January CCL, Signups/Round 2: Path

[Raptorchan]

CCL January Signups/Round 2

"Path"


Path of the Schemer, illustrated by Josu Hernaiz

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

Theme

This is Planar month of CCL. This month, we'll focus on unexplored parts of Dominia aka known (or less known) multiverse.

Challenge

Design a card that refers to chaos ensuing, planeswalking and/or the current plane you are on.

Clarifications

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• You may check MtG wiki to read about Planechase to see what's chaos, planeswalking and plane cards.
• Make sure to include a rarity.

Anyone can enter this second round! Your submissions are due Tuesday, January 16th, 23:59 EST.

Schedule

• Round 1 — Open to Everyone (January 3 - 9)
• Round 2 — Open to Everyone (January 10 - 16)
• Rounds 1 and 2 Critiques (Due January 18)
• Top 6 — Open to top 6 finishers (January 19 - 24)
• Top 6 Critiques (Due January 26)
• Top 4 — Open to top 4 finishers (January 27-30)
• Top 4 Critiques (Due February 2)
• Final (February, winner determined by public poll)

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

[void_nothing]

Kaihnex, Multiplanar Mercenary 1W
Legendary Creature - Kor Knight Mercenary (U)
Vigilance, protection from Dragons and from snow
As long as the current plane is Dominaria, Kaihnex gets +1/+0 and has lifelink.
As long as the current plane is Kaldheim, Kaihnex has flying and "B, Pay 2 life: This creature gains indestructible until end of turn."
As long as the current plane is Tarkir, Kaihnex has first strike and "R: This creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn."
2/1

[AnotherAlias]

Seekers of the Promised Land
Creature — Human Nomad Cleric (M)
First strike
When Seekers of the Promised Land enters the battlefield, search your planar deck for a Plane card, then shuffle that deck and put that card on top. Planeswalk. Chaos ensues.
In pursuit of the land mentioned in their scriptures, they travel through the multiverse. But in their wake, unbeknownst to these seeking souls, the fates of the planes they've visited have begun to shift.
2/4

[slimytrout]

Ara, Blind Eternities Seer 1UR
Legendary Creature — Wizard (R)
Flying, haste
As long as its your turn, triggered abilities of Planes trigger an additional time.
Whenever Ara, Blind Eternities Seer attacks, you may roll the planar die.
2/2

(I'm assuming this fits the category of "current plane you're on" since that doesn't really have a strict definition, but please let me know if you disagree @Raptorchan)

[Ink-Treader]

Norn's Peacekeeper 3W
Creature - Phyrexian Knight (U)
Vigilance, toxic 2
Whenever chaos ensues on Mirrodin or New Phyrexia, you may pay {W/P}. If you do, counter that ability.
As long as you're on Mirrodin or New Phyrexia, it costs your opponents {W/P} more to roll the planar die.
3/4

[Yan_MTG]

Fribit, Planar Explorer 1{g/u}
Legendary Creature - Frog (R)

Haste
Fribit, Planar Explorer can't block and can't be blocked.
When Fribit, Planar Explorer attacks, roll the Planar die. If chaos ensues this way, create a Treasure, Food, and Map token. Choose an opponent at random. That player gains control of Fribit, Planar Explorer.

1/1

"Onward to wonder!"

I'm imagining this creature in the upcoming Bloomburrow plane.

[Komandon]

Quintessential Flare r
Instant (uncommon)
Quintessential Flare Deals 1 damage to any target. The damage can't be prevented.
Whenever chaos ensues and Quintessential Flare is in your graveyard you may pay 1R. If you do return Quintessential Flare to your hand.
Flashback — Exile two red cards from your hand.

[MonoRedMage]

Guff's Escape 1R
Enchantment {R}
Whenever you're dealt damage, you may planeswalk. (Combat damage is dealt all at once.)
6R: Guff's Escape deals 3 damage to each player. Put a loyalty counter on each planeswalker you control. Activate only as a sorcery.
"Ta-ta, I have somewhen else to be!"

[KB52665]

Tolarian Singularity 1wwu
Enchantment
Whenever chaos ensues, choose a player at random. That player phases out. The same is true for permanents that player controls and cards that player owns in exile.
Whenever a player phases in, that player creates two tapped Powerstone tokens.

[kwanyeegor-ii]

Ozimaklan, God of Remaking 5RR
Legendary Creature - God (Mythic)
Indestructible
As Ozimaklan enters the battlefield, you may reveal seven or more plane cards you own from outside the game, including at least one Amonkhet card, at least one Ixalan card, at least one Kaldheim card, and at least one Theros card. If you do and there's no planar deck, those cards in a random order become the planar deck. If you do and there's a planar deck, shuffle them into the planar deck.
Whenever chaos ensues, each player shuffles all nonlegendary, nontoken permanents they own into their library, then reveals cards from the top of their library until they reveal that many permanent cards. They put any number of those permanent cards onto the battlefield and exile all cards not put onto the battlefield this way.
6/6

[Raptorchan]

Submissions are closed. Now you have 2 more days to post your crits.

Critique the six contestants above you, looping to the bottom if needed:

@void_nothing
@AnotherAlias
@slimytrout
@Ink-Treader
@Yan_MTG
@Komandon
@MonoRedMage
@KB52665
@kwanyeegor-ii

[void_nothing]

We'll critique the six contestants above us, looping to the bottom, correct?

[Raptorchan]

We'll critique the six contestants above us, looping to the bottom, correct?

Yes!

[void_nothing]

Critiques

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Ink-Treader - "Whenever chaos ensues on (a certain plane)" is frankly a beautiful phrase to have in rules text. This feels way more rare than uncommon, and a hoser ability might not be that exciting all the same, but I like taxing opponents when they try to leave the planes your deck is presumably built to work with.

Yan_MTG - Very nice! There might be some color pie issues here - blue haste and green unblockable - and I'm assuming that you mean for control to only change if chaos does ensue, but the package of tokens it creates is a lot of fun. I'd suggest making this a bit bigger, GUR, and maybe clarifying the wording a little.

Komandon - Perfectly functional and I like the desperation free-flashback deal, but this is a totally flavorless Blast from the Past-alike efficient burn spell.

MonoRedMage - Nice character reference and flavor text. Is this main effect (planeswalk on being dealt damage) red? I honestly can't tell, and I feel like it might actually fall to white. Activated ability looks like a reasonable mana sink that is also self-synergistic.

KB52665 - While "player phases out" isn't defined and Teferi's Protection, for example, uses a different way to emulate that effect, I think we can all understand what it means: player is out of the game until (what would be?) their next untap step, they can't do anything and nothing can happen to their cards. So this is a wild idea, a bit parasitic, but definitely very flavorful to Tolaria lore and I'd want to try building around it.

kwanyeegor-ii - Just as wild an idea as the last one. I guess the plane choices here are the ones that have a full complement of Gods? Not sure if people would be happy or annoyed if you brought planes to a non-Planechase EDH game. The Warp World is very appropriate though.

Top 3

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1. Yan_MTG
2. KB52665
3. Ink-Treader

[KB52665]

AnotherAlias: I like the design. It's pleasantly consistent. I do feel that at Mythic, it's either missing something, or should be downshifted to Rare. I think, were it printed, the last bit would be worded "Planeswalk, then chaos ensues."
slimytrout: This is excellent. If I was going to advocate for a planechase game, I'd love to run this. You're missing a species creature type, so you probably want that. The name's also a little verbose, but otherwise I love the card.
Ink-Treader: The specificity of the planes in the rules text is certainly unusual, but I like the flavor. The keywords definitely make this playable outside of planechase games.
Yan_MTG: Great card! I think the token bit would be worded "a Treasure token, a Food token, and a Map token."
Komandon: I like the built in recursion. Playing it in planechase makes it all the better. Good work.
MonoRedMage: I love a Guff reference on a playable card. It's got just enough on it to make it worth consideration for play.

Top 3:
1. Yan_MTG
2. Slimytrout
3. Komandon

[Komandon]

Critiques

SPOILER

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Kaihnex, Multiplanar Mercenary 1W
Legendary Creature - Kor Knight Mercenary (U)
Vigilance, protection from Dragons and from snow
As long as the current plane is Dominaria, Kaihnex gets +1/+0 and has lifelink.
As long as the current plane is Kaldheim, Kaihnex has flying and "B, Pay 2 life: This creature gains indestructible until end of turn."
As long as the current plane is Tarkir, Kaihnex has first strike and "R: This creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn."
2/1

Tarkir didn't have snow that I know of but it makes sense based on the real life inspiration. Kor though. 🤔. But I shouldn't focus on that.

Seems reasonable. Playable in not Planechase like format. A better version of say Dragon Hunter which is from Tarkir

Seekers of the Promised Land
Creature — Human Nomad Cleric (M)
First strike
When Seekers of the Promised Land enters the battlefield, search your planar deck for a Plane card, then shuffle that deck and put that card on top. Planeswalk. Chaos ensues.
In pursuit of the land mentioned in their scriptures, they travel through the multiverse. But in their wake, unbeknownst to these seeking souls, the fates of the planes they've visited have begun to shift.
2/4

So doesn't this force the plane to change to the one you want and they trigger? I kept reading the wiki and it seems like a mythic level even the chaos ensues was removed.

Ara, Blind Eternities Seer 1UR
Legendary Creature — Wizard (R)
Flying, haste
As long as its your turn, triggered abilities of Planes trigger an additional time.
Whenever Ara, Blind Eternities Seer attacks, you may roll the planar die.
2/2

(I'm assuming this fits the category of "current plane you're on" since that doesn't really have a strict definition, but please let me know if you disagree @Raptorchan)

May roll. In case you like your current plane and want it to trigger again if a non-rolling effect happens. That Will of the Planeswalkers mechanic.
I like name to the Blind Eternities. Fits the doubling triggers.

Norn's Peacekeeper 3W
Creature - Phyrexian Knight (U)
Vigilance, toxic 2
Whenever chaos ensues on Mirrodin or New Phyrexia, you may pay {W/P}. If you do, counter that ability.
As long as you're on Mirrodin or New Phyrexia, it costs your opponents {W/P} more to roll the planar die.
3/4

Fits the plane well. White countering an ability. That's normally green and secondary blue. But bending the pie is ok. Such as Dawn Charm, Dash Hopes, and Mana Tithe. (Planar Chaos was one of my favorite sets)

Fribit, Planar Explorer 1{g/u}
Legendary Creature - Frog (R)

Haste
Fribit, Planar Explorer can't block and can't be blocked.
When Fribit, Planar Explorer attacks, roll the Planar die. If chaos ensues this way, create a Treasure, Food, and Map token. Choose an opponent at random. That player gains control of Fribit, Planar Explorer.

1/1

"Onward to wonder!"


I'm imagining this creature in the upcoming Bloomburrow plane.

Definitely fits Bloomburrow's description. Good idea to make a card based on set in a new upcoming plane.

Guff's Escape 1R
Enchantment {R}
Whenever you're dealt damage, you may planeswalk. (Combat damage is dealt all at once.)
6R: Guff's Escape deals 3 damage to each player. Put a loyalty counter on each planeswalker you control. Activate only as a sorcery.
"Ta-ta, I have somewhen else to be!"

Wondering if this is overpowered when compared to the three red invokers with a similar ability. Because it's a noncreature permanent. Mainly looking at Bhaal's Invoker cost more to cast, less to activate. And being a creature easier to deal with. But it does hurt you with which is good it not playing with plane cards. Otherswuse adds to it being over powered. Then again it's a rare.

Tolarian Singularity 1wwu
Enchantment
Whenever chaos ensues, choose a player at random. That player phases out. The same is true for permanents that player controls and cards that player owns in exile.
Whenever a player phases in, that player creates two tapped Powerstone tokens.

Nice name. Fits chaos ensure and not being a chaos card in red. 👍

Ozimaklan, God of Remaking 5RR
Legendary Creature - God (Mythic)
Indestructible
As Ozimaklan enters the battlefield, you may reveal seven or more plane cards you own from outside the game, including at least one Amonkhet card, at least one Ixalan card, at least one Kaldheim card, and at least one Theros card. If you do and there's no planar deck, those cards in a random order become the planar deck. If you do and there's a planar deck, shuffle them into the planar deck.
Whenever chaos ensues, each player shuffles all nonlegendary, nontoken permanents they own into their library, then reveals cards from the top of their library until they reveal that many permanent cards. They put any number of those permanent cards onto the battlefield and exile all cards not put onto the battlefield this way.
6/6

So it's like a wish card. I don't know wish like cards are allowed in plane games or not. I'll assume they are. It's causal after all.
Stand alone a 7 CMC 6/6 indestructible seems old. Being legendary makes it more far.

Top 3

SPOILER

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1st: Yan_MTG
2nd: slimytrout
3rd: void_nothing

[AnotherAlias]

void_nothing — This looks like a lot, yet also too little. I don't exactly know what I mean by this myself, so…
kwanyeegor-ii — So, if I am understanding your intentions clearly, this card forces a Planechase game. Then, whenever Chaos Ensues, while this is still on the battlefield of course, that second ability happens. Yes? This just feels overly complicated. My first time looking at this card I was like: "This is definitely microtext." After checking, I have found that I was not wrong.
KB52665 — I don't think players can phase out. Neither do I think nonpermanents can phase out. Odd card.
MonoRedMage — A lot of Planeswalking. Abilities fit Guff, I think.
Komandon — Weird double recursions that clash. Also, being critical for no reason, "Flashback — " is wrong. Should be: "Flashback—" without the spaces.
Yan_MTG — Weird spacing between name and types, rules text, p/t, and flavor text. Fits Bloomburrow. I'm not sure how the attack resolves, because one seems to give it to an opponent before damage, resulting in Fribit being controlled by that opponent while also attacking that opponent, I think.

Top 3:
3rd: void_nothing
2nd: Yan_MTG
1st: MonoRedMage

[slimytrout]

void_nothing

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I mean, it's a really fun idea, but the effects are going to be on so little of the time that it almost feels like trinket text. In total those three planes make up almost 10% of existing planes, but mostly that's Dominaria -- Kaldheim has two planes and Tarkir only has 1 out of 139 printed.

AnotherAlias

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There are definitely some very strong things you could do with this -- Krosa is probably the best one I can find -- but overall I think it's fun.

Komandon

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This illustrates an interesting effect that MaRo has talked about, where you can add a very weak all-upside ability (in this case the flashback) and the card actually reads as being less strong than it is. Obviously you'd only do that if you were going to win the game, but I still think it would be a much more elegant card without that wildly overpriced flashback cost.

MonoRedMage

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Huh, what an odd card. But I think I like it.

KB52665

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A few rules issues here (players and cards in exile can't really phase out) but it's still a neat idea and very flavorful.

kwanyeegor-ii

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Oh man, what a block of text. Even one of those abilities barely fits on a card, let alone both. I don't think the idea of turning a normal game into planechase is a good one, so I would've stuck to the second ability.

T3

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1. MonoRedMage
2. AnotherAlias
3. KB52665

[Ink-Treader]

void_nothing

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That's a quite varied assortment of planes, but Kaldheim and Tarkir are definitely hotspots for a sword for hire.

AnotherAlias

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Could this maybe just be rare? Outside of Planeschase, it's extremely underwhelming. It could certainly use somewhat better stats, and probably another keyword.

slimytrout

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Fun and clean. Decent stats outside of Planeschase too.

MonoRedMage

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The first clause doesn't feel very red, but this is certainly pretty cool in the context of Planeschase. Perhaps even mildly intriguing outside of it.

KB52665

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The 'chaos' and 'at random' make this feel rather red; red/blue or red/blue/white would both work here. Does nothing outside of Planeschase, if only because there are no other ways to make a player phase out/in.

kwanyeegor-ii

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That's very wordy, and very annoying to deal with. I don't know that this could allow you to play Planes in most other formats, but it's cute casually (Commander very notably does not have a sideboard.)

Top 3

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1. slimytrout
2. void_nothing
3. MonoRedMage