yeah I saw Phyrexian Editor's entry and already knew the winner was decided.

Great flavor text too!

Thank you! I really enjoy writing flavor text.

[spacemonaut]

Ransack the Archives 8RRRR
Sorcery (M)
Shuffle your library, then exile the top half. Until end of turn, you may cast spells from among the exiled cards without paying their mana costs.
Exile Ransack the Archives.


IIW: Minotaurs

[void_nothing]

Imperial Generosity 5WWW
Sorcery (R)
Each player draws four cards, then you may put any number of artifact and/or enchantment cards from your hand onto the battlefield. You gain life equal to the total mana value of cards put onto the battlefield this way.

IIW: Renown

[Phyrexian Editor]

Thanks @void_nothing for the win and the kind words.

Cratermaking stampede 5GGG
Sorcery
Creatures you control get +x/+x and gain haste and trample until end of turn, where X is the number of creatures you control.

This is way overcosted when you contrast it with Overrun and Overwhelming Stampede. It does help you break through when you've assembled a team, but otherwise does nothing. Another mode (or at least cycling) would have helped.

Financial Rebirth 2WB
Sorcery
As an additional cost to cast this spell, sacrifice at least one treasure.
Return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield. Then return up to an additional X creature cards from your graveyard to the battlefield, where X is half the number of treasures you sacrificed to cast this spell after the first one, rounded down.
IE: 1 treasure, 1 reanimate. 3 treasures, 2 reanimate, etc.
(If anyone has an idea of how to template this, I'm all ears.)

IIW: Mechanics you want to see in upcoming sets

Because the first line is written as "an additional cost," you're sacrificing the treasure in addition to paying 2WB, so the spell has a practical mana value of 5. It also makes the phrase "treasures you sacrificed to cast this spell" a bit ambiguous, because the first question players will ask is, "Are you counting the additional treasures I'm sacrificing (not for mana) as part of line 1, or any treasures I sacrificed for mana to pay for 2WB?"

I think the cleanest way to express the mechanic would be:

Financial Rebirth 2WB
Sorcery
You must sacrifice at least one treasure to pay this spell's mana cost. As an additional cost to cast this spell, you may sacrifice any number of treasures.
Return up to X target creature cards from your graveyard to the battlefield, where X is one plus half the number of treasures you sacrificed to pay this spell's mana cost or additional cost after the first one, rounded down.

May I suggest:

Financial Rebirth 2WB
Sorcery
You must sacrifice at least one treasure to pay for this spell's mana cost.
Return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield.
Replicate—Sacrifice two additional treasures. (When you cast this spell, copy it for each time you paid its replicate cost. You may choose new targets for the copies.)

This doesn't quite do what your original spell does, because you can't get two creatures back by paying for three of the four mana with treasures (and it's insulated from countering due to replicate).

Wait, final answer:

Financial Rebirth 2WB
Sorcery
You must sacrifice at least one treasure to pay for this spell's mana cost.
Multikicker—Sacrifice two additional treasures.
Return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield, then return another target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield for each time this spell was kicked.

There we go.

EDIT: I lied, one more variation—treasures make any color of mana so the WB isn't much of a restriction anyway. You could go real weird with this if you wanted to.

Offering to the Eternities XX
Sorcery
Spend only mana produced by sacrificing treasures to cast this spell.
Return up to X target creature cards from your graveyard to the battlefield.

Psychic Infiltration -- 5UUUU
Sorcery {R}
Take an extra turn after this one. During that turn, you control each of your opponents.

Next: Whatever negative mana would be

This is powerful, but I think people are going to misread it and then be disappointed that all they get to cast out of their opponents' hands are instants and flash spells. For 5UUUU, I think you can just go whole hog and make it: "Each player takes an extra turn after this one. You control those players during those turns." For this much mana just go ahead and get yourself permabanned from the Commander table.

Ransack the Archives 4RRR
Sorcery (M)
Shuffle your library, then exile the top half. Until end of turn, you may play lands from the among the exiled cards, and you may cast spells from among the exiled cards without paying their mana costs.
Exile Ransack the Archives.


IIW: Minotaurs

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the "without paying their mana costs" is breaking new ground for red? I am a big fan of stuff like Warp World but this is definitely less chaotic and more just "I win now." Which, I realize that by asking for expensive sorceries, that's kind of exactly what I ordered.

Imperial Generosity 5WWW
Sorcery (R)
Each player draws four cards, then you may put any number of artifact and/or enchantment cards from your hand onto the battlefield. You gain life equal to the total mana value of cards put onto the battlefield this way.

IIW: Renown

Oooh hoo hoo hoo. White mana is so generous! Everybody gets some cards. Let me just get my Sheoldred in play first… and don't mind the Blightsteel Colossus and Eldrazi Conscription suddenly staring you down... This is fun.

Winner: void_nothing

Next: Renown

[OneAndOnly]

Vengeant Bladekeep -- 1WB
Creature - Human Assassin {U}
Renown 1 (When this creature deals combat damage to a player, if it isn't renowned, put a +1/+1 counter on it and it becomes renowned.)
Whenever Vengeant Bladekeep attacks the player that made it renowned, or a battle or planeswalker controlled by that player, it can't be blocked until the end of turn.
3/1

Next: Things that circumvent infinite loops

[chetoos]

Fun fact for my design there: saccing treasure for the mana cost wouldn't contribute to returning creatures, mtg templating is very precise. I did figure out how to template it properly though:
Additional cost: 1 treasure
Strive: 2 treasure
Return any number ...

The effective mana value of 5 is because wotc doesn't print reanimates below 5 mv anymore

[chetoos]

Exalted Bard 2gw
Creature - human bard
Exalted.
Whenever another creature you control attacks alone, if it doesn't have renown, it gains renown 0.
If a creature you control would become renowned, it gains an additional +1/+1 counter.
Whenever a renowned creature you control attacks, create a treasure token.
"Hear the tales of the magnificent and brave Syr Robin!"
2/4

Iiw: mechanics you want to see in upcoming sets

[Phyrexian Editor]

Fun fact for my design there: saccing treasure for the mana cost wouldn't contribute to returning creatures, mtg templating is very precise. I did figure out how to template it properly though:
Additional cost: 1 treasure
Strive: 2 treasure
Return any number ...

The effective mana value of 5 is because wotc doesn't print reanimates below 5 mv anymore

This part of the original template:

treasures you sacrificed to cast this spell

definitely includes treasures you sacrificed to pay the mana cost. Totally forgot about strive tbh.

[chetoos]

Fun fact for my design there: saccing treasure for the mana cost wouldn't contribute to returning creatures, mtg templating is very precise. I did figure out how to template it properly though:
Additional cost: 1 treasure
Strive: 2 treasure
Return any number ...

The effective mana value of 5 is because wotc doesn't print reanimates below 5 mv anymore

This part of the original template:

treasures you sacrificed to cast this spell

definitely includes treasures you sacrificed to pay the mana cost. Totally forgot about strive tbh.

I'm pretty sure that saccing treasures to pay for mana cost wouldn't count toward that total, but my intention was that it wouldn't. As in, that would count as "mana generated by a treasure", not treasures sacrificed to cast a spell. I'm not a judge, so I'm willing to accept the L on that, but the intent was that it only counted treasures sacrificed for the additional cost. Strive does totally work for how I want it to work, though.

It's like how if you sacrificed an eldrazi scion to pay for corpse cobble, it wouldn't add 1 to the X.

[Sporegorger_Dragon]

Rakdos Initiate
{B}{R}
Creature - Human Warrior (U)
Menace
Renown 2
1/1
There is fierce competition among newbies eager to impress.


Novice Thief
{U}{B}
Creature - Human Rogue (U)
Renown 1
When Novice Thief becomes renowned, draw a card and create a Treasure token.
2/1
One successful heist usually marks one's path indelibly...and one's reputation.


Fluttering Prankster
2{U}
Creature - Faerie Rogue (U)
Flying
Renown 1
As long as Fluttering Prankster is renowned, it has "{U}, T: Tap or untap another target nonland permanent."
1/2
If you're lucky, a fairy's rite of passage will only involve a tweak of the nose or a poke in the eye.


Wavesurfer
2{U}
Creature - Merfolk (C)
Renown 1
Whenever a creature you control becomes renowned, untap that creature.
2/1
Young merfolk compete to see who can surf the longest.


Scourge of the Realm
5{R}{R}{R}
Creature - Dragon (R)
Flying
Renown 3
When Scourge of the Realm becomes renowned, it deals 5 damage divided as you choose among any number of targets.
5/5


IIW: Attempts by the Golgari to rehabilitate their image

[void_nothing]

Vengeant Bladekeep -- 1WB
Creature - Human Assassin {U}
Renown 1 (When this creature deals combat damage to a player, if it isn't renowned, put a +1/+1 counter on it and it becomes renowned.)
Whenever Vengeant Bladekeep attacks the player that made it renowned, or a battle or planeswalker controlled by that player, it can't be blocked until the end of turn.
3/1

Next: Things that circumvent infinite loops

So I understand what "the player that made it renowned" is supposed to mean and I think the design space is pretty good for multiplayer, but that's an odd way of wording this card. Other odd things: "Bladekeep" being the name of a type of person/profession (rather than "Bladekeeper" or similar), and this card being white - black makes sense, but it seems like the only white thing about this card is that white has gotten the most renown cards, and that does not make the mechanic exclusive to white.

Exalted Bard 2gw
Creature - human bard
Exalted.
Whenever another creature you control attacks alone, if it doesn't have renown, it gains renown 0.
If a creature you control would become renowned, it gains an additional +1/+1 counter.
Whenever a renowned creature you control attacks, create a treasure token.
"Hear the tales of the magnificent and brave Syr Robin!"
2/4

Iiw: mechanics you want to see in upcoming sets

Renown 0 just looks - very odd. I know it's almost meant to, and I know you are in fact referencing something very silly in the flavor text, but I don't think you're going to break anything by giving lone-attackers renown 1 and keeping the renown-boost replacement effect; if a creature can attack alone and hit face, it can get two +1/+1 counters as a one-off. I like the whole idea of a renown lord though, I just might change the costs and stats around a bit!

Rakdos Initiate
{B}{R}
Creature - Human Warrior (U)
Menace
Renown 2
1/1
There is fierce competition among newbies eager to impress.


Novice Thief
{U}{B}
Creature - Human Rogue (U)
Renown 1
When Novice Thief becomes renowned, draw a card and create a Treasure token.
2/1
One successful heist usually marks one's path indelibly...and one's reputation.


Fluttering Prankster
2{U}
Creature - Faerie Rogue (U)
Flying
Renown 1
As long as Fluttering Prankster is renowned, it has "{U}, T: Tap or untap another target nonland permanent."
1/2
If you're lucky, a fairy's rite of passage will only involve a tweak of the nose or a poke in the eye.


Wavesurfer
2{U}
Creature - Merfolk (C)
Renown 1
Whenever a creature you control becomes renowned, untap that creature.
2/1
Young merfolk compete to see who can surf the longest.


Scourge of the Realm
5{R}{R}{R}
Creature - Dragon (R)
Flying
Renown 3
When Scourge of the Realm becomes renowned, it deals 5 damage divided as you choose among any number of targets.
5/5


IIW: Attempts by the Golgari to rehabilitate their image

A lot of stuff here as usual and it's all pretty sensible and good. Nothing as innovative as the other two entries but I like all of it. Rakdos Initiate is just a really nice Limited beater - I thought this was just Goblin Glory Chaser for B more and 1 higher renown, but actually, having menace natively really changes the play pattern. Novice Thief is just neat - a become-renowned trigger that's always going to be useful and a decent body. Fluttering Prankster is my least favorite of these, I think - granting a tap ability to your now bigger creature is pulling the play patttern in two different directions, and while that's not always a bad thing I don't think this is a compelling enough card to justify the tension in general. Wavesurfer is fine, decent for a renown archetype in some Draft environment... Scourge of the Realms screams core set rare and that's actually a very good thing.

Winner: @Sporegorger_Dragon
Next: Attempts by the Golgari to rehabilitate their image

[Sporegorger_Dragon]

Fluttering Prankster is my least favorite of these, I think - granting a tap ability to your now bigger creature is pulling the play patttern in two different directions, and while that's not always a bad thing I don't think this is a compelling enough card to justify the tension in general.

My thought process regarding the Prankster was you'd swing/block with it until it became outclassed by another creature on the battlefield, then you assign it to Puppeteer duty.

If an opponent gets a better creature, you switch to tapping it down, and if you get a better creature, you untap it each turn.

[OneAndOnly]

Vengeant Bladekeep -- 1WB
Creature - Human Assassin {U}
Renown 1 (When this creature deals combat damage to a player, if it isn't renowned, put a +1/+1 counter on it and it becomes renowned.)
Whenever Vengeant Bladekeep attacks the player that made it renowned, or a battle or planeswalker controlled by that player, it can't be blocked until the end of turn.
3/1

So I understand what "the player that made it renowned" is supposed to mean and I think the design space is pretty good for multiplayer, but that's an odd way of wording this card.

So what do you think the least-odd-but-still-efficient way of phrasing this card would be? I toyed with "When this deals combat damage to a player, note that player ... Whenever VB attacks the noted player ...." but it's sticking an entire extra sentence in there.

(Also, my own personal flavor for WB is vengeance -- ie., I'm going to be nice and mind my own business until you smack me; and then I will summon all the fires of hell upon you. VB doesn't actually fit that playstyle, since it's much more aggro and "You! Yeah you! I'm calling you out!")

[chetoos]

Rotting Smiler 2BB
Art: A mound of shambling fungus, with a smile haphazardly taped on the front.
Creature - Fungus
Whenever one or more creature cards are put into your graveyard from anywhere, or removed from your graveyard, put a +1/+1 counter on target creature you control. This ability only triggers once each turn.
Creatures you control with +1/+1 counters on them have lifelink.
"People like it when you smile, right?"
2/4

IIW: Mechanics you want to see in upcoming sets.

[OneAndOnly]

Grant from the Undercrypt - 2BG
Sorcery {R}
For each player, choose a creature card in that player's graveyard and return it to the battlefield under that player's control. Then, distribute amongst them a decayed counter, a finality counter, and a deathtouch counter.

Next: The first card you posted on Nexus.

[spacemonaut]

Please Take One BG
Enchantment
Whenever a creature enters the battlefield, put a spore counter on it. For as long as it has a spore counter on it, it has ", , Remove a spore counter from this creature: You gain 3 life."
Whenever a creature with a spore counter on it dies, you create a 1/1 black Fungus creature token with "This creature can't block" and with a finality counter in it. (If a creature with a finality counter on it would die, exile it instead.)

IIW: Minotaurs

[spacemonaut]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the "without paying their mana costs" is breaking new ground for red? I am a big fan of stuff like Warp World but this is definitely less chaotic and more just "I win now." Which, I realize that by asking for expensive sorceries, that's kind of exactly what I ordered.

It's not new ground; red has been doing that for a long time at a low rate. It's not meant to be chaotic, but it is meant to be a win button like you say, but a win button that comes with risks: you're not guaranteed to exile the exact cards you want and anything you can't use this turn is gone for good. The shuffle & exile half is to impose that first risk. (Although I don't imagine mono-red will have a huge issue with either risk.) It got missed in the judgement post but a few hours before judgement I'd also revised the cost from 4RRR → 8RRRR because the cheaper cost wasn't justifiable and because I wanted to use that cost to reference Enter the Infinite.

[Sporegorger_Dragon]

I will judge tomorrow morning. Keep em coming!