GCDS Personal Feedback Hotline Thread

This thread is for the top 8 participants of the Great Cardsmith Designer Search to collaborate, post their cards, discuss the challenges, etc.

For specific questions about a challenge or the contest in general aimed at me, please post them in the specific contest thread in question.

Comments

  • Guess I'll kick off the discussion.

    My first card, Impelled Scholar, is a common creature with hybrid mana in its activated ability. Thoughts?

    https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/impelled-scholar
  • What do you guys think about "pseudo-choose one" hybrid design? (Card art and name are placeholders)

    image
  • @Fiskerton, I really like that concept! Just be careful, "4" should be "four."
  • @Fiskerton
    The colour identity seems a little off though. I'd say you designed a {G/B} spell right there more than a {W/B}{G} one.
  • @Temurzoa, thanks!

    @ningyounk, I know black can tutor from the deck straight up, but do they usually have "look at the top X cards" kind of tutors?
  • @fiskerton Every colour has access to this effect, yes, as long as they look for things they normally care for ^^

    But I was actually talking about the first effect being more common in green than white (though we do have Militia Bugler as a counter example showing it would still be kind of fine in White). The black ability is already black, I wouldn't change the colour of this one.

    image image

  • Every turn land destruction seems rude, but those are about the right colors. That's definitely a black white card.
  • Ya, Razing has been updated.

    Here's a new one:
    https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/detome
  • edited November 2018
    Question:

    If I put this on a card with {w} in its mana cost, would it trigger itself on entry?

    Whenever your devotion to white increases, create a 1/1 white Spirit creature token with flying. (Each {w} in the mana costs of permanents you control counts toward your devotion to white.)
  • "If an activated ability or triggered ability has an effect that depends on your devotion to a color, you count the number of mana symbols of that color among the mana costs of permanents you control as the ability resolves. The permanent with that ability will be counted if it’s still on the battlefield at that time."

    This is a ruling from Aspect of Hydra. I think it would trigger itself. Think of it like Constellation 'this card or another enchantment' or the many "when another" abilities. They specify 'another' to say whether or not it includes itself. Without including that, I would assume it counts itself. Perhaps there is an obscure ruling you could find like if Father's Crusade enters the battlefield under a Starfield of Nyx??
  • @Faiths_Guide I'd posit that it doesn't trigger itself. The ability doesn't exist until the card is on the battlefield and your devotion would already be at its new value. There's never a moment where your devotion changes once the ability is in play.
  • Good, we're in agreement.
  • Alright, greatest and highest have both been used in mtg rules text.

    Greatest power and highest converted mana cost for example.

    Which term should be used here:
    "The player with the [blank] devotion to a single color."
  • edited November 2018
    @Faiths_Guide

    Good morning :D I've just read a few of your questions, here are some thoughts though I don't know if I'm too late?

    1) "Whenever your devotion to white increases" ==> The only occurrence of the game using increase or decrease is with hand size. It's possible that the game would actually favour "Whenever you gain/lose devotion" just like life. I don't think that's really important, but it's food for thought.

    2) Does Sincerity Blesser trigger itself? ==> When a creature triggers off of a creature entering the battlefield, you have two templating options: "When CARDNAME or another creature enters the battlefield" or "Whenever another creature enters the battlefield". That's precisely to avoid the confusion you're talking about. Now, I believe "When CARDNAME or another creature enters the battlefield" is actually the same as "When a creature enters the battlefield", they just make it clear like "When you cycle or discard a card" or "Trample + Other creatures you control have trample." What this means is that I believe it does trigger itself (it entering the battlefield and your devotion increasing happen at the same time so it should be able to trigger), but I also believe this confusion is a really big red flag. The game will know what to do, but not the players (and I think this discussion is the perfect example of it.) I'd suggest rewording so the confusion disappears, or adding a reminder text to clear the confusion.

    E.g.
    1) When CARDNAME enters the battlefield or your devotion to white increases.
    2) Put it on a colorless artefact creature.
    3) Reminder text: (This creature's ability triggers when it enters the battlefield.)
  • @ningyounk
    You got to the crux of the issue and voiced my concerns. I think it may function a little different than your examples but those wordings were exactly what was running through my mind, I just couldn't figure out a nice/concise parallel in this instance.

    I'm going to leave it for now (because I'm short on time)!
  • Perhaps (to avoid any confusion) I should've used the more clunky:

    Whenever another permanent entering the battlefield causes your devotion to white to increase, create a 1/1 white Spirit creature token with flying.
  • The "devoted to" wording you had before could've worked.

    Whenever a permanent devoted to white enters the battlefield under your control, create a 1/1 white Spirit creature token with flying. (A permanent is devoted to white if it has white mana in its casting cost.)
  • Oooh, that would've been smart.

    I was also thinking about exploring the "amount" a permanent was devoted to a color as playing a part.
This discussion has been closed.