NEXUS FLAMINGO ☆ Exclusively For Custom Card Connoisseurs and Gnomes

[Ulka]

Trench Terror2U
Creature - Cephalid Horror (U)

I was about to make fun of you for submitting yet another Cephalid, but then I realized I submitted a Nepenthes pitcher-plant, so yadda-yadda glass houses don't throw stones

I mean we know what we like designing. That said I have designed close to 40 some cephalids in my personal files so whats a few more.

[chetoos]

@void_nothing judge?

[void_nothing]

Good gravy, it hasn't been 2 full days yet

[Megiddo]

Skybreak Predator 2WU
Creature - Cat Bird {U}
Flying
Skybreak Predator's power and toughness are each equal to the number of creatures with flying you control.
When you cycle Skybreak Predator, create a 1/1 white Bird creature token with flying.
Cycling 1U
*/*

IIW: unintuitive interactions

[Megiddo]

Good gravy, it hasn't been 2 full days yet

sometimes, when i close my eyes real hard, it feels like it's 2013 again.

[Ulka]

Braintwister 2U
Sorcery (U)
Each player shuffles two cards from their hand and graveyard into their library, then draws three cards. Exile Braintwister.

IIW: Combine a card banned in a format with another card to make a slightly more balanced card.

[void_nothing]

I'll judge tomorrow pre-football.

Oh hey Meg how do you feel about your Sixers getting Harden

[Megiddo]

I'll judge tomorrow pre-football.

Oh hey Meg how do you feel about your Sixers getting Harden

I actually already commented on this here (check the preamble to my judging on the previous challenge) but in short, giddy. Look at last night's game. Pay special attention to Embiid's 40/10/10. Then consider that we haven't even added Harden yet.

[void_nothing]

Reconfiguring Mech 1U
Artifact - Equipment (U)
Equipped creature gets +1/+1. If it's an artifact, it gets +2/+2 and gains vigilance instead.
Crew 1
Equip 2 (Reconfiguring Mech can't be equipped if it's a creature. If it becomes a creature, it becomes unattached.)
3/2

IIW: Make a card for your own IIW

Typeline's missing the Vehicle type, first of all. I like the extra bonus for equipping an artifact creature, but at the same time this is probably trying to do too much as a design in order to boost both Equipment and Vehicle deck types.

Mycelium Shambler
2b
Creature - Fungus (U)
Whenever one or more creature cards are put into your graveyard from anywhere, create two tapped 1/1 green Saproling creature tokens. This ability triggers only once per turn.
2, Sacrifice another creature: You gain 2 life.
2/3

BW Aristocrats, BG Saproling/Fungus, BG Dredge, UB self-mill


Ragecaster Mage
1r
Creature - Viashino Shaman (R)
Flash
When Ragecaster Mage enters the battlefield, target instant or sorcery card in your graveyard gains jump-start until end of turn.
2/1
"Blast this snapcaster noise! SO SAYETH THE BEY!!"

UR flashback/Izzet Drakes, RG lands-matter, RW heroic/magecraft


Thopter Gadgeteer
2r
Creature - Viashino Artificer (U)
When Thopter Gadgeteer enters the battlefield, create a 1/1 colorless Thopter artifact creature token with flying.
T, Sacrifice an artifact: Discard a card, then draw a card.
3rr, Exile Thopter Gadgeteer from your graveyard: Create a 1/1 colorless Thopter artifact creature token with flying.
2/1

UR Thopters, RW artifacts, RW Lorehold graveyard shenanigans, BR madness, BR sacrifice (Treasure/Food/Blood etc)


IIW: Carnivorous plants

High effort! What Meg said about rares last judgment still applies, so I'm somewhat ignoring Ragecaster Mage, but its flavor text is truly excellent. Mycelium Shambler works very well for all its archetypes; Thopter Gadgeteer does too despite having so, so much text.

Goldhungry Rager 1r
Art depicts a large bugbear (human sized goblinoid) attempting to steal gold while their party fights in the background.
Creature - Goblin Barbarian
Check for Loot - Whenever you roll one or more d20s, create a treasure token.
"No, I need to search them now, what if they had a secret magic weapon that could turn the tide?"
3/1

For the ru dice deck, the rb treasure deck, and the rg pack tactics deck in AFR

IIW: wild speculation about streets of New Capenna

Neat! I don't think anyone should have had to fit their cards to an actual, existing Limited environment, but cool that you did. The stats are efficient for red in the first place. I wish this counted rolling any dice, as the existing cards do.

ub ninjas, ug tokens.

Shadow Reconnaissance Jutsu 1U
Enchantment
When Shadow Reconnaissance Jutsu enters the battefield, create two 0/2 blue Shadow creature tokens.
Whenever a permanent returns to your hand, if it was a token, draw a card.

gw auras, gr modified, gu counters

Dynamism 1G
Enchantment (U)
Whenever a modified creature you control gets a new kind of modification, draw a card. This ability triggers only once each turn. (Equipment, Auras you control, and counters are the three kinds of modification.)

Both out-of-the-box but very cool solutions. Dynamism does not seem to need the once per turn clause, even at two mana - it involves both so much effort and so much overcommitment that I feel comfortable letting people use it as an engine in, probably, mostly Constructed. Unfortunately, no IIW.

Junglefloor Nepenthes
2g
Creature - Plant (U)
When Junglefloor Nepenthes enters the battlefield, create a 0/1 green Plant creature token.
Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, put a +1/+1 counter on target Plant you control.
0/3

GU +1/+1 counters, BG toughness matters, RG Landfall Plants (Avenger of Zendikar/Phylath, World Sculptor/Turntimber Sower)


Sublimation Conductor

Creature - Weird (R)
Magecraft -Whenever you cast or copy an instant or sorcery spell, put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control that is an Elemental or Weird.
1/1

All of the Ravnican guilds with either or , but especially Izzet/Prismari () spellslinging/copying and Simic () +1/+1 counters.


IIW: Carnivorous plants

More high-efort posting and another rare; the tribal is a little odd in the Izzet guild - even in a... crossplanar crossover type thing? but I've actually won with an Izzet-themed card that counted specific creature types before, so hey.

Go-Go Go-Shintai 3R
Legendary Artifact Enchantment — Shrine Vehicle (U)
Haste
Whenever Go-Go Go-Shintai becomes crewed for the first time in a turn, you may pay 1. If you do, it gets +1/+1 until end of turn for each Shrine you control. If you control three or more Shrines, it also gains menace until end of turn.
Crew 3
Spirit crew 1
3/2

IIW: Triple-pip monocolored cards on Ravnica

Ah, the troll entries started about the time I would have expected. I hope this is a reference to Speed Racer's original Japanese title Mach GoGoGo

For Dragons of Tarkir
GW: Bolster/ +1/+1 counters. UW: Rebound/ Noncreature spells. UB: Exploit/Death Triggers. BR: Suicide Aggro/dash. RG: Formidable/ Power matters. (Slightly supported)


Ancient Guardian 4
Artifact Creature- Golem (U)
Defender
When you cast a noncreature spell, put a +1/+1 counter on Ancient Guardian.
When Ancient Guardian dies, bolster X, where X is the number of +1/+1 counters on it. (Choose a creature with the least toughness among creatures you control. Put that many +1/+1 counters on it.)
3/3


IIW: Nonblue cards in an underwater world.

I like this as a design and I would like it to play with, but at the same time, a colorless card supporting four out of five archetypes but not the last one makes me so viscerally mad.

Merfolk Marauder 1U
Creature - Merfolk Pirate {C}
Raid -- When Merfolk Marauder enters the battlefield, if you attacked this turn, choose one:
- Put a +1/+1 counter on another target merfolk you control.
- Create a Treasure token.
2/1

IIW: layups, low-hanging fruit, the first option

The two blue types from Ixalan block? Sure, I'll buy it. Does it need the "another" clause?

Trench Terror2U
Creature - Cephalid Horror (U)
Whenever you discard Trench Terror, look at the top card of your library. You may put that card into your graveyard.
1UUU, Sacrifice Trench Terror: Counter target creature spell.
Dredge 2
1/3
IIW: Tribes with 20 or less creature cards

Neato, but I'm not 100% sure what archetypes this is supporting - discard and self-mill? - and also dredge + discard to counter is SUPER ULTRA NO-DO-THAT oppressive and banworthy in just about any Standard.

Skybreak Predator 2WU
Creature - Cat Bird {U}
Flying
Skybreak Predator's power and toughness are each equal to the number of creatures with flying you control.
When you cycle Skybreak Predator, create a 1/1 white Bird creature token with flying.
Cycling 1U
*/*

IIW: unintuitive interactions

Cycling and flyers? Like from Ikoria? Sure, but this seems WAY more focused on the one archetype than the other. The flash-bird mode is neat.

Braintwister 2U
Sorcery (U)
Each player shuffles two cards from their hand and graveyard into their library, then draws three cards. Exile Braintwister.

IIW: Combine a card banned in a format with another card to make a slightly more balanced card.

Even less an idea of what this is supposed to be supporting than your other entry. If this were a nostalgia challenge of any kind this would instantly win for me for the double reference. Otherwise, good design, misses the prompt imho.

HMs: Ulka for both, JuanCu
Winner: @Sporegorger_Dragon... for high-effort posting in general
Next: Carnivorous plants

[chetoos]

Cleopatra Addams 1BG
Legendary Creature - Plant
Defender
If another nonhuman creature would die, exile it instead. When you do, put a +1/+1 counter on Cleopatra, and you gain 2 life.
As long as Cleopatra has at least 4 +1/+1 counters on it, it can attack as though it didn't have defender.
As long as your life total is at least 5 higher than your starting life total, creatures you control have menace.
0/5

IIW: Wild Speculation about Streets of New Capenna.

[Juancu]

Jappararenga , Sweetness of Decay 5GB
Legendary Creature - Plant (M)
When Jappararenga enters the battlefield, choose one, then repeat this process for each other Plant you control -
* Target creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn.
* Target creature attacks next turn if able.
1GB, Reveal Jappararenga from your hand: The next time a creature would die this turn, exile it instead. If you do, create a 0/2 green Plant creature token.
7/7

IIW: not this again

[Sporegorger_Dragon]

Thank you for your kind words!

the tribal is a little odd in the Izzet guild - even in a... crossplanar crossover type thing?

True, but you'll only need a few Weirds/Elementals for a pay-off, and the Prismari have plenty of ways to get a burly 4/4 Elemental onto the field.

[NinjaCaterpie]

Emergent Bloodpitcher 1BG
Enchantment - Aura (U)
Flash
Enchant Forest you control
Enchanted land is a 3/3 green Plant creature with reach and deathtouch.
If enchanted land would be destroyed, instead sacrifice Emergent Bloodpitcher and that land gains indestructible until end of turn.
During the case, a harmless attraction. During the heist, a deadly distraction.

IIW: Make a card for your IIW.

[Cythare]

Predator Kudzu 2G
Creature — Plant (U)
Whenever another creature enters the battlefield, put a +1/+1 counter on Predator Kudzu, then Predator Kudzu fights that creature.
2/2

IIW: Triple-pip monocolored cards on Ravnica

[Ulka]

Volcanic Sundew 1GR
Creature - Plant(U)
Defender, Reach
Whenever Volcanic Sundew blocks a creature, Volcanic Sundew deals damage to it equal to the number of mountains you control.
1/4


IIW: Combine a card banned in a format with another card to make a slightly more balanced card.

[Megiddo]

Blood Kudzu 1BG
Creature — Plant {R}
Trample
At the beginning of your upkeep, mill three cards. Put a +1/+1 counter on Blood Kudzu for each land card milled this way. Then, if two or more creature cards were milled this way, double the number of +1/+1 counters on Blood Kudzu.
0/1

IIW: ulka's IIW that's a good one.

[Mergatroid_Jones]

Nuunglai, Hungering Jungle
Legendary Land- Forest (R)
(: Add .)
Nuunglai enters the battlefield tapped unless you control three or more other permanents that are Forests, Treefolk, and/or Plants.
: Nuunglai becomes a 5/5 green Plant creature with defender and reach until end of turn. This ability costs less to activate for each attacking creature with flying an opponent controls.


IIW: A land cycle.

[spacemonaut]

Lurking Pitcher Plant 2G
Creature — Plant (U)
You may cast Lurking Pitcher Plant as though it had flash if you pay 1B more to cast it.
Defender
Whenever a creature dealt damage by Lurking Pitcher Plant this turn dies, put X +1/+1 counters on it, where X is that creature's toughness. Tap Lurking Pitcher Plant. It doesn't untap during its controller's next untap step.
2/4


IIW: Power 10 or greater

[Ulka]

Plantoon WBG
Creature - Plant Soldier
Vigilance, Banding
Whenever a non-plant creature dies, create a 1/2 green and white Plant Soldier creature token with Banding for each creature that has died this turn.
Those that fall to the Plantoon rise again as part of the Plantoon."
1/2

IIW: Cards with Ante, designed for cube settings where the rule is if you ante a card in the cube the winner take the card for the rest of the draft. Only the player with the card that antes, antes a card to start off.

[Sporegorger_Dragon]

First of all, what constitutes a carnivorous plant?

At first glance, it would appear that the definition is simple; any plant that derives nutrients from killing and digesting animals.

However, if one were to look closer, then the lines seem to blur. Many plants are capable of absorbing at least some nutrients through their leaf surfaces, so if an insect dies on a leaf and decays, and its nutrients absorbed by the leaf, does that make the plant carnivorous?

Ah, but one might say that this is no different from a plant absorbing nutrients from an animal decaying in the soil.

So perhaps then, in order to be considered carnivorous, a plant must have some sort of specialized structure or feature that actively traps and/or kills creatures.

But we then run into another problem. Many plants have sticky hairs or surfaces that trap and eventually kill insects that land on them. These have been traditionally regarded as defenses against pests. Are these plants carnivorous as well?

Ah, but maybe just incidentally killing insects isn't enough. For a plant to be truly carnivorous, one might argue, the plant must be capable of producing enzymes to digest its victims, rather than merely wait for decay to release nutrients.

But we run into another snag. Heliamphora have highly-specialized leaves designed to trap insect and are considered truly carnivorous, part of the New World or American pitcher-plants.

But most Heliamphora, with exception of one species, don't produce their own enzymes, instead relying on symbiotic microorganisms to break down their captured prey. Does this mean that they aren't carnivorous? But don't most animals rely on gut microbes to help with digestion? Herbivorous mammals can't digest cellulose, so they rely on gut microbes to break down their food.

And to muddle things further, those enzymes that carnivorous plants use? They may have originated as anti-fungal/anti-parasite defenses! So the presence of these enzymes doesn't necessarily mean that the plant is carnivorous.

So is there really a true distinction between plants that kill in self-defense and plants that kill for nutriment? Maybe there no real distinction at all; instead there is a spectrum, an gradual continuum of creature-killing, from self-defense to full-on carnivory.

Cleopatra Addams 1BG
Legendary Creature - Plant
Defender
If another nonhuman creature would die, exile it instead. When you do, put a +1/+1 counter on Cleopatra, and you gain 2 life.
As long as Cleopatra has at least 4 +1/+1 counters on it, it can attack as though it didn't have defender.
As long as your life total is at least 5 higher than your starting life total, creatures you control have menace.
0/5

IIW: Wild Speculation about Streets of New Capenna.

Like this fine specimen, for example, is clearly carnivorous. Slots well into toughness matters and Doran. Last ability makes it feel a bit cluttered, although not overly so.

Jappararenga , Sweetness of Decay 5GB
Legendary Creature - Plant (M)
When Jappararenga enters the battlefield, choose one, then repeat this process for each other Plant you control -
* Target creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn.
* Target creature attacks next turn if able.
1GB, Reveal Jappararenga from your hand: The next time a creature would die this turn, exile it instead. If you do, create a 0/2 green Plant creature token.
7/7

IIW: not this again

Hmm, is this a carnivorous plant? It might not fit the strict definition; definitely good at the killing, but seems to rely on the products of decay. Still, the killing features prominently, so if a little plant thing that traps insect in a cup of fluid is considered carnivorous, logically so should this.

Interesting ETB trigger, and I like how the second ability feed into the first. Good Plant tribal, but the forced attack seems a bit of-color. Perhaps a lure effect (target Plant/creature must block/be blocked) would be more appropriate?

Emergent Bloodpitcher 1BG
Enchantment - Aura (U)
Flash
Enchant Forest you control
Enchanted land is a 3/3 green Plant creature with reach and deathtouch.
If enchanted land would be destroyed, instead sacrifice Emergent Bloodpitcher and that land gains indestructible until end of turn.
During the case, a harmless attraction. During the heist, a deadly distraction.

IIW: Make a card for your IIW.

RogueMetapod NinjaCaterpie here, realizing he is quoted in my signature, knows what he must submit

Unexpected Aura entry, but it is highly eligible. I can see how this can be used as a pseudo-manland as well as "regenerate" a land against permanent destruction. Plus I like the little story being told here.

Predator Kudzu 2G
Creature — Plant (U)
Whenever another creature enters the battlefield, put a +1/+1 counter on Predator Kudzu, then Predator Kudzu fights that creature.
2/2

IIW: Triple-pip monocolored cards on Ravnica

I would have to examine this more closely (and very carefully) to determine if this is actually carnivorous or just cantankerous. Clearly a close relative of Vinelasher Kudzu, perhaps even descended from it.

While I like the flavor, this is going to need some careful deckbuilding, because it's going to constantly fighting your own creatures and getting bigger. I see the potential with Enrage Dinosaurs, might be a problem for Plant tribal.

Might need nontoken clause, because otherwise can grow arbitrarily large with Sprouting Phytohydra.

Volcanic Sundew 1GR
Creature - Plant(U)
Defender, Reach
Whenever Volcanic Sundew blocks a creature, Volcanic Sundew deals damage to it equal to the number of mountains you control.
1/4


IIW: Combine a card banned in a format with another card to make a slightly more balanced card.

Ah, clearly carnivorous, this one, even cooks its food! I can actually see this being printed in Zendikar, which already canonically has a large variety of carnivorous plants.

Good, solid card, slots well into lands and Zendikar's defender matters thing.

Blood Kudzu 1BG
Creature — Plant {R}
Trample
At the beginning of your upkeep, mill three cards. Put a +1/+1 counter on Blood Kudzu for each land card milled this way. Then, if two or more creature cards were milled this way, double the number of +1/+1 counters on Blood Kudzu.
0/1

IIW: ulka's IIW that's a good one.

Hmm, a relative of Predator Kudzu up there? This does not seem to carnivorous, strictly speaking, unless its digging up corpses to eat.

I always appreciate self-mill. Understandable that the ability only "triggers" off itself, since dredge and self-mill are already so potent.

Nuunglai, Hungering Jungle
Legendary Land- Forest (R)
(: Add .)
Nuunglai enters the battlefield tapped unless you control three or more other permanents that are Forests, Treefolk, and/or Plants.
: Nuunglai becomes a 5/5 green Plant creature with defender and reach until end of turn. This ability costs less to activate for each attacking creature with flying an opponent controls.


IIW: A land cycle.

A WHOLE JUNGLE?! What a wonderful place to visit and die a lingering death. I like the flavor here.

Hmm, bit difficult for me to judge. Rather beefy for a man land, but only for defense. Being a Forest is great, though.

Lurking Pitcher Plant 2G
Creature — Plant (U)
You may cast Lurking Pitcher Plant as though it had flash if you pay 1B more to cast it.
Defender
Whenever a creature dealt damage by Lurking Pitcher Plant this turn dies, put X +1/+1 counters on it, where X is that creature's toughness. Tap Lurking Pitcher Plant. It doesn't untap during its controller's next untap step.
2/4


IIW: Power 10 or greater

Hah! Someone else who knows what the judge is after.

I like the overall package here; flash in is something I wish Design explored more as the shared keyword.

This is also a trap (hah!)! This looks like a neat one-off combat trick, but in reality is a plant (double hah!) for my "Plant defenders attack" theme in my [Assorted] thread.

Plantoon WBG
Creature - Plant Soldier
Vigilance, Banding
Whenever a non-plant creature dies, create a 1/2 green and white Plant Soldier creature token with Banding for each creature that has died this turn.
Those that fall to the Plantoon rise again as part of the Plantoon."
1/2

IIW: Cards with Ante, designed for cube settings where the rule is if you ante a card in the cube the winner take the card for the rest of the draft. Only the player with the card that antes, antes a card to start off.

-_-

I know you're going for Platoon here, but I keep reading as cartoon plants

At any rate, again the carnivory doesn't seem so clear. I read this as almost Thallid-like, cultivating new comrades from the fallen. This feels more like a branch (hah!) of Selesnya that they don't like to talk about.

Mechanically, this generates tokens at an alarming rate once you get a sacrifice engine going, with multiple deaths in a single turn.


After careful, objective non-biased judging, I award the win to spacemonaut, honorable mention to NinjaCaterpie!

Winner: spacemonaut
HM: NinjaCaterpie

NEXT: Power 10 or greater

[NinjaCaterpie]

I was originally going to make a killer bonsai because that was hilarious, before making the card you see today.

Titansize 3G
Enchantment - Aura (R)
Titansize costs 3 less to cast if it targets a creature with power 10 or greater.
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature has base power and toughness 6/6.
Whenever enchanted creature attacks, put a +1/+1 counter on it.

IIW: Make a card for your own IIW.

[spacemonaut]

aw yisssssssss

You can interpret this challenge however you want; if your card is a plausible read of the challenge then it counts and will be judged on its own terms.

[chetoos]

Jukai Awakening 1GW
Enchantment - Aura
Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 for each enchantment you control.
At the beginning of combat on your turn, if enchanted creature's power is 5 or greater, seek an enchantment card (Or reveal until you reveal an enchantment, put the rest on the bottom if you want this to work in paper.). Then, if enchanted creature's power is 10 or greater, enchanted creature gains trample, and lifelink until end of turn. Then, all non-creature non-aura enchantments you control become 4/4 creatures until end of turn and all creatures you control gain flying and vigilance until end of turn if enchanted creature's power is 20 or more.

IIW: Wild speculation about Streets of New Capenna.

[Cythare]

Rite of the Spring Hunt 2RG
Enchantment (U)
At the beginning of combat on your turn, you may pay 2. When you do, target land you control becomes a 3/3 red and green Elemental creature with haste. It's still a land.
Megaformidable — Whenever you attack, if creatures you control have total power 10 or greater, you may put a creature card with power 4 or less from your hand onto the battlefield tapped and attacking.

IIW: Exert, or exert variants

[Juancu]

Potential Potamous 3G
Artifact Creature - Equipment Hippo
T: Draw a card. Activate this ability only if you have 10 or more latent power (power/toughness boxes on noncreature permanents you control add to your latency.)
Reconfigure U
3/4

IIW: not this again