February CCL, Top 5: Vintage Devices

[void_nothing]

February CCL Top 5/Round 4

"Vintage Devices"


Winter Orb, taken from EchoMtG, illustrated by Mark Tedin

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

Theme

It's Roots Month here at the CCL. This month will go back to the origins and earliest uses of aspects of Magic.

Challenge

Design a noncreature artifact card whose effects when it's untapped are different than when it's tapped.

Clarifications

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• Yes, this challenge is meant to include very old artifacts that have a static ability with an "As long as this is untapped" clause.
• Make sure to include a rarity.

Contestants
@Komandon
@netn10
@shullz
@Raptorchan
@marioguy3

Your submissions are due Wednesday, March 6th, 23:59 EST.

Schedule

• Round 1 — Open to Everyone (January 30th - February 7th)
• Round 2 — Open to Everyone (February 8th - 14th)
• Rounds 1 and 2 Critiques (Due February 17th)
• Top 6 — Open to top 6 finishers (February 19th - 23rd)
• Top 6 Critiques (Due February 25th)
• Top 4 — Open to top 4 finishers (March 3rd - 6th)
• Top 4 Critiques (Due March 8th)
• Final (March, winner determined by public poll)

[shullz]

Lotus Perfume 0
Artifact (Rare)
As long as Lotus Perfume is tapped, spells your opponents cast cost 1 less to cast.
: Add one mana of any color. Activate only as a sorcery.
Just a single spray from the flacon and the whole world is your friend.

[Komandon]

Alchemist's Scales 4
Artifact (rare)
As long as Alchemist's Scales is untapped, activated abilities of artifacts your opponents control can not be activated.
Alchemist's Scales has all activated abilities of all artifacts your opponents control. You may spend mana as though it were mana of any color to activate those abilities.

[marioguy3]

Uneven Scales
Artifact (Rare)
As long as Uneven Scales is untapped, whenever a creature dies, its controller gains 1 life.
As long as Uneven Scales is tapped, whenever a creature dies, its controller loses 1 life.
, : You draw two cards and lose 2 life.

[netn10]

Aurora Convertor
Artifact (Mythic)
Aurora Convertor enters the battlefield tapped with three stun counters on it.
As long as Aurora Convertor is tapped, spells cost 1 more to cast.
As long as Aurora Convertor is untapped, spells cost 1 less to cast.
2, T or 2, Q: Each player draws a card. Any player may activate this ability but only during their turn.

[void_nothing]

Quick entry reminder to @Raptorchan.

[Raptorchan]

Harmonic Resonator 3
Artifact (R)
Whenever a permanent enters the battlefield tapped, if Harmonic Resonator is untapped, untap that permanent.
Whenever a permanent enters the battlefield untapped, if Harmonic Resonator is tapped, tap that permanent.
3, t: Scry 1.

[void_nothing]

Alright, that should do it for the round! Please critique all other contestants and post a top 3.

[marioguy3]

shullz: This may be the least busted of the zero cost mana rocks, but a zero cost mana rock is still insanely powerful. This one even sticks around multiple turns. This probably could be legendary.

Komandon: A non planeswalker version of the artifact lock. This one is fairly costed and can do some fun things for its controller.

netn10: There is a ton to track with this card. It's a group hug hate stax card draw engine. Such a strange phenomenon. Having you be able to benefit first is a smart idea.

Raptorchan: In general, I think I like this card. It's not too hard to track after reading it a few times, and the scry bonus is a cool one.

Top 3:

3rd place: Komandon
2nd place: netn10
1st place: Raptorchan

[Raptorchan]

shullz
0 mana rock is always welcome but also always dangerous. But I don't think that's something that can be printed today, even if close.

marioguy3
It's a quite effective draw engine with extra spice. Also feels perfectly even if you ask me. Suits Amonkhet or something like that.

netn10
Feels like I would hate to play against it, which fits WU colors just right.

Komandon
It depends on the environment how effective it can be, but more fair than WAR Karn, or at least feels like it.

Top:
1) marioguy3
2) Komandon
3) shullz

[shullz]

Crits

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Alchemist's Scales 4
Artifact (rare)
As long as Alchemist's Scales is untapped, activated abilities of artifacts your opponents control can not be activated.
Alchemist's Scales has all activated abilities of all artifacts your opponents control. You may spend mana as though it were mana of any color to activate those abilities.

This is situational in that it is a dead card against a lot of decks, but could completely screw over other decks by deactivating treasure tokens or key cards of certain strategies and potentially beat them with their own weapons. So it could be a great meta-dependant sideboard card.
Where it would really shine is in commander, because everybody loves their mana rocks. The downside is you could easily end up being the stax player everbody at the table gangs up on.

Uneven Scales
Artifact (Rare)
As long as Uneven Scales is untapped, whenever a creature dies, its controller gains 1 life.
As long as Uneven Scales is tapped, whenever a creature dies, its controller loses 1 life.
, : You draw two cards and lose 2 life.

The death triggers would make it a great fit for an aristocrats deck, but I think the addition of repeatable card draw is too powerful, even for double its usual rate.

Aurora Convertor
Artifact (Mythic)
Aurora Convertor enters the battlefield tapped with three stun counters on it.
As long as Aurora Convertor is tapped, spells cost 1 more to cast.
As long as Aurora Convertor is untapped, spells cost 1 less to cast.
2, T or 2, Q: Each player draws a card. Any player may activate this ability but only during their turn.

Azorius does its usual thing, slowing their opponents down. It being completely symmetric makes it seem very fair. I would probably need to see it in action to find out how much it's able to screw with the opponent or if paying 2 mana for no real advantage (board or card) over the opponent ends up being not worth it.

Harmonic Resonator 3
Artifact (R)
Whenever a permanent enters the battlefield tapped, if Harmonic Resonator is untapped, untap that permanent.
Whenever a permanent enters the battlefield untapped, if Harmonic Resonator is tapped, tap that permanent.
3, t: Scry 1.

Play your tap-lands untapped, tap this artifact, tax your opponent → Profit! The tap effect would probably be a bit inefficient to achieve this, but there are quite a few cards out there that can tap your artifacts for free and make this really powerful. (like Citanul Stalwart or Moonsnare Prototype)

Top3

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1. Raptorchan
2. Komandon
3. netn10

[Komandon]

Critiques

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Lotus Perfume 0
Artifact (Rare)
As long as Lotus Perfume is tapped, spells your opponents cast cost 1 less to cast.
: Add one mana of any color. Activate only as a sorcery.
Just a single spray from the flacon and the whole world is your friend.

Early game this seems to powerful. Maybe if it cost 2.

Uneven Scales
Artifact (Rare)
As long as Uneven Scales is untapped, whenever a creature dies, its controller gains 1 life.
As long as Uneven Scales is tapped, whenever a creature dies, its controller loses 1 life.
, : You draw two cards and lose 2 life.

It can play both group hug and group slug for the first triggered abilities not combining the tapping effect for repeated draw is bit too much.

Aurora Convertor
Artifact (Mythic)
Aurora Convertor enters the battlefield tapped with three stun counters on it.
As long as Aurora Convertor is tapped, spells cost 1 more to cast.
As long as Aurora Convertor is untapped, spells cost 1 less to cast.
2, T or 2, Q: Each player draws a card. Any player may activate this ability but only during their turn.

I like how anyone play can use its tap effect.

Harmonic Resonator 3
Artifact (R)
Whenever a permanent enters the battlefield tapped, if Harmonic Resonator is untapped, untap that permanent.
Whenever a permanent enters the battlefield untapped, if Harmonic Resonator is tapped, tap that permanent.
3, t: Scry 1.

This I can see would make games confusing. Maybe if it had a sorcery speed tapping to scry. But it does remind me of Archelos, Lagoon Mystic which I like.

Top 3

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1st: netn10
2nd: Raptorchan
3rd: marioguy3

[netn10]

Critique

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Lotus Perfume 0
Artifact (Rare)
As long as Lotus Perfume is tapped, spells your opponents cast cost 1 less to cast.
: Add one mana of any color. Activate only as a sorcery.
Just a single spray from the flacon and the whole world is your friend.

I love 0 cost mana rock designs and see how people tackle their inherit brokenness. Yours gives the player a burst of mana and the opponent the potential to have one too. The card is probably more fine than broken. The flavor text is cute. Lotuses usually give you 3 mana instead of 1 and a mythic seems more appropriate than rare.

Alchemist's Scales 4
Artifact (rare)
As long as Alchemist's Scales is untapped, activated abilities of artifacts your opponents control can not be activated.
Alchemist's Scales has all activated abilities of all artifacts your opponents control. You may spend mana as though it were mana of any color to activate those abilities.

This card makes a lot of sense to me. It locks down the opponent but it gives them an option to break free when you activate a tap ability. It gives you one tap activation each turn and then your opponent breaks free so choose wisely. The card is very printable. I'm not sure if I like the flavor, but it makes sense enough.

Uneven Scales
Artifact (Rare)
As long as Uneven Scales is untapped, whenever a creature dies, its controller gains 1 life.
As long as Uneven Scales is tapped, whenever a creature dies, its controller loses 1 life.
, : You draw two cards and lose 2 life.

You went into the route that I went when I read the challenge - two equally good abilities with a way to toggle between them. You can play this in any deck for its life gain ability, but to toggle you should play it in a black deck. I like this tension. The card looks a little bit underpowered and I'm not sure why it's "uneven scale" because it looks even. Other then that - solid.

Harmonic Resonator 3
Artifact (R)
Whenever a permanent enters the battlefield tapped, if Harmonic Resonator is untapped, untap that permanent.
Whenever a permanent enters the battlefield untapped, if Harmonic Resonator is tapped, tap that permanent.
3, t: Scry 1.

Ah, the two equally good abilities with a way to toggle between them design. WotC should make more of these. The only one I can think of is Sword of the Paruns. Anyways, this looks like a good lock-down card that can be used as a Amulet of Vigor-like combo piece. Symmetrical and clean and solid design.

Top 3

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1st: marioguy3
2nd: shullz
3rd: Komandon

[void_nothing]

And our two finalists are Raptorchan and marioguy3! Final round to come soon...