Mystery Box Challenges

Globert-the-Martian

@jpastor One box, please! I’d like a shot at putting this monster down.

Shelko

• A Mystery Challenge: Create a card that revolves around the concept of fate or destiny.
  

https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/iridescence-surge


Could I open another box please?

jpastor

@Globert-the-Martian @Shelko
Your mystery box contains:

The Shadow Maw, angered by the setback of the previous card, responds with its own magic.


https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/shadowed-influence

• A Mystery Challenge: Create a green creature card that is a representation of a mythical creature from real-world folklore or mythology, and give it an ability that reflects the creature's lore or legend.

Shelko

• A Mystery Challenge: Create a green creature card that is a representation of a mythical creature from real-world folklore or mythology, and give it an ability that reflects the creature's lore or legend.

https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/anitos-of-the-woods


Anitos are ancestral spirits in Phillipine mythology. This card design is a particular take based on the vision developped by the artist Brian Valeza that painted this nice artwork. I'll give you a link to the artstation page of this piece below. Here's their personal description and interpretation: ''Anitos are forest spirits, ancestral spirits or deities / In my story Anitos are sleeping guardians, sent by the old gods to guard specific places, benign engkantos and other beings or spirit are usually found in such places, and malignant creatures fears to go near them''

https://www.artstation.com/artwork/LAkNk

I'd gladly open another box please!

balloonnation

https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/captain-h1000-xix?list=user

Created for the Mystery Box Challenge:

"ONE DOGGED LAD HAS FOUND OUR SECRET COVE

@balloonnation
Arrr, listen up ye landlubber! I've heard rumors that there's a scallywag who's been designing subpar cards! I dare ye to prove me wrong and create a card that's worthy of the high seas. It should have a unique ability that sets it apart from all the other cards in the game. We be needin' a card for a legendary pirate captain, the craftiest devil to ever sail the seven seas. This card needs to show off their quick thinkin' and clever plannin', 'cause they be known for outwittin' even the smartest of their foes. And don't ye forget, it's gotta be balanced enough to use in standard, or ye'll be rustlin' up a raft of turtle shells on that there lonely speck o' land."

I'm aware there's another challenge I need to complete, working on it!

Jadefire

A Shadow Maw Mystery Challenge: Create a card that manipulates your opponent's library in some way.
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/advanced-prophecy

This card is meant to be the apex of the following cycle:

https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/intermediate-prophecy




Can I get another mystery box?

jpastor

@Jadefire Your mystery box contains:

The Shadow Maw is impressed by your determination and ingenuity in creating such powerful spells, but it is not deterred. It senses a glimmer of hope and seeks to snuff it out. In response to your Advanced Prophecy, it manifests a dark and twisted magic that will make even the most powerful spellcasters falter.


Arcane Interference by jpastor | MTG Cardsmith

• A Mystery Challenge: Create a green creature card that has a custom mechanic related to counters. It should be rare and have a mana cost of .

cadstar369

Shadow Maw Mystery Challenge: Create a green creature card that has an ability related to growing or transforming plants and flavor text relevant to the Shadow Maw Encounter.

Another Mystery Box please.

jpastor

@cadstar369 Your mystery box contains:
The Shadow Maw is impressed by your druid's ability to bring life back to the land, but it is not intimidated. As it prepares its next move, it summons a powerful spell that threatens to consume everything in its path.

https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/shadows-embrace-3
- A Mystery Challenge: Design a creature card called "Stormbringer Dragon".

StuffnSuch

I'll take a box

jpastor

@StuffnSuch
Your mystery box contains:

• The Shadow Maw has caused lots of destruction.

• A Mystery Challenge: Design a card that has a custom mechanic that interacts with the graveyard.

StuffnSuch

I can't design a custom mechanic and not design at least a few cards that explore the space.  Now I'm not sure whether I'd rather show the card that's most interesting, most representative, or most powerful.  While I'm thinking of it, here's the new mechanic:

Relapse (When a card with relapse enters your graveyard from anywhere, shuffle a random card from your graveyard into it's owner's library)

Okay, now that I got that out of the way, here's my mystery box submission:



and a couple others that I was considering:



As you can see, these would all be cool in like a Rakdos, Skeleton tribal build.  Skeletons could use a cool mechanic, right?

SpellPiper2213

Challenge: This creature be known to swallow ships whole, and none have ever seen it up close and lived to tell the tale. But I've encountered the beast, and lived to tell the tale. Ye need to create a card that represents this beast, with abilities that reflect its massive size, ferocity, and the fear it strikes into the hearts of sailors. The card should not be made for commander, but as a finishin' blow in draft or sealed. 

Yarr! I did my best, but I'm not sure if I did well for draft/sealed.

Could I get another box?

jpastor

@StuffnSuch
Your mystery box contains:

• As the Shadow Maw spread its dark influence across the land, the people of the realm grew desperate for a savior. In response, a powerful necromancer named Gruck emerged from the shadows. With his mastery over bones and the undead, he quickly amassed a legion of loyal followers. As his power grew, so did his ambition. He sought to conquer not only the Shadow Maw but the entire realm as well. Gruck's signature card, "Gruck, Ruler of Bones," embodies his ability to raise and command his skeletal army. With his powerful relapse ability, he can continuously recycle his own graveyard, while his ability to create skeleton tokens whenever cards leave his graveyard make him a formidable force on the battlefield. With a quick sacrifice of one of his minions, Gruck can grant his entire army menace, making it nearly impossible for his enemies to block them. The Shadow Maw had underestimated the power of the necromancer, and the tide of the war began to turn in favor of the living.

Shadow Maw's Onslaught by jpastor | MTG Cardsmith

• A Mystery Challenge: Create a creature with a mechanic themed around the number of lands you control. 

jpastor

@SpellPiper2213
Your mystery box contains:

• As the Stormfront Serpent glides through the air, it unleashes a powerful blast of energy that strikes the Shadow Maw head-on. The blast is so intense that it tears open a rift in reality, and the Shadow Maw is sucked into the void beyond. With the Shadow Maw defeated, the plane can finally begin to heal.

Rift's End by jpastor | MTG Cardsmith

• A Featured Card
• Mystery Challenge: Create a green and white creature card that represents a powerful protector of nature.
  

jpastor

@Shelko
Your mystery box contains:
- Create a card to defeat the remaing Shadow creatures.

Globert-the-Martian

@jpastor

voila:

cadstar369

Mystery Challenge: Design a creature card called "Stormbringer Dragon".

Another Mystery Box please.

jpastor

@cadstar369
Your mystery box contains:

• 3 Bombs: Select 3 cards. For each one, I'll flip a coin. If heads, FAVE. If tails, BOOM. (They don't get judged this deadline.)
• A Mystery Challenge: Create a creature with an ability that triggers differently if a certain player has no cards in hand.

jpastor

Shadow Maw Deadline Ended - To determine the deadline winners...

1. Stormbringer Dragon by cadstar369
2. Rift's End by jpastor
3. Shadow Maw's Onslaught by jpastor
4. Gruck, Ruler of Bones by StuffnSuch
5. Shadow's Embrace by jpastor
6. Restoration Druid by cadstar369
7. Arcane Interference by jpastor
8. Advanced Prophecy by Jadefire
9. Captain h.1000-XIX by balloonnation
10. Anitos of the Woods by Shelko
11. Shadowed Influence by jpastor
12. Iridescence Surge by Shelko
13. Shadow Beast by jpastor
14. Mischievous Pixie by Shelko
15. Shadow Spy by jpastor
16. Chainbound Shadow by jpastor
17. Vodalian Research by Shelko
18. Pressed Penitence by Jadefire
19. Cosmic Retribution by jpastor
20. Nebula's Wrath by cadstar369
21. Shadow Maw by jpastor
22. Squelching Suckers by Globert-the-Martian
23. Infectious Ignorance by Jadefire
24. Shaman of Autumnal Rites by cadstar369
25. Arwoo, Pack Auspicehowler by Creid233
26. Phantasmic Jokester by Robo_Kitty
27. Drop Bear by Globert-the-Martian
28. Stormfront Serpent by SpellPiper2213

jpastor

Round 1

1. Chainbound Shadow by jpastor vs Vodalian Research by Shelko
2. Captain h.1000-XIX by balloonnation vs Shaman of Autumnal Rites by cadstar369
3. Advanced Prophecy by Jadefire vs Arwoo, Pack Auspicehowler by Creid233
4. Shadow Beast by jpastor vs Nebula's Wrath by cadstar369
5. Iridescence Surge by Shelko vs Shadow Maw by jpastor
6. Shadow's Embrace by jpastor vs Stormfront Serpent by SpellPiper2213
7. Shadow Spy by jpastor vs Pressed Penitence by Jadefire
8. Anitos of the Woods by Shelko vs Infectious Ignorance by Jadefire
9. Arcane Interference by jpastor vs Phantasmic Jokester by Robo_Kitty
10. Mischievous Pixie by Shelko vs Cosmic Retribution by jpastor
11. Shadowed Influence by jpastor vs Squelching Suckers by Globert-the-Martian
12. Restoration Druid by cadstar369 vs Drop Bear by Globert-the-Martian

Round 2

1. Stormbringer Dragon by cadstar369 vs Chainbound Shadow by jpastor
2. Captain h.1000-XIX by balloonnation vs Arwoo, Pack Auspicehowler by Creid233
3. Gruck, Ruler of Bones by StuffnSuch vs Nebula's Wrath by cadstar369
4. Iridescence Surge by Shelko vs Shadow's Embrace by jpastor
5. Rift's End by jpastor vs Shadow Spy by jpastor
6. Anitos of the Woods by Shelko vs Phantasmic Jokester by Robo_Kitty
7. Shadow Maw's Onslaught by jpastor vs Cosmic Retribution by jpastor
8. Shadowed Influence by jpastor vs Restoration Druid by cadstar369

Round 3

1. Stormbringer Dragon by cadstar369 vs Captain h.1000-XIX by balloonnation
2. Nebula's Wrath by cadstar369 vs Iridescence Surge by Shelko
3. Rift's End by jpastor vs Anitos of the Woods by Shelko
4. Shadow Maw's Onslaught by jpastor vs Shadowed Influence by jpastor

Round 4

1. Captain h.1000-XIX by balloonnation vs Iridescence Surge by Shelko
2. Rift's End by jpastor vs Shadow Maw's Onslaught by jpastor

Round 5 - Championship

Captain h.1000-XIX by balloonnation vs Shadow Maw's Onslaught by jpastor

jpastor

Shadow Maw Deadline Winners

1st Place

Shadow Maw's Onslaught by jpastor | MTG Cardsmith

Judge's Thoughts: The additional cost of exiling creature cards from your graveyard is a nice touch and makes the card more interesting. The creation of Zombie tokens with power based on the exiled creatures is a flavorful and powerful effect, and the ability to make opponents discard and draw cards is a nice bonus. Overall, the card seems well-balanced and well-designed.

2nd Place - 5 favorites


Captain h.1000-XIX by balloonnation | MTG Cardsmith

Judge's Thoughts: The flavor and mechanics of the card are interesting and unique, and it fits well with the Pirate theme. The Flash ability makes it a versatile card to play, and the ability to disrupt your opponents' instant and sorcery spells adds an extra layer of strategy to the game. The cost of 1UUR may be a bit high, but overall it seems like a fun and powerful card.

3rd Place - 4 favorites


Iridescence Surge by ShelkoDeux | MTG Cardsmith

Judge's Thoughts: The card provides a unique and powerful effect that can potentially create very impactful swings in a game, but it also has a somewhat narrow focus in terms of color protection. The card encourages players to build their decks around a specific color or color combination to take advantage of its effects, which can be both a strength and a weakness. Overall, the card seems well-balanced and interesting to play with or against, but its power level may vary depending on the specific game or format.

Globert-the-Martian

Good job everyone! This was a really cool event @jpastor, and I wanted to thank you for doing it. (If only I had submitted just a bit earlier, and we could have seen my drop bear in action, lol)

Robo_Kitty

• #7a: Treasure Chest - Please accept this pirate themed mystery challenge for a favorite on your entry.
• Challenge: Forge a Curse enchantment that forces the scallywag to discard a card from their grip every time they cast a spell, with a flavor text that speaks of backstabbin' and cheating. Best of luck, matey!
  

I’d like another mystery box please.

jpastor

@Globert-the-Martian
The encounter was a prize activation. There will be others. Hence the flavor text on my final card.

jpastor

@Robo_Kitty
Your mystery box contains: 
- The Mystery Box Avatar
- A Mystery Challenge: Create a card that relates to the theme of eternity or infinite recursion.

cadstar369

@jpastor what do you mean by "triggers differently"? Something like Anthem of Rakdos that has a modified effect when hellbent, something like Gibbering Descent that skips your upkeep (effectively no longer triggering for you) when hellbent, or something more convoluted that has an entire clause dictating if/when the ability triggers that depends on one or more players being hellbent?

jpastor

@cadstar369
like a however or instead.. imagine a red creature card with a unique ability that allows you to sacrifice it to deal damage to a target equal to the number of cards in their hand. However, if the player or creature has no cards in their hand, they gain life instead of taking damage.

Jadefire

A Mystery Challenge: Create a green creature card that has a custom mechanic related to counters. It should be rare and have a mana cost of .
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/monstrous-whiptongue


Can I get another mystery box?

jpastor

@Jadefire
Your mystery box contains:

• A Mystery Challenge: Create a creature card that represents a mythical sea creature.