Edit: I had to recreate these from memory after the recent server move, so they might be slightly different now. Same goes for Aliya from my Plot bracket entry.
@Veniur Careful Planning does not use the Plot mechanic (Basic Requirements), its effect just triggers when a plotted spell is cast. Corpse on Loan, similarly, returns a mount or vehicle, but does not use saddle.
Apologies, but under these terms, an artifact that says nothing but "Mount spells cost {1} less to cast" would be a viable entry, but that isn't really using the mechanic in question.
They are, for now, not being counted as entries for the Plot bracket nor the Mount & Saddle bracket.
Ok, I really shouldn't be sitting on my challenges or I'll never get to host another one. (I've been waiting for the current ones to dissipate so I don't clog the forum. Too bad no room for that anymore.) Anyway, this looks fun hope to submit stuff.
@kaoz42 Pop off, friend. I believe the only other contests are the YMTC and Reverse Challenge: they've been ongoing for at least a year each. If you consider Sagas... well, those have always meant to be long-term either way.
@Korora12 It sucks that some cards got wiped in the transfer. The last version of each entry will be considered for judging, as entries may be edited until the deadline (8th of May).
The card's image here in the challenge will be the first point of reference.
If the image is no longer present in the challenge, I'll check the card's link.
If that doesn't work, I'll look for the card among the cardsmith's collection.
By the time entries close, if I can't find it, it will not be considered an entry.
Following these steps, afaik, all entries thus far seem to be available.
Thanks for joining the contest ya'll! I've favorited all entries and tried my best to apply the judging criteria as equally as I could, but keep in mind subjectivity is inevitably ineradicable from this sort of thing.
Cards judged out of 100. 35 accounts for Comprehensive Rules, 30 Concept/Flavor, 20 Balance in Limited and 15 Clarity (4 for Reminder Text, 4 for Grammar, 4 for Formatting and 3 for Usual Wording).
Please
don't take anything to heart. I'm just a rando on the internet. Any
validation to be taken from here is lofty at best. As long as you're
making cards and having fun, that's what matters.
I'll be posting brackets as I finish judging them! First up (as I had more notes on hand):
Outlaw bracket 1/4 - Runner-up to 1st Place
Runner-up, for a favorite in any card you choose, goes to:
Concept/Flavor
30/30: Huge fan of storytelling on the mechanic-flavor interaction.
Balance in Limited 18/20:
-2: Outlaw synergy wholly outside their
archetype colors (BR) is a bit like the opposite of a signpost card; a bit of
a trap rare during drafting, as it’s much harder to build a GW outlaws deck
than just using the archetype’s colors.
Clarity 13/15
4/4 Reminder Text: Checks out.
4/4 Grammar: Checks out.
4/4 Formatting: Checks out.
1/3 Usual Wording:
-1: “Remove all damage from it” (as of newer Regenerate and Totem Armor), rather than “remove all damage marked on
it” (only used once in ye olde Pyramids).
-1: Rather than the Gods’ “it isn’t a creature” wording, as this effect removes particular
creature types, being more in-line with usual wording would probably entail
“it loses all outlaw creature types”, as of similar creature-type-removing cards, many of which mention types (e.g.
creature, artifact, etc) and creature types (e.g. Assassin, Pirate, etc)
separately.
In 1st, for a whooping 8 favorites in any cards you choose:
Concept/Flavor 30/30:
A mercenary pathfinder in his natural habitat, fun times!
Balance in Limited 16/20:
Appropriate rarity.
-4: While not an issue at all in the vast
majority of environments, as this challenge has OoTJ’s Limited design in
mind, giving all outlaws Desertwalk is quite often just making them all
unblockable in this format, regardless of Treasure, for as can be seen in the set, all tapped duals and quite a bunch more
land cards (even just at Common/Uncommon) are all Deserts.
Clarity 9/15
0/4 Reminder Text:
-4: None. Particularly necessary not only for
outlaw, but also as landwalk is very rarely printed these days, nevermind desertwalk.
4/4 Grammar: Checks out.
4/4 Formatting: Checks out.
1/3 Usual Wording:
-1: Outlaw, as a batching term (e.g. historic,
party or modified), is not capitalized, unlike creature types (e.g. Assassin,
Mercenary, Pirate, etc).
-1: “Token” is specified when a Treasure is created.
In abilities that utilize Treasures, “token” isn’t specified, which allows
for cards with the Treasure subtype to be used. So deemed unusual wording as
flavor and mechanics don’t indicate excluding those was intentional.
-3.5: As a creature buff from a triggered
ability, its third mode (+2/0) should have a set duration, e.g. “until end of
turn”. Otherwise, it would last until end of the game, even after DDG leaves
play, which isn’t the use of such buffs (MtG uses counters or emblems for
effects to last longer).
Concept/Flavor 30/30:
Name and art invoking the dusty desert trail, plus haste. On the nail with
the thematic!
The Cartenhollow Robbery (link is dead) by Floodkiller 85.5/100
Basic Requirements:
Valid.
Comprehensive Rules
31.5/35:
-3.5: Damage must have a source. The third
mode should specify that the creature, or The Cartenhollow Robbery itself,
deals 2 damage to target creature.
Concept/Flavor 27/30:
Buffs outlaws, and triggered ability accounts for the robbery.
-3: Art is a bit hard to parse through (big
scene, resized image). Seems like a shootout tho.
Balance in Limited 18/20:
Appropriate rarity.
-2: Mono-red doesn’t really get, as per 2nd
mode, repeatable card drawing without discard, sacrifice or “exile the top
card. You may play until end of turn/next turn”. Color pie issue.
Concept/Flavor 30/30:
Neat parallels between name, types and on-damage effects.
Balance in Limited 04/20:
-2: It’s an auto-include for any Limited
deck, no matter the color nor archetype.
-2: Made with EDH/Eternal formats in mind,
not a Standard set’s Limited.
-2: It is functionally unbeatable for limited
decks as it requires immediate instant-speed removal (consistently equips on same turn it
was cast, to a creature that was already on the board) and is harder to
remove as an artifact.
-2: Too much value in a single attack, constantly
forcing chump blocks by threatening to grant so much value it hardly matters
if the equipment is later removed.
-2: In OoTJ Limited, the equipped creature
often can’t even be blocked nor targeted anyway due to protection from
outlaws.
-2: Already strong were it to only recur and
destroy creatures; it also recurs enchantments and destroys artifacts or
enchantments.
-2: Cost-to-effect – 3 colorless cast, 2 to equip
to make your attacking creature +2/+2 and block-or-lose in a draft
environment. Its protection may be more narrow than other Swords of X and Y,
but the effect puts Sword
of Sinew and Steel to shame.
-2: That vast reanimation range at this low
cost and repeatedly is not available in colorless; as per the Mechanical
Color Pie 2021, it’s usually in Black or White. Bit of a color pie issue.
Clarity 14/15
4/4 Reminder Text: Checks out.
4/4 Grammar: Checks out.
3/4 Formatting:
-1: On spacing, “protection” can be moved to
fit the first line (tested on MTG Cardsmith).
Congratulations @Robo_Kitty on the win, Wanted Poster is a very flavourful and straightforward card that delivers through its simplicty.
@Yururu It seems that seeing this contest through to the end is going to be a very labourious endeavour for you, so thanks for all the effort you're going to have to put in. I appreciate the comprehensiveness of the judging and that you're taking so many aspects of the cards into consideration. I respect that a lot because I hold those same values and try to design cards with mindfulness toward many of the same facets.
You're completely right about Selesnya being outside of the typical outlaw colour identity, it's a compromise I had to make to stay on-colour for what Deac does. I suppose that might relegate the card to being a splash in a primarily black Abzan deck or a primarily red Naya deck, but the effect is probably powerful enough to justify the spash. I used "remove all damage marked on it" instead of matching the reminder text from Regenerate and Totem armor because reminder text isn't counted as official Oracle wording (Rule 207.2 says it has no game function and the Glossary of the Magic comprehensive rules explicitly says it's not rules text, so it's not bound by the same conventions as actual rules text - see Obsidian Fireheart, Aeon Engine, and Trinisphere). Aside from Pyramids, a second card (Ogre Enforcer) explicitly mentions damage "marked" on creatures. Sometimes you only have a one-off example to base something on and in this case, I chose to follow that. Great alternative wording with "it loses all outlaw creature types." That's a much more elegant way to remove all subtypes associated with a batching term. I'll have to make a note of that one for the future. I was able to find a couple of examples of the "isn't a [subtype]" wording on cards like Dancing Sword and Werewolf Pack Leader, so they do exist. Also, really good job with finding examples to support your points! I think doing good searches and being able to tap in to the available cards in the Magic universe for reference is an art that not a lot of people have a handle on, but you do.
MTG Cardsmith Community Forums
Comments
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/the-cartenhollow-robbery
Crime bracket
Plot bracket
Mount/Saddle
Outlaw
Spree
StuffnSuch
Best Served Cold
Spirited Mustang/Cody Loyal Stallion
Perfect Posse
Robo_Kitty
The County Jail
Eyes in the Universe
Armored Decapod
Wanted Poaster
The Mind Heist
Jadefire
Skullshank, Bad to the Bone
Nacardo, the Forked Mind
Wild-Breaker Harness
Deac, Whole Hog Devotion
Path of Perdition
Korora12
Jane Reeves, County Sheriff
Aliya, Seamstress of Fate
Amber Crested Dragon
Ruffian Recruiter
Train Robbery
Floodkiller45
William Mert, Corrupt Sheriff
The Cartenhollow Robbery (image in post)
Shootout
Faiths_Guide
Steady Shelldog
Lurisauri
Wasteland Penitentiary
Cold Colt
Monstrous Desert Cobra
Dust Devil Gang
Banned into Desert
Spellpiper
Can’t Keep a Good Man Down
Tonight We Ride
Veniur
Sword of Crime and Punishment
Mila
Partners in Crime
Desert Mount
Desert Guide
For the Plot bracket
Outlaw:
Crime:
Mount and Saddle:
Basic Requirements: Valid.
Comprehensive Rules 35/35: Checks out.
Concept/Flavor 27/30: Cohesive art/flavor in gathering misfits! On the name:
-3: “Posse”, in the Western context, is a group assembled by sheriffs to hunt down criminals.
Balance in Limited 20/20: Checks out.
Clarity 10/15
0/4 Reminder Text:
-4: None. Particularly relevant given the card counts each creature type within outlaw.
4/4 Grammar: Checks out.
3/4 Formatting:
-1: For large spaces between rules and flavor text, I recommend a separator bar.
3/3 Usual Wording: Checks out.
Basic Requirements: Valid.
Comprehensive Rules 35/35: Checks out.
Concept/Flavor 30/30: Living up to "Merc" type, hiring outlaws. Nice alliterative name!
Balance in Limited 20/20: Checks out.
Clarity 9/15
0/4 Reminder Text:
-4 None.
4/4 Grammar: Checks out.
4/4 Formatting: Checks out.
1/3 Usual Wording:
-1: When referring to Treasure in rules text, the word is capitalized (it’s a token’s name, not to mention a predefined token).
-1: Per rule 513.a, “at end of [your] turn” is no longer printed, having been replaced in oracle text by “at the beginning of your end step”.
Basic Requirements: Valid.
Comprehensive Rules 35/35: Checks out.
Concept/Flavor 30/30: Huge fan of storytelling on the mechanic-flavor interaction.
Balance in Limited 18/20:
-2: Outlaw synergy wholly outside their archetype colors (BR) is a bit like the opposite of a signpost card; a bit of a trap rare during drafting, as it’s much harder to build a GW outlaws deck than just using the archetype’s colors.
Clarity 13/15
4/4 Reminder Text: Checks out.
4/4 Grammar: Checks out.
4/4 Formatting: Checks out.
1/3 Usual Wording:
-1: “Remove all damage from it” (as of newer Regenerate and Totem Armor), rather than “remove all damage marked on it” (only used once in ye olde Pyramids).
-1: Rather than the Gods’ “it isn’t a creature” wording, as this effect removes particular creature types, being more in-line with usual wording would probably entail “it loses all outlaw creature types”, as of similar creature-type-removing cards, many of which mention types (e.g. creature, artifact, etc) and creature types (e.g. Assassin, Pirate, etc) separately.
Wanted Poaster by Robo_Kitty 98/100
Basic Requirements: Valid.
Comprehensive Rules 35/35: Checks out.
Concept/Flavor 30/30: Art, mechanic and flavor text; really on theme!
Balance in Limited 20/20: Checks out.
Clarity 13/15
4/4 Reminder Text: Checks out.
2/4 Grammar:
-1: Typo of “poster”.
-1: Flavor text begins sentence uncapitalized.
4/4 Formatting: Checks out.
3/3 Usual Wording: Checks out.
Wanted Poaster
Deac, Whole Hog Devotion
Ruffian Recruiter
Perfect Posse
Desert Guide
Dust Devil Gang
The Cartenhollow Robbery
Sword of Crime and Punishment
B.Req.
All valid entries.
Ru/35
35
35
35
35
35
31.5
31.5
35
Fla/30
30
30
30
27
30
30
27
30
Bal/20
20
18
20
20
16
18
18
04
Cla/15
RT/04
Gr/04
For/04
Wo/03
13
04
02
04
03
13
04
03
04
02
09
00
04
04
01
10
00
04
03
03
09
00
04
04
01
09
04
02
02
01
09
00
03
03
03
14
04
04
03
03
TOTAL/100
98
96
94
92
90
88.5
85.5
83
Desert Guide by Mila 90/100
Basic Requirements: Valid.
Comprehensive Rules 35/35: Checks out.
Concept/Flavor 30/30: A mercenary pathfinder in his natural habitat, fun times!
Balance in Limited 16/20: Appropriate rarity.
-4: While not an issue at all in the vast majority of environments, as this challenge has OoTJ’s Limited design in mind, giving all outlaws Desertwalk is quite often just making them all unblockable in this format, regardless of Treasure, for as can be seen in the set, all tapped duals and quite a bunch more land cards (even just at Common/Uncommon) are all Deserts.
Clarity 9/15
0/4 Reminder Text:
-4: None. Particularly necessary not only for outlaw, but also as landwalk is very rarely printed these days, nevermind desertwalk.
4/4 Grammar: Checks out.
4/4 Formatting: Checks out.
1/3 Usual Wording:
-1: Outlaw, as a batching term (e.g. historic, party or modified), is not capitalized, unlike creature types (e.g. Assassin, Mercenary, Pirate, etc).
-1: “Token” is specified when a Treasure is created. In abilities that utilize Treasures, “token” isn’t specified, which allows for cards with the Treasure subtype to be used. So deemed unusual wording as flavor and mechanics don’t indicate excluding those was intentional.
Basic Requirements: Valid
Comprehensive Rules 31.5/35:
-3.5: As a creature buff from a triggered ability, its third mode (+2/0) should have a set duration, e.g. “until end of turn”. Otherwise, it would last until end of the game, even after DDG leaves play, which isn’t the use of such buffs (MtG uses counters or emblems for effects to last longer).
Concept/Flavor 30/30: Name and art invoking the dusty desert trail, plus haste. On the nail with the thematic!
Balance in Limited 18/20: Appropriate rarity.
-2: First mode’s pure life gain doesn’t much fit into the B/R color pair; bit of a color pie issue.
Clarity 9/15
4/4 Reminder Text: Checks out.
2/4 Grammar:
-1: Typo: “Live” is the verb, “life” is the noun.
-1: “Target opponent” is third person singular (same as he/she/it). So “lose” should be “loses”.
2/4 Formatting:
-1: Modal spells after “choose X” are followed by a {line} (—) rather than a {dash} (-). E.g. Arbalest Engineers, Baleful Beholder, Bill Ferny, Bree Swindler.
-1: Reminder text on modal spells is put on the same line as the mode, not below. Same examples as above.
1/3 Usual Wording:
-1: For that “every”, MtG tends to use “each”: “for each outlaw you control”.
-1: Rather than “All outlaws you control”, MtG tends to use “Outlaws you control”.
Basic Requirements: Valid.
Comprehensive Rules 31.5/35:
-3.5: Damage must have a source. The third mode should specify that the creature, or The Cartenhollow Robbery itself, deals 2 damage to target creature.
Concept/Flavor 27/30: Buffs outlaws, and triggered ability accounts for the robbery.
-3: Art is a bit hard to parse through (big scene, resized image). Seems like a shootout tho.
Balance in Limited 18/20: Appropriate rarity.
-2: Mono-red doesn’t really get, as per 2nd mode, repeatable card drawing without discard, sacrifice or “exile the top card. You may play until end of turn/next turn”. Color pie issue.
Clarity 9/15
0/4 Reminder Text:
-4: None.
3/4 Grammar:
-1: No punctuation at the end of each mode.
3/4 Formatting:
-1: Modal spells after “choose X” are followed by a long dash — ({line}), not a colon (:). E.g. Arbalest Engineers, Baleful Beholder, Bill Ferny, Bree Swindler, etc.
3/3 Usual Wording: Checks out.
Basic Requirements: Valid.
Comprehensive Rules 35/35: Checks out.
Concept/Flavor 30/30: Neat parallels between name, types and on-damage effects.
Balance in Limited 04/20:
-2: It’s an auto-include for any Limited deck, no matter the color nor archetype.
-2: Made with EDH/Eternal formats in mind, not a Standard set’s Limited.
-2: It is functionally unbeatable for limited decks as it requires immediate instant-speed removal (consistently equips on same turn it was cast, to a creature that was already on the board) and is harder to remove as an artifact.
-2: Too much value in a single attack, constantly forcing chump blocks by threatening to grant so much value it hardly matters if the equipment is later removed.
-2: In OoTJ Limited, the equipped creature often can’t even be blocked nor targeted anyway due to protection from outlaws.
-2: Already strong were it to only recur and destroy creatures; it also recurs enchantments and destroys artifacts or enchantments.
-2: Cost-to-effect – 3 colorless cast, 2 to equip to make your attacking creature +2/+2 and block-or-lose in a draft environment. Its protection may be more narrow than other Swords of X and Y, but the effect puts Sword of Sinew and Steel to shame.
-2: That vast reanimation range at this low cost and repeatedly is not available in colorless; as per the Mechanical Color Pie 2021, it’s usually in Black or White. Bit of a color pie issue.
Clarity 14/15
4/4 Reminder Text: Checks out.
4/4 Grammar: Checks out.
3/4 Formatting:
-1: On spacing, “protection” can be moved to fit the first line (tested on MTG Cardsmith).
3/3 Usual Wording: Checks out.
@Yururu It seems that seeing this contest through to the end is going to be a very labourious endeavour for you, so thanks for all the effort you're going to have to put in. I appreciate the comprehensiveness of the judging and that you're taking so many aspects of the cards into consideration. I respect that a lot because I hold those same values and try to design cards with mindfulness toward many of the same facets.
You're completely right about Selesnya being outside of the typical outlaw colour identity, it's a compromise I had to make to stay on-colour for what Deac does. I suppose that might relegate the card to being a splash in a primarily black Abzan deck or a primarily red Naya deck, but the effect is probably powerful enough to justify the spash.
I used "remove all damage marked on it" instead of matching the reminder text from Regenerate and Totem armor because reminder text isn't counted as official Oracle wording (Rule 207.2 says it has no game function and the Glossary of the Magic comprehensive rules explicitly says it's not rules text, so it's not bound by the same conventions as actual rules text - see Obsidian Fireheart, Aeon Engine, and Trinisphere). Aside from Pyramids, a second card (Ogre Enforcer) explicitly mentions damage "marked" on creatures. Sometimes you only have a one-off example to base something on and in this case, I chose to follow that.
Great alternative wording with "it loses all outlaw creature types." That's a much more elegant way to remove all subtypes associated with a batching term. I'll have to make a note of that one for the future. I was able to find a couple of examples of the "isn't a [subtype]" wording on cards like Dancing Sword and Werewolf Pack Leader, so they do exist. Also, really good job with finding examples to support your points! I think doing good searches and being able to tap in to the available cards in the Magic universe for reference is an art that not a lot of people have a handle on, but you do.