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Post by gamma3 on Jul 15, 2021 4:45:38 GMT
Common #10
Verdant Guardian   Creature - Elemental Trample When Verdant Guardian enters the battlefield, you may destroy target artifact or enchantment. If you do, that permanent's controller investigates. (That player creates a colorless Clue artifact token with  , Sacrifice this artifact: Draw a card)"Your cities damage the natural order! I am here to bring balance!"5/5 Playtest name: Eco-Terrorist
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Post by quazerflame on Jul 15, 2021 9:15:35 GMT
Uncommon #1(Modal DFC) Cassidy, Museum Curator   Legendary Creature - Goblin Citizen  ,  , Sacrifice an artifact: Draw a card. If the sacrificed artifact was a Treasure, put a +1/+1 counter on ~. The love of his life was killed for the pearls on her neck.1/3 // Cassidy, The Ruby Eyes  Legendary Creature - Goblin Rogue , Sacrifice an artifact: ~ gains double strike until end of turn. If the sacrificed artifact was a Clue, put a +1/+1 counter on it. Now he follows the trail of stolen gems that leads to her murderers.3/1
Finally figured out how to represent a superhero in this world: civilian identity and hero identity!
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Post by gamma3 on Jul 16, 2021 14:06:28 GMT
Uncommon #2
Hot on Their Heels  Instant Untap target creature you control. It gains indestructible until end of turn.
Investigate. If an opponent is attacking, investigate again.
"Come on! They went this way!"
Art direction: Action: two uniformed guards, one gesturing for the other to follow down an alley or side street
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Post by lordpat on Jul 16, 2021 18:45:50 GMT
Exotic Whims Instant Choose one: - Create two 1/1 blue Birds tokens with flying.
- Create a 3/3 Tiger token with trample.
They act like they are above the law. And to be fair, they are.
I mean, supervillains need pets too.
EDIT: Changed Parrots to Birds because tribal.
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foureyesisafish
7/7 Elemental
Posts: 388
Favorite Set: Ikoria: Lair of the Behemoths
Color Alignment: Blue, Red, Green
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Post by foureyesisafish on Jul 17, 2021 15:21:13 GMT
Mythic Rare #1:I need some practice, so here we go! Annette, Private Investigator Legendary Creature - Human Insect Rogue  Haste Whenever Annette and two or more other creatures you control attack, investigate. 2/2 /////////////////////////////////////////// Anne, One Woman Army Legendary Planeswalker - Anne When Anne, One Woman Army enters the battlefield, you get an emblem with "If you would investigate, you may put a loyalty counter on a planeswalker you control instead."  : Create a 1/1 white Human Soldier creature token.  : Creatures you control get +1/+1 and gain haste until end of turn.  : You get an emblem with "Whenever a creature you control attacks, investigate." 
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Post by ZephyrPhantom on Jul 19, 2021 20:39:34 GMT
Looks like people really enjoyed this prompt. I can't judge right this moment unfortunately but I will get to it by the end of this week.
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Post by ZephyrPhantom on Jul 21, 2021 4:04:04 GMT
Judging: {Spoiler} lordpat - Substance Shifter - Agreed that this is a bend but for an amount this small (not unlike cantrips in White) I think it's definitely okay. I like that you can exploit it and that you immediately introduced a way to make ally color and enemy color themes work in draft. Solid starting common. Low Ranking Officer - Given the card before this one I think you took the best of an awkward lot and turned it into an excellent opportunity to represent crime vs law. This is one of my favorite cards in the pack as a whole because I think it really communicates that choice of taking the bribe or rejecting it and investigating further by making it the player's own choice. Moonlight Vigilant - A borderline superhero-style card at common, very interesting. I think making at least some heroes build off the already existing themes of law enforcement is smart, as is rewarding Clue usage by decreasing raw cost to combat the acceleration/manafixing that Treasures offer. I also like that this is the right amount of mana such that you can actually sacrifice a Clue and play this card on the same turn - effectively turning the clue into a pseudo-cantrip creature. Exotic Whims - Seems like a more flavor-heavy design but between the constant Exploit usage of the set and the general leanings towards combat in the final cards I think this fits fairly well. Definitely seems like a card that would be fun to paint and read, and sets do need cards like those. Overall: All of your designs are pretty smart and look like they fit well in different areas of the set. You reuse straightfoward effects in a way that feels fresh and show that sometimes even the most basic designs can excite players if they are done correctly. quazerflame - Illegal Material - As an early design I really like this even if things ultimately didn't go its way. I think had this come later in the pack it would be a Treasure. Decent manafixer for limited that works flavorwise. Doomed Sweetheart - Solid Doomed Traveler reference. I like the rewarding sacrifice because it implicitly links White and Black together even if White hasn't seen a single use of Exploit among the designs presented. The story of the card is conveyed very well and I think this competes with Low Ranking Officer for one of my favorite cards of the set. Bury the Truth - Alternative uses of tokens to represent manipulation of evidence, bribes, or other shady actions is very cool. I like that this feels like a design that would be very hard to put anywhere else flavorfully despite the fact it's such a simple mechanical design that could fit in a lot of places because of how focused on crime drama Purator is. Cassidy, Museum Curator - Oof. Maybe I wasn't clear enough with the design direction, but between the sample card and the design notes I did imply that superheroes should be ally colored (and that to a lesser degree they wouldn't mingle with the criminal elements). Kind of sucks honestly because you represent the duality between Treasure and Clue extremely well and if any color pairing was going to use both I think Izzet makes a good argument for being that pairing. I think I'll ultimately give this one a pass and say that it makes its case for breaking that divide well enough, because it used the previous elements of the set shown in a way that I am convinced superheroes could masquerade as the ordinary rabble passing things along. Overall - You were both a bit lucky and unlucky but I think the main strength of your card's pitches comes from the fact they all sensibly fit into the plane well and demonstrate different things about it via mechanics that put new spins on the existing themes and mechanics of the set. gamma3 - Violent Thug - Great flavor design and simple but accurate exploit filler that hasn't been done yet. Cards like these are needed in sets more often than we'd think, I feel. Fondor-Gang Harbingers - Interesting how it can essentially trade Treasures into Clues. There's a lot of unseen flexibility in this card that would only become clear in Draft, I feel. Good flavor of criminal chaos calling in an investigation no matter what as well while cleverly fitting WotC's standards of softer LD. Verdant Guardian - I like the card but I do feel a bit eh about it basically being the next card in the cycle to Fondor-Gang Harbringers. It's a good design, but with so much space for Treasures, Clues, and what else (especially given your next card), I feel like it was a bit of a waste of a slot. Hot on Their Heels - This is a really cool uncommon in that it imagines the law enforcement theme in an entirely different way, and gives the set a different mechanical subtheme (combat) while not compromising on any of the previous themes like sacrifice, death, and clues. I like that it's so well put together that it doesn't even feel like someone forcefully jammed "White card draw" into this card's design notes, even if that's what every EDH player under the sun would treat this as. Overall - I feel like you phoned it in a little in the middle in a series of good to great entries, but your final card is extremely interesting all on its own and deserves mention just for that. dangerousdice - Blazeskin Mercenary - I was honestly iffy about the use of Treasure at first when I'd suggested the focus token of the set was Investigate (i.e. the design seemed to randomly go against the prompt) but later entries did show that using Treasures to identify criminals and Clues to identify law enforcement is a surprisingly good setup. It makes rating this card's placement a bit weird but at the same time I suppose that's something the Booster Pack Game can do that no other game can - give a nice, quick snapshot at how things change over the course of development. I'll give credit where it's due and say it was a great design for the final product, but it definitely lucked out a bit and things could've gone in the other direction. Overall - I think if I was going to show Treasure was involved in the set, I wouldn't have started with the card you did. It was a good twist that worked out for the better though. foureyesisafish - Annette, Private Investigator - I had to really think about how to judge 'heroic' cards not being ally color this set, and during the process of reviewing Cassidy I ultimately determined that given the initial prompt, I would judge 'hero' cards by determining if they would have convinced me to throw away the idea that heroes were ally colors while criminals were enemy colors (which in Cassidy's case, was the clever use of playing with both token types to represent Civilian vs Hero). Let's see if this card holds up. Interestingly, you probably could've gotten away with just flavoring Anne as a PW naturally doing the things she normally does, but since you chose to represent her in the MDFC-'hero' mold that was previously established by quazerflame, that means she'll be evaluated under the premise of her being a hero card. Battalion also seems like an appropriate followup to the previous implications that White will play lots of creatures no matter what and try to attack with them, too, so the front half seems like a fairly straightforward interpretation of how the set would be if heroes were allowed to be enemy colored. I think its only flaw is that it risks suffering the typical complaint of Boros being only about combat, but as Strixhaven limited has recently shown Boros being about combat is exactly what Boros is best at, so that's not necessarily a bad thing, especially when the back half fuels it well as a straightforward value engine. As I've said before, there's a place for cards like those in these sets, and this could be one of them. Anne is also one of the few PWs that could get away with plausibly having her back and front half on the field flavorwise at the same time without having to resort to illusions or mana construct handwaving, so that's cool too. Now, about the back half's first mechanic - this makes a pretty bold claim by essentially forcing the Investigate mechanic to fuel Anne's gimmicks instead, taking the earlier nudges at the ability to manipulate Investigate tokens for 'corrupt law' effects and essentially saying that Anne is fueling the law to her own shady ends and means.......on a card that is using the 'hero' template. I feel like this would be a good design for Return to Purator because the idea of a traitor in the hero group generally arises once heroes are more well established in hero, but for the initial set I feel like it already takes a premise that was being reworked and revised and sort of stands on two different shaky grounds at once (what a 'hero' card should be instead of the initial definition, what Investigate is supposed to represent). I almost feel like this would be a better card if the character wasn't Anne or more strongly embraced that it was Anne - like, maybe make the tokens red Insect Soldiers instead or something. As is I feel like it's halfway between wanting to be distinctly Anne and being a Boros PW with Anne's name on it and that just kind of doesn't feel right, especially when this card has to successfully convince me to go against the prompt's direction. Overall - I think you should've made this feel more like Anne in the same way some of the best comic adaptations play some of the less plausible things straight without losing their 'cool' face. You might not be able to do Planeswalkers-matter but you could've made a greater allusion to her Insect nature even without fundamentally changing the design. 1st: lordpat - Sometimes simple is best! Your designs were airtight and whether intentionally or not you had a lot of subtle design touches that showcased what the set was about well. I think of the cards I liked the most, Low Ranking Officer is literally the card I would use to pitch this set if I ever got into card making on a larger scale again. I'm really impressed by how you took one of the pack's weirder pivots and turned it into one of the most iconic themes of the set in a single card. 2nd: quazerflame - I really liked your unusual mechanical pitches and while you made a pretty bold move ignoring the prompt your presentation of hero cards is well done enough that I was convinced doing it this way would be more interesting. Well done! |
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Post by lordpat on Jul 21, 2021 4:30:19 GMT
Thanks very much for the win! All of the things you mentioned were intentional, I had a blast with this one.
Honestly, this game inspired me to look back at a Mafia-style/Sherlock based sketch of a set I had a couple of years ago, and go back to the drawing board (the set had serious mechanical flaws...). I'm working on it again and hopefully I can make it work this time, so these types of games can help out a lot! Thanks for that too!
I'll be trying to give a prompt on Thursday/Friday, so stay tuned in. Same bat-hour. Same bat-thread!
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Post by quazerflame on Jul 21, 2021 5:32:24 GMT
ZephyrPhantom The reason I chose to go with the enemy color pair for Cassidy (who is in fact the same goblin that the human in Doom Sweetheart is talking to) is because of one simple fact: I completely missed your implication that heroes were supposed to be ally-colored. The way I saw it, even if the superheros of the setting were supposed to be genuinely heroic, the world is set up in a similar fashion to Gotham City from Batman. Even though there are plenty in the police force that appreciate the work Batman does, he's still operating outside the law with his vigilantism, and he is effectively a criminal in Gotham's eyes. Ally colors represent a harmony, and I saw the act of enforcing the law by breaking it as a distinctly enemy-paired act because of the double-standard. Regardless of how effective and even needed the heroes' works are, they are absolutely operating outside the laws as they exist. On a side note, a hero like Superman in this context would absolutely be ally-colored. The people opposing Superman (Lex Luthor in particular) are clearly villainous, and Superman's efforts are otherwise universally applauded, giving him an unofficial role has a peacekeeper in Metro City.
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foureyesisafish
7/7 Elemental
Posts: 388
Favorite Set: Ikoria: Lair of the Behemoths
Color Alignment: Blue, Red, Green
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Post by foureyesisafish on Jul 21, 2021 12:58:13 GMT
ZephyrPhantom I honestly had no idea that the heroes were supposed to be allied colors. I just used Anne's normal color set for this one. Though the implication that Anne might be using her position in the law for her own ends... it doesn't exactly fit her character, but if she's decided that both sides of the law hurt the common people more than they help... that may be an interesting story. Perhaps Anne isn't even working with the law at all, stopping the villains with her own sense of vigilante sleuthing. The investigate thing on the back was more of "how can I make Anne's planeswalker tribal elements be synergistic while not making the front be entirely useless in another deck?" The answer? Piggyback off another mechanic, in this case investigate. The tokens being humans instead of insects is supposed to represent Anne recruiting some private investigators or mercenaries to assist her in her vigilante efforts, but I would probably change them to Insects if I were to redo the card.
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Post by ZephyrPhantom on Jul 22, 2021 0:41:01 GMT
Thanks for the feedback, guys. I think next time I'll choose form over function and make sure everything about a set is clearly stated before the round starts. I also really enjoyed hearing everyone's thought processes on the designs.  |
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Post by lordpat on Jul 22, 2021 7:28:16 GMT
ARTISTS OF CANDEZZA
 Credit to mrainbowjj on DeviantArt for such a stunning piece!Welcome to Candezza! Things here are not like you are used to! Ineed, here art and creativity not only serves the soul, but also gives kings, emperors and aristocrats power! The plane itself reacts ina unique way to art, illuminating the souls of humans, allowing them to think of brilliant ideas, or even making the wild and land of the Candezza itself bend to the will of the artist. And more importantly, to the people who own the art... Indeed, far from a luxury, art is a valuable resource in Candezza. The strength of a kingdom is often meassured by the quality of its pieces. And rulers know how to take advantage of this.Among the many kingdoms, five large schools hold influence over several of them. The painters, the sculptors, the writters and performers, the musicians and the architects. Each of these aproaches lead to drasitcally different results, however, there have been many instances of colaboration between styles for absolutely stunning pieces. Here is a creation of the sculptors, for example:Eternal Ponderer Enchantment Artifact  At the beginning of your upkeep, choose one:- Scry 1, then put a thought counter on ~.
- Remove all thought counters from ~, then draw that many cards.
Although the kings, emperors and noblemen of Candezza compete each other for the greatest pieces, and in turn the greatest army and economy, lately new movements have started to emerge. Smaller investors, creators that appeal to a different crowd, fed up with the cruel and materalistic aristocrats. New ideas, maybe dangerous, are starting to circulate the many villages and towns. Ideas of who should rule, ideas of fairness and justice...
{Spoiler} For unknown reasons, it seems that this world enjoys creativity, ingenuity and sucsess of all kinds. As such, achieving great feats will grant you mysterious and unique abilties....
Mechanically speaking, Candezza is an allied color set, with each color pair representing a different school/form of the ones listed above. Which is which is up to you! The only restriction is that Sculpture must be part blue (so that Eternal Ponderer makes sense). - Candezza is an allied color set, with each color pair representing a different school/form of the ones listed above. Which is which is up to you! The only restriction is that Sculpture must be part blue (so that Eternal Ponderer makes sense). So Sculpture could be or
 - The set has an enchanment theme. The mystical properties of Art are represented with enchantments, although feel free to try out different things, enchantment creatures, sagas, auras and whatever else you think might work is welcome and encouraged.
- And in general, considering this is a set about art, creativity, etc. I encourage you to try to play around and maybe go with some weird or unconventional things. I'd want at least another new mechanic, and hopefully even more!
When I judge, I will put a lot of focus on making sure how the entries work with the previous ones, so try to make cards that really work and make other cards before it fit! Also, the flavor so far is pretty undefined so you can add whatever you want, I think there is a clear renassaince leaning here and feel free to exploit that however you think confortable!
Hope you enjoy and happy card creating everyone!!
Common #1 goes to the first one to post!
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Post by ZephyrPhantom on Jul 22, 2021 17:36:59 GMT
We've discussed mechanical references to previous packs before - how about a narrative reference?Egon's Harpist Creature - Spirit Bard  Whenever you cast a spell with mana value 2, you gain 1 life. 1/1 "Many forget that the fundamentals of old let us sing the elaborate marvels of now. The Conductor remembers, and for that my harp will follow his movement."Soul Warden variant that supports a softer variant of breakthroughs that can help weenie strategies or a bad draft pool. The fixed value also reflects a sort of mechanical in-between between the plane's mechanics and Egon's strict views on how music should be composed - typically, on turn 2 in a white weenie, you're playing exactly one 2 mana creature to follow up on your 1 mana one. Might seem like a bold move but the idea of a Planeswalker already obsessed with music seems like a solid fit for this plane. I'm also using Bard as a more catch-all term for musicians in general. |
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Post by quazerflame on Jul 22, 2021 21:49:55 GMT
Common #2Steal Credit Instant Counter target spell. Create a Treasure token. "It's definitely my own work. I don't know what he's talking about."
Stealing and selling off other people's work is rampant in the art world.
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foureyesisafish
7/7 Elemental
Posts: 388
Favorite Set: Ikoria: Lair of the Behemoths
Color Alignment: Blue, Red, Green
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Post by foureyesisafish on Jul 22, 2021 23:46:48 GMT
Common #3Oh yeah, you ready for a common that introduces a lot of mechanics? Paint-Thread Spider  Enchantment Creature - Art Spider Constellation--Whenever Paint-Thread Spider or another enchantment creature enters the battlefield under your control, put a reach counter on target creature. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Go, my fellow painting! Go out and taste the birds!" -Sierra, Self-Portrait2/2 Yeah, hybrid, enchantment creatures, black-bordered art, ability counters and a new character all on the same card.
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Post by quazerflame on Jul 23, 2021 1:06:52 GMT
Common #4
Blazing Performance Enchantment Whenever you make a breakthrough, ~ deals damage to any target equal to that spell's mana value. (You achieve a breakthrough by casting a permanent spell with greater mana valuethan each permanent you control.)Dance like the flames.
Is it too early to claim the mythic rare slot? I have a character that I'd love to slip into this world, a Black-Red aetherborn planeswalker who is all about enjoying life to the fullest, and this plane is *amazing* for them.
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foureyesisafish
7/7 Elemental
Posts: 388
Favorite Set: Ikoria: Lair of the Behemoths
Color Alignment: Blue, Red, Green
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Post by foureyesisafish on Jul 23, 2021 1:37:03 GMT
Common #5:no you're too late quazerflame I already have a named character who's going in the mythic slotAll joking aside, if I remember correctly, we changed the rules so we can have multiple rares/mythic rares. Gravepage Novelist Creature - Human Warlock When Gravepage Novelist enters the battlefield, you may exile a creature card from your graveyard. If you do, create a 2/2 black Zombie enchantment creature token. -------------------------------------------------------------- Some writers think their work is to die for. Others beg to differ.2/2 So currently we have BR writers and performers, RG painters, W? musicians, and U? sculptors.
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Post by quazerflame on Jul 23, 2021 3:26:26 GMT
Common #6Piercing Note Sorcery Destroy up to one target creature with flying. If you've had a breakthrough this turn, you may put a trample counter on a creature you control.
Breakthrough payoff on a nonpermanent and locking music into GW. The art probably would look like a glowing green arrow flying from a singer's mouth and striking a flying monster through the chest or something like that.
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foureyesisafish
7/7 Elemental
Posts: 388
Favorite Set: Ikoria: Lair of the Behemoths
Color Alignment: Blue, Red, Green
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Post by foureyesisafish on Jul 23, 2021 3:47:32 GMT
Common #7
Screw it, time for a common tapland. But not just any common tapland!
Maplepaint Forest
Enchantment Land - Mountain Forest
Indestructible.
~ enters the battlefield tapped.
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Post by ZephyrPhantom on Jul 23, 2021 5:04:49 GMT
quazerflame - Packs are now allowed to go over-capacity so people can make as many rares as they want.  Also dang I was briefly considering WU for Musicians but now that I think of it WU makes a lot of sense for Sculptors given how rigid we perceive rock as. Common #8Wall of Whispering Marble  Enchantment Creature - Wall Defender (This creature can’t attack.)Constellation--Whenever Wall of Whispering Marble or another enchantment creature enters the battlefield under your control, scry 1. (Look at the top card of your library. You may put that card on the bottom of your library.)0/4 It whispers bits of dreams chiseled into it, of precious objects that should be carved beyond its ramparts.Trying to build on foureyesisafish's Paint-Thread Spider in an interesting way. I was inspired by Wall of Runes and Wall of Omens. Satyr Enchanter indicates draw a card would be the Uncommon level of power of a card like this for Limited's sake so I think this is safe at Common since Scry 1 is generally considered slower. (Surprisingly enough there hasn't been a Constellation card that uses scry before.)
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foureyesisafish
7/7 Elemental
Posts: 388
Favorite Set: Ikoria: Lair of the Behemoths
Color Alignment: Blue, Red, Green
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Post by foureyesisafish on Jul 23, 2021 5:25:44 GMT
Common #9Well, I gotta do something for architects, don't I? Prying Statue  Enchantment Creature - Statue Rogue Whenever you achieve a breakthrough, target player mills two cards. ------------------------------------------ The architects have eyes and blades everywhere.2/3
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Post by quazerflame on Jul 23, 2021 6:57:13 GMT
Common #10Stonegazer's Chisel Artifact , : Target creature you control becomes an artifact until end up turn. Put a +1/+1 counter on it. (It's not a creature while it's an artifact.)Candezza's gorgons are not opposed to making improvements on their already completed work.
Imagine if, instead of killing people, gorgons temporarily turned people to stone and make improvements to their petrified form. Still horrifying, but amazing in white, especially because you can make a creature dodge a removal spell and improve them in the same go.
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Post by ZephyrPhantom on Jul 23, 2021 7:21:22 GMT
We're really burning through this one aren't we?  Uncommon #1Deft Sabotage Instant Target player reveals their hand. You choose a nonland artifact or nonland enchantment card from it with mana value 3 or less. That player discards that card. "Those that believe their works indestructible will find themselves sorely disappointed when they cannot even begin to construct them." - Animara VectisSeemingly narrow compared to Duress or Inquisition of Kozilek, but keep in mind that this is a plane that seems to love enchantments (and artifacts to a lesser degree). Of the 5 'artist' archetypes listed, it seems fairly sensible for Architects to be the most adept at planning at the design step...and thus, the wisest at stopping others before the construction even starts. Typically this kind of effect isn't at Instant speed, but with the increased narrowness of the effect and essentially being a pseudo-counterspell, I think is a fair cost. It actually reminds me of how Shadow of Doubt can shut down fetches and tutors out of nowhere when I think of it, or a sort of Annul that's been tweaked into a Dimir discard spell. |
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Post by quazerflame on Jul 23, 2021 8:16:22 GMT
Uncommon #2Reckless Admirer Creature - Dwarf Merchant ~ attacks each combat if able. Whenever ~ attacks, you may discard a card. If you discard an artifact or enchantment card this way, draw a card, and ~ gains +1/+0 and first strike until end of turn. 3/2 "Oh, look at this one! Here, catch!"
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foureyesisafish
7/7 Elemental
Posts: 388
Favorite Set: Ikoria: Lair of the Behemoths
Color Alignment: Blue, Red, Green
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Post by foureyesisafish on Jul 23, 2021 8:41:01 GMT
Uncommon #3You know what it's time for? Lands, that's what. Marble CoastLand Marble Coast enters the battlefield tapped unless you control a Plains or an Island. , Sacrifice Marble Coast: Search your library for a Plains or Island card, put it on the battlefield, then shuffle.
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Post by quazerflame on Jul 23, 2021 8:47:44 GMT
Rare Slot #1Divit, Sponsor from Elsewhere Legendary Planeswalker - Divit : Create a Treasure token. You may pay 2 life. If you do, create another Treasure token. : Target noncreature artifact becomes a 2/2 Aetherborn Vampire creature in addition to its other types and gains lifelink and deathtouch.  : You may sacrifice X Treasures. If you do, return up to one target creature card, up to one artifact card, and up to one enchantment card with mana value X or less from a graveyard to the battlefield under your control. Starting Loyalty: 
Divit is a "gifted" aetherborn from Kaladesh. They had a dwarf lover who encouraged them to drain little bits of his life so that they could stay together longer. One day this draining killed him, and Divit's spark ignited out of grief. They have since learned that they can infuse lives they have drained into new aetherborn-like bodies. And so for sometime now, Divit and their lover have been exploring the multiverse, adding the unfortunate and desperate to their ever-lengthening party. Divit looks like a violet fire elemental ever since their spark ignited. I imagine the art of this card showing them surrounded by various art pieces they've purchased, animated with similar violet flames.
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Post by lordpat on Jul 23, 2021 16:06:15 GMT
Jesus! You guys are absolutely mad! I'm glad you liked the prompt and I will start jugding soon. Before that, I'd like to make some comment. - In general I'm very glad with your ideas and there is a lot of great flavor. I think you emrbaced the idea of the plane and I couldn't be happier about it. Lots of unique and weird designs.
- Separating architects and sculptors was a mistake on my part, they should've been lumped together and I should have separated writters and performers. Although the color cominbations you ended up with were not the same I thought of, they were all very reasonable.
- Because of my request for unique designs, I won't complain about complexity at common at all (but obviously things like drafting are still taken into account).
- I'm a bit surprised that with the breakthrough mechanic, so much fixing and a decent amount of ramp we never got to see an expensive mana card. It's a bit of a shame too, but to be fair you can't expect to see an entire set just off one pack.
- Thanks for the enthusiasm, I am glad that this prompt worked! I was afraid that it was too similar to the song plane, but I can see that mechanically and flavorly there were a lot of great and unique ideas.
I do not know how long it will take me to judge this, to please be patient. I assume that by tomrrow the judgings should be posted, maybe today.
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Post by lordpat on Jul 23, 2021 17:21:33 GMT
Le Judging: {Spoiler}
ZephyrPhantomEgon's Harpist: The idea of an another pw from this game in this plane is great, and it makes a lot of sense flavor wise. The card itself however, I'm not that fond of. I like having a 1-drop for white limited strategies, and mana-value caring cards do make sense from a flavor perspective. In fact, the flavor of the card is perfect. My problem is that it requires you to jump through too many hoops to get anything. And even then, you get something very small. I'd suggest you add a "Scry 1" to the end of it (also makes sense from the flavor's text perspective). In general though, I think it's a bit too tough to trigger and you're getting a very small reward. Giving it a slightly better body could also help a bit (I'm thinking 1/2 here). Wall of Wispering Marble: My pick for your strongest card. It is simple but effective, and again, great flavor. I will say that it is odd to see sculptors making walls (and the next card consists of architects making statues xd, that made me chuckle), but other than that, a very simple and nice design. I think it could cost 2 mana, but it's mostly good and sets up sculptors as a more defensive school mechanically. Letting it scry instead of drawing a card is 100% the right call, as it would otherwise be impactful and dangerous at common (especially as a hybrid card). Deft Sabotage: Building from common #9, I like this direction of architects being the spies, having eyes everywhere, silently sabotaging others, using their constructions to ruin the days of others. It's a great idea, and probably work well as a more controlling school with maybe some tempo thrown in. So, again, great flavor. However, mechanics wise, yet once again, not a huge fan. I think the idea of UB hating on artifacts and enchantments via discard is great! But this is just too narrow. I mean, unlike cards like Nature's Claim, you don't know if your opponent is going to have an artifact or enchantment in hand, let alone with mana value 3 or less. This is going to wiff so many times and it's going to be such a feel bad card. And even if you do hit... you just got an instant speed inquisition for 2 mana which is likely not even above rate. I'd suggest making it general discard and rewarding you if you pick an artifact or enchantment (for example, letting you draw a card.) I don't know how to balance it, but I think there is something here for sure, as it is a very clever way to give UB some hate that they will 100% need in this set. Overall: Flavor-wise, your design is really solid. Mechanics wise, Egon's Harpist and Deft Sabotage seem to have some issues. Wall of Wispering Marble, however, is a very clean and great design. In general you had less cards than the other two, but you still played off a fair bit with the previous entries. I think your first common was likely the one that felt the most desolated as the rest of the pack was being made, but that is to be expected. You did a good job as a whole, as I do think that your others design could be fixed. Deft Sabotage I think needs to be changed but is likely a very important card for a set like this.
quazerflame
Steal Credit: One of my picks for best flavor in the pack (and that's saying something, the flavor was in general very strong). It's so good in that regard I don't even have anything to say. I am a bit wary however of the powerlevel, as it seems too strong. Being able to counter their three drop and play your five drop next turn is an insane tempo swing, and at common, a bit too dangerous. Even in constructed, it is on the scary side. However, since permanents are a big focus of the set, spells do need to be a bit more powerful to compete. Blazing Performance: Evocative imagary, and amazing idea for a design. But also extremely broken. You play this on turn one, and you probably just win in limited. Anything they play will likely just die by you curving our naturally. This needs to cost more without a shadow of a doubt. I mean, just playing a six drop allows you to deal 6 damage to an opponent or kill their best creature. Should likely be a rare too, this is an effect that having too many of would be too much for limited. Piercing Note: Socery speed 1 mana plummet is intresting, and again, spells being a bit on the strong side is fine for a set that is so strongly based on permanents. I am not very sure how I feel about cards that care about you achieving a breakthrough that turn, it might be a bit tough to track, but I do think that it could work. The card itself is solid, although the flavor of it seems a bit lost to me. (Why is it giving something trample?) Still, using trample counters as a reward is once again a very good idea, and I love that you can just use this as a way to give a creature trample. Stonegazer's Chissel: One of my favourite cards no doubt. Worldbuilding, unique approach to gorgons, oozing with flavor, just great. I think dodging all removal at common is too scary, again, it might lead to some nongames happening. I'd be more happy with this being a one shot thing, and being balanced apropiately. You can also block and before damage is dealt turn your creature into an artifact so have a free block. I like the diversity, I like the choices, I like the flavor, but it's likely too impactful at common, especially because this is at the end of the day 3 mana to put a +1/+1 counter on a creature you control. I think this would be perfectly fine at uncommon though. Reckless admirerer: The flavor text made me chuckle, and great flavor as a whole. I like the simplicity of the card, but I find it odd that you can discard a non-enchantment, non artifact card. I'd just have it be "you may discard an artifact or enchanment card" and the rest of the ability. I could also see it looting always, but giving the attack bonus if the discarded card is an artifact or enchantment, or viceversa. Still, some cards speak on their own and this is one of them. One of the best cards of the pack. Divit: This card is banananas. In the good way and in the bad way. It's a very unique character, it's a type of planeswalker we don't really get to see much, it interacts very well with itself as the -1 and -X synergize very well with its +1, I love the lifeloss on the first ability, I love the -X, very cool and very fitting for Candezza. It's also way, way broken. It's so powerful that Okko is afraid of them. This allows you to have seven mana on turn 3. That is ultimatum mana, that is prime time mana and an extra mana to spare. And also, it's on a 2 mana planesalkwer, but jus kidding it's actually a free planeswalker because of it's +1. The +1 cannot exist as it currently does, it just gives you way too much mana and mana fixing for a 2 mana planeswalker. I love the story of Divit and the way that it's represented on the card, its -1 reflects his abilties so well, but the card needs to be reworked probably. Still, no doubt that there is an absolutely amazing design if you manage to rethink some things. Overall: You had some of the best cards, some of the best flavor, but you also got some very problematic and likely broken cards. I think that still means you did a great job, as a strong point of this challenge is to try out weird and unique designs and you passed that with flying colors. Chissel is one of the most creative cards I've seen, reckless admirerer is a very simple but strong card, steal credit is a great card on flavor and piercing note is an intresting and clever hate against flying. Divit and blazing performance also have great ideas behind them, but strike me as way too powerful and problematic, but even then I can see a great design behind them. You played off well with other cards and designs, but not that much. Still, great job.
FoureyesisafishPaint thread spider: My favourite card of the set, and precisely the type of stupid thing that I was expecting. I can imagine drooling paint forming spider webs, and a spider of all colors looking at the player from the frame. Now, the card pushed the set into action and gave it a lot of momentum. Individually: - Black bordered art: Perfect.
- Hybrid: A very very smart choice. The prompt said that different schools worked together, so hybrid was a great way to push that. Also, clearly breakthrough encourages you to play strong and bombastic cards, so having a set with a lot of fixing, hybrid, etc. was a very good idea.
- Ability counters: Did not see this one coming, but it makes sense, seeing as many of this are creations, I can see artists granting them special and unique powers and that being represented with ability counters. Solid idea too, and very unexpected.
- Constelation: So.. this is one Ipm not a huge fan of. The thing is breakthrough is already a mechanic that cares about permanents entering the battlefields and giving you incremental advantages, and I was honestly hoping for a different enchantment based mechanic. Still however, it is a very natural choice and it did work out really well in the end.
Amazing flavor, and this was a card that pushed the pack forward, so in that regard I think you made an amazing job. The card itself is pretty simple, maaybe some would argue that giving red a 2 mana 2/2 reach is too powerful but I disagree. I will say that reach would have not been my first choice for something like this, as it is something you generally don't need a lot of, but still, great job here.
Gravepage Novelist: Yes! Enchantment creature tokens is a great idea with constelation. And in general the card is just well balanced, the flavor text is cheeky, and it's a very effective card. In summary, it's simple but simple effective cards are crucial to make sets tick. Also, although this wasn't explored that much, having B have a graveyard subtheme is a good idea.
Mapleplain forest: I'm loving it, fixing in a set that is built arround casting greater and greater enchantments and artifacts and boards growing and growing are very important. This triggers constelation, but also dodges enchantment hate which is a very good idea. So yes, very clever inclusion and I do not think at all this is too powerful at all. If MH2 can do it, so can we. I do have a problem with the card. You can't have a forest on the name of a card that is also a mountain, it feels unfair to the poor mountain : (
Prying Statue: Architects are tough. I knew coming in they would be the most difficult. But you hit the ball out of the park. Architects being spies that know all the secret passages, that have spies and statues everywhere, that is a fantastic idea and works great in the color combination they were relegated to. The card itself, besides the fact that it is hilarious that the architects made a statue and the sculptors made a wall with common #8, is very solid. Maybe this wasn't intentional, but gravepact novelist works really well with this card, and in general I like this approach towards control/mill. I would expect more graveyard shennanigans to appear on the set and this card would likely only get better.
Marble Coast: I'm going to be very honest with you and tell that you probably didn't need to make this card. Don't make me wrong, I really like it and it's a type of land cycle that wizards would do, but I think part of the game is trying to explore multiple directions of the set. And being the last uncommon, I think you should have gone with something different to explore and another edge or idea, like maybe a payoff for all the fixing you had been making and after all the breakthrough cards that were made... . Still, as I said, I do like this land cycle and fixing would be very important in a set like this.
Overall: You were the one that pushed the set the most I feel. Although your designs weren't that creative, they were still very intresting and always pushing the set in a new direction, but one that made sense. You tried to give the set a lot of cohesion, and you still offered great flavor all in all. My biggest conearn is Marble Coast, which is a great land, but as I said, should have probalby gone with something different.
The winner is Foureyesisafish!
I am so happy that you all enjoyed the prompt so much, that you did work together and that you outdid yourselves in flavor and creativity. The challenge was very difficult because you had to choose the color combinations for the schools organically, but you did a great job on that front. I am very happy with how it all turned out. Congratulations!!
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foureyesisafish
7/7 Elemental
Posts: 388
Favorite Set: Ikoria: Lair of the Behemoths
Color Alignment: Blue, Red, Green
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Post by foureyesisafish on Jul 23, 2021 18:15:43 GMT
I’ll be working on the next prompt in a little bit, but I just wanted to say that I am so tempted to steal this idea now I love it so much. Maybe we could do it as some sort of community project with your permission lordpat? |
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Post by lordpat on Jul 23, 2021 18:48:41 GMT
Of course! This is as much mine as it is yours! If you want to make it a community thing that's perfect too. Of course, ask permision of others if you want to use the cards they designed. The ones I made at the beginning are totally fine.
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