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I'd Like a Slice of That - **Circuit Challenge**
Well, it's been a while since I've done one of these. Also my first time holding a Circuit Challenge. But contests are fun, and I always get more creative seeing other people's cool ideas. So let's see what y'all got!
This challenge is to decide a card that fits within any of the wedge-colored factions on my custom plane of Knathaara. Each faction sports a different theme and ability, so let's break those down so y'all know what I'm looking for.
Abzan Forest Spirits (colors: white/black/green, theme: waste/bog/moss counters; which transform lands into Plains, Swamps, and Forests respectively) - This faction is made up of sometimes undead dryads, nymphs and treefolk of the Deepwood, who despise intruders and civilization and will stop at nothing to encroach back. They care about counters on lands (see theme), tapped permanents you control, and land sacrifice.
Jeskai Steampunk (colors: blue/red/white, theme: steam-powered mana; produced by a special cycle of basic lands, and spells cast using mana from these lands are considered steam-powered) - This faction is a classic steampunk city in a civil war between a megalomaniacal warlord (U/R) and the oppressed resistance (R/W). They care about steam-powered mana, artifacts (sometimes in the 'yard), and Ships/zeppelins.
Sultai Eldritch Horrors (colors: black/green/blue, theme: Lurking (You may cast this card from your graveyard by sacrificing a land in addition to paying its other costs.)) - Creepy subterranean oozes, horrors and aquatic monsters from the Underground that pick off port towns and intruders. Land destruction and land sacrifice is the name of the game, and a little bit of mill.
Mardu Cultists (colors: red/white/black, theme: Pact - COST (At the beginning of your upkeep, pay this permanent's pact cost. If you can't, sacrifice this permanent.)) - Zealous, evil clerics and worshippers who follow an ancient Angel Demon Dragon by the name of Majesticwing, from the Winged Abyss. They pay valuable resources (often lands) for greater power, and themed around tribal Angels, Demons, and Dragons.
Temur Dragon Riders (colors: green/blue/red, theme: Elf and Dragon tribal) - Elves and dragons who form special bonds between rider and mount, to preserve laws of nature. Themed around elves and dragons.
Example cards:
Some additional rules:
1) Up to five entries are allowed, but they are not restricted to any one faction, or across all five factions.
2) Modern sux. I'm looking for Pauper, Commander, and Legacy format power levels. Long live eternal formats! (lol)
3) The flavor descriptions are just guidelines. Still want the card to be world-themed, but have fun.
4) No joke cards, please. Older cards may be allowed if they have strong flavor for doing so.
5) Pro tip: As powerful as rares/mythic rares are, and allow for a lot of design space, a tightly designed common or uncommon really draws my eye.
Prizes! Finally the good part!
There will be one honorable mention for each faction (so five total). Each cardsmith will get a favorite on a card of their choosing, and 1/4 Circuit point.
Third place gets two favorites, critique on a card of their choice, 1/2 Circuit point, and their entry gets added to my set.
Second place gets three favorites, critique on two cards of their choice, 3/4 Circuit point, and their entry gets added to my set.
First place gets five favorites, critiques on three cards of their choice, ALL their entries get added to my set, an ENTIRE Circuit point, and they get a VANITY card made by me!
END DATE: 3 weeks, or March 5th.
Have fun, y'all!
This challenge is to decide a card that fits within any of the wedge-colored factions on my custom plane of Knathaara. Each faction sports a different theme and ability, so let's break those down so y'all know what I'm looking for.
Abzan Forest Spirits (colors: white/black/green, theme: waste/bog/moss counters; which transform lands into Plains, Swamps, and Forests respectively) - This faction is made up of sometimes undead dryads, nymphs and treefolk of the Deepwood, who despise intruders and civilization and will stop at nothing to encroach back. They care about counters on lands (see theme), tapped permanents you control, and land sacrifice.
Jeskai Steampunk (colors: blue/red/white, theme: steam-powered mana; produced by a special cycle of basic lands, and spells cast using mana from these lands are considered steam-powered) - This faction is a classic steampunk city in a civil war between a megalomaniacal warlord (U/R) and the oppressed resistance (R/W). They care about steam-powered mana, artifacts (sometimes in the 'yard), and Ships/zeppelins.
Sultai Eldritch Horrors (colors: black/green/blue, theme: Lurking (You may cast this card from your graveyard by sacrificing a land in addition to paying its other costs.)) - Creepy subterranean oozes, horrors and aquatic monsters from the Underground that pick off port towns and intruders. Land destruction and land sacrifice is the name of the game, and a little bit of mill.
Mardu Cultists (colors: red/white/black, theme: Pact - COST (At the beginning of your upkeep, pay this permanent's pact cost. If you can't, sacrifice this permanent.)) - Zealous, evil clerics and worshippers who follow an ancient Angel Demon Dragon by the name of Majesticwing, from the Winged Abyss. They pay valuable resources (often lands) for greater power, and themed around tribal Angels, Demons, and Dragons.
Temur Dragon Riders (colors: green/blue/red, theme: Elf and Dragon tribal) - Elves and dragons who form special bonds between rider and mount, to preserve laws of nature. Themed around elves and dragons.
Example cards:
Some additional rules:
1) Up to five entries are allowed, but they are not restricted to any one faction, or across all five factions.
2) Modern sux. I'm looking for Pauper, Commander, and Legacy format power levels. Long live eternal formats! (lol)
3) The flavor descriptions are just guidelines. Still want the card to be world-themed, but have fun.
4) No joke cards, please. Older cards may be allowed if they have strong flavor for doing so.
5) Pro tip: As powerful as rares/mythic rares are, and allow for a lot of design space, a tightly designed common or uncommon really draws my eye.
Prizes! Finally the good part!
There will be one honorable mention for each faction (so five total). Each cardsmith will get a favorite on a card of their choosing, and 1/4 Circuit point.
Third place gets two favorites, critique on a card of their choice, 1/2 Circuit point, and their entry gets added to my set.
Second place gets three favorites, critique on two cards of their choice, 3/4 Circuit point, and their entry gets added to my set.
First place gets five favorites, critiques on three cards of their choice, ALL their entries get added to my set, an ENTIRE Circuit point, and they get a VANITY card made by me!
END DATE: 3 weeks, or March 5th.
Have fun, y'all!
This discussion has been closed.
Comments
But since land destruction is a pretty big subtheme of the set, if you want to make land hate against specifically steam-powered lands, be my guest before I steal this idea XD
They are considered to produced steam-powered mana, and a spell is steam-powered if mana from a steam-powered source was spent to cast it.
@Lujikul it's a pretty relaxed definition, really. It shouldn't matter with smiths who aren't Doritos-guzzling nerds like me who intimately study R&D's changes with current power levels of magic. I guess what I mean is if you make a card comparable to one banned in Standard or Modern but not in Legacy/Vintage, it's alright to submit. Here's a helpful link to the current B&R list: https://magic.wizards.com/en/game-info/gameplay/rules-and-formats/banned-restricted
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic:_The_Gathering_formats
Yup.
Like this?
@Brainifyer yep
@sanjaya666 that would be run in any Izzet EDH deck ever. I think the cmc is fine, but the last ability probably shouldn't cost a single R to activate.
"Must Attack or Block Together:"
It's a phrase I designed previously for this.
Both must be declared as attacking or blocking the same creature, player, or Planeswalker simultaneously.
If that action is illegal for either permanent, it is illegal for both.
It's a flavorful drawback for balance.
Here you go! I wish we could do custom supertypes. *cough cough* @mtgcardsmith
While land sac effects (like its own lurking ability) can fuel the recursion, this was mostly designed keeping Manaless Dredge in mind.
This one can get your Narcomoebas back into the library for further recursion after you used them to Dread Return. Effect triggers off mill, dredge, discard (via Phantasmagorian or whatever), sac effects (Dread Return or Cabal Therapy), and regular death. Lastly, this works well with Balustrade Spy, as you can mill your deck without fear of losing.
Hope the power level matches expectations.
This is mostly to experiment with the steam powered function, some more powerful cards will come.
Firstly, it protects you from edict effects, since you will usually control one of the three land types. Secondly, shuts down the main mechanic of two of the factions (lurking and pact). So this should be an interesting one in the Standard/Limited environment of this set. The only thing it doesn't affect is izzet, which is conveniently the colour of industrial development and technological progress. However, this is easily remedied by the spore, bog and moss counters.
Beyond the set, this card can hate on fetches, land destruction (Ghost Quarter, Fulminator Mage), LotV and other edicts, Balance and related cards, aristocrat decks, and various other sac effects that are running around. It would've been a decent fit for a GW Hatebears deck but for its nonbo with Ghost Quarter, Strip Mine, etc. It also has a curious interaction with cards like Through the Breach or Living End, which could be exploited.
This card is a take on the classic Bloodghast or Gravecrawler - the cheap two-power black creature with graveyard recursion. The 2 toughness might seem a bit pushed, but not for eternal formats.