MTG Cardsmith Community Forums
Civilization - Dawn of Creation
Hello all,
So, for my second contest, I am going to challenge you to be ambitious. I am going to challenge you to do more than just make a card of a certain class or mechanic. I am going to challenge you to build a story, a world, a civilization.
For this contest, I want you to create 5 or more cards that will represent an entire world/faction/community/race/civilization/etc. Each card must have flavor text, or a brief description, that gives some details of your civilization, and must connect to the other cards to create one cohesive unit. For example, if you create 4 Green/White cards, the fifth card can't suddenly be Blue/Black (unless you provide a good story reason in your world-building). What type of civilization you create is up to you, but each set of five cards must have;
- Two creatures, one of which must be a leader of the civilization (such as a military, political, or religious leader).
- One land which represents an important place in the civilization.
- One artifact which is of importance to the civilization.
- One wildcard that is related to the actions and ideals of the civilization. I strongly encourage this to be an enchantment, instant, or sorcery, but if there is a third creature, or second land/artifact, or a planeswalker, that is needed to finish your tableau, then make them/it!
Any other submitted cards are up to you, and may enhance (or worsen) your chance of winning. The goal here is to world build. As such, the factors I will be judging on are;
- World-building: The story and cohesiveness of the cards is key to this contest.
- Realism: Cards should be balanced and have proper formatting.
- Creativity: I am happy to get a bunch of cards based on the real world, but be creative if you do so.
- Art: Please do NOT use any actual MTG art on your cards. I will heavily penalize cards that use MTG art. I will not stop you from using real photos of the world, but I greatly prefer art to photography.
- Newness: Please submit new cards and ideas. If you want to submit older cards, you may do so, but this will be used as a tiebreaker (where new creations rank higher against similar older cards).
And lastly, prizes.
- 1st: 1 month of premium, a follow, and 5 likes of your choice.
- 2nd: a follow, and 4 likes of your choice.
- 3rd: 3 likes of your choice
- Honorable Mentions: 2 likes of my choice.
All winners will also get each card they submitted liked as well.
The deadline for this contest will be May 1st. Good luck, and may the best civilization win!
So, for my second contest, I am going to challenge you to be ambitious. I am going to challenge you to do more than just make a card of a certain class or mechanic. I am going to challenge you to build a story, a world, a civilization.
For this contest, I want you to create 5 or more cards that will represent an entire world/faction/community/race/civilization/etc. Each card must have flavor text, or a brief description, that gives some details of your civilization, and must connect to the other cards to create one cohesive unit. For example, if you create 4 Green/White cards, the fifth card can't suddenly be Blue/Black (unless you provide a good story reason in your world-building). What type of civilization you create is up to you, but each set of five cards must have;
- Two creatures, one of which must be a leader of the civilization (such as a military, political, or religious leader).
- One land which represents an important place in the civilization.
- One artifact which is of importance to the civilization.
- One wildcard that is related to the actions and ideals of the civilization. I strongly encourage this to be an enchantment, instant, or sorcery, but if there is a third creature, or second land/artifact, or a planeswalker, that is needed to finish your tableau, then make them/it!
Any other submitted cards are up to you, and may enhance (or worsen) your chance of winning. The goal here is to world build. As such, the factors I will be judging on are;
- World-building: The story and cohesiveness of the cards is key to this contest.
- Realism: Cards should be balanced and have proper formatting.
- Creativity: I am happy to get a bunch of cards based on the real world, but be creative if you do so.
- Art: Please do NOT use any actual MTG art on your cards. I will heavily penalize cards that use MTG art. I will not stop you from using real photos of the world, but I greatly prefer art to photography.
- Newness: Please submit new cards and ideas. If you want to submit older cards, you may do so, but this will be used as a tiebreaker (where new creations rank higher against similar older cards).
And lastly, prizes.
- 1st: 1 month of premium, a follow, and 5 likes of your choice.
- 2nd: a follow, and 4 likes of your choice.
- 3rd: 3 likes of your choice
- Honorable Mentions: 2 likes of my choice.
All winners will also get each card they submitted liked as well.
The deadline for this contest will be May 1st. Good luck, and may the best civilization win!
This discussion has been closed.
Comments
Their leader is the Oracle, who gives them the words of the Divine. They are now an inseparable duo, but at one time they were all but strangers before the Divine brought them together. The oracle is guarded by her Sentinel, who is also a warleader and travels to meet the Seraph's needs when necessary.
Two major branches of the Tenshikari are the Dawnbringers, who spread the Divine word to those who've yet to hear it, and the Exorcists, who weed out and eliminate the heretics.
Lastly is the Temple of the Oracle, a location that can be found in any Tenshikari settlement so the Oracle always has a place to commune with the Divine, no matter where they travel. Though they hate it, many of the followers of the Tenshikari have begun building statues to the Oracle, despite the Oracle themselves being only a messenger for the Divine's Word.
On a side note, you do not need to post all the cards like I did here, you can do it one at a time as you make them. I hope this basic example was instructive, and if you have questions about the contest, please feel free to ask.
I look forward to your entries!
The discussion page with lots of neat information:
http://forums.mtgcardsmith.com/discussion/1533/5-color-morph-commander
Much more conceptual development in the set:
http://mtgcardsmith.com/user/Faiths_Guide/sets/10133
They are far and few, but that does not mean we cannot still learn from them. Here, all can safely study and learn from the mighty behemoths of the past for when they finally meet one.
Of course, how can we know they will one day come? It's simple. It has been invoked by the wisest and most ancients beings in the area. Not only do they teach of the elders, but they guard one of the most powerful relics of the past, the Elder Lotus itself.
One day, the elders will return. It's inevitable, in fact. To fight against them is a fool's errand.
(With the resurgence of the Elder subtype, I decided to go with an Elder tribal theme. It accidentally has a Lovecraft feel to it, no matter what I do. The idea is that once you get one Elder out, you just get more and more and inevitably overwhelm your opponents with mighty creatures like Ojutai, Nezahal, maybe even Ghalta. (Note that formatting is based on the Dominaria spoilers.))
The planet of Clecadonia lies far from the planets we know, far away in space and time. Right now, the Clecs, the native race of Clecadonia, are in turmoil. A small portion of the race believes in the Ways of Old, which includes the practice of magic and worship of Gods. They are called the Grandmage Cult.
The rest of the race believes in a science much different than ours. They are under the false influence of the Grand Philosopher.
When a member of the Grandmage Cult is caught by the Grand Philosopher's army, they are executed.
Dalalond is a city on an iceberg most known for two things: It's large amount of seaports and harbors, and the fact that it is on an iceberg
Thanks for joining in.
Heledrian is a world that used to be divided into five continents. All of the continents were on an inevitable collision course with each other, until they crashed together. Each continent has its own real-world inspiration and identity.
The Wanhald Order --- The Wanhald Order are paragons of the mind and body. They live in a feudal system, where everyone serves under the king, Charles duBroc, a fair and just ruler. After the continental crash, the city of Veinven became a highly sought-after city, and was sacked twice, changed control ten times, but always inevitably ended under Wanhald control.
One of the highest honors for a Wanhald civilian is to be knighted. The knights are highly praised and fight for the Wanhald banner against the enemies.
The Zenniti Clans --- Savage warriors who fight to live another day, the Zenniti Clans were originally a series of clans wrought by civil war. After Kunja Zenniti and his brother, the planeswalker Kuyava, united the clans, the continental crash occurred. From his palace in the incredible city of Vinebreak, which is a major center of trade, Kunja strategically moves all of the Zenniti troops. The Zenniti clans ambush and fiercely attack their enemies and defend Vinebreak with their lives.
The Roon Alliance --- (Yes, I know this is the name of an existing Magic character. Just roll with it.) Once, in an age long forgotten, two kings created a powerful alliance. They had to fight off their enemies, but eventually their alliance became ironclad. At one time, the Garrith line of Roon kings challenged the other line, the Relds. The Relds won, but chose to keep the Garriths alive to preserve their alliance. After the continental crash, Ajax Reld and Nahon Garrith led the Alliance into battle with their enemies. There are many types of Roon warriors, like the bloodmad, the horsemen, and the warbringers, but all of them are ruthlessly efficient.
The Yonweld Forces --- On the shadowy continent of Yonweld, skeletons and zombies, lich lords, half-human half-zombies, and sorcerers rule. The patriarch, Magnus Yonweld, is a half-zombie whose intellect is contained in the mind of every Yonweld being - like a demonic version of the Thoughtweft, or the Firemind. After the continental crash, the Yonweld army has been suffering, but you cannot kill a Yonweld soldier, not for long. They always rise again, twice as powerful.
So, that's the four civilizations of Heledrian.
Kaldheim is an icy plane, locked in winter for generations. The cause? Centuries ago, the plane's connection to red mana was severed. Summer waned and winter set in, unabated. Fire mages lost their power and the study of flame fizzled and died. Today, the head of the mage academy, Master Wizard Xarion, dedicates his study to restoring red mana to Kaldheim. An adept researcher, Xarion has pored over countless scrolls, spells, and tomes in order to discover the long lost secret.
But not all on Kaldheim wish for fire to return. Criolex is the First of the Frozen God's servants, a title that gives him great sway over both the plane's mana and its populace. He revels in the cold and icy environment and has disdain for anything that cannot survive Kaldheim's wintry embrace. Long has he petitioned Xarion to abandon his research, using all his powers of persuasion and guile, but to no avail.
*****CRIOLEX IS A SNOW CREATURE (this can't be done in Mtgcardsmith naturally)*****
Criolex and his disciples worship the Frozen God, a namless deity who empowers their ice spells and promises ice as eternity. The Frozen God is primal and harsh, but grants a shadow of his powers as a boon to those who follow his teachings. Though he has no direct influence or form on Kaldheim (for reasons unknown), no entity is no impactful to the plane.
*****DISCIPLE IS A SNOW CREATURE (this can't be done in Mtgcardsmith naturally)*****
Xarion's research brings him to Magvara, the Frozen Caldera, an icy lake atop what used to be an active volcano. In the frigid cold, his passion for the search is his only warmth. In that moment, he realizes that it is his own inner flame that can ignite Kaldheim's red mana. The primordial spell on the scroll before him leaps from his lips and a surge of power like no other erupts in the valley.
An enormous gout of fire, both physical and magical emanated from Xarion as his fiery passion fueled the restoration spell. It grew larger and larger until it burned up to the sky and down into the earth. It was timeless, until Xarion realized the flames--his flames, had stopped. The lake beneath him was gone, and the volcano below it was reactivated. All around him, he could sense spring, fire, and passion returning to Kaldheim. And in that moment, he was complete.
*****MAGVARA IS A SNOW LAND (this can't be done in Mtgcardsmith naturally)*****
The plane of Fenrah, and the fall of the Everdusk
Fenrah is a plane with a deep connection to celestial magic. In a way similar to astrology, it's denizens read meaning in and draw power from the constellations of the night sky and the movement of stars and other celestial bodies. The player's hand is meant to represent this source of celestial magic, tied to my original mechanic "Aligned" (with help long ago by @Yururu) ~
Aligned - As long as the number of cards in your hand is equal to or greater than [card's] converted mana cost, [effect]. (Or the other ways this type of mechanic can be worded)
Additionally, as reading the future is possible through celestial magic, certain creatures and magic spells can sense what may happen in the near future, and use that knowledge to perform other magic, represented by my mechanics "dream" and "dreamweave" (with help and wording updates by @Tomigon)
Dream [cost] (You may pay an additional [cost] as you cast this spell. If you do, choose another nonland card name.)
~and~
Dreamweave - Whenever a permanent with a
name chosen by an effect of a card you own enters the battlefield, [effect]
There are a handful of factions that live and thrive on this plane. The one I focus on here is a blue/black faction living within the proximity of the Everdusk. The humans here have an architectural and cultural aesthetic similar to Kamigawa, but no direct link to any of the mythology or races therein.
The Everdusk (wildcard entry)
The Everdusk is a magical veil that has fallen upon this part of the world, cutting off direct access to the stars, and thus dampening all use of celestial magic. The leader of this faction, Firune, is a neutral-good character coming from a tribe of intelligent, highly evolved trolls that coexist with the other races here (primarily humans). Firune is the only being with enough power to penetrate the Everdusk and bring back with him knowledge of the stars for use of the less powerful creatures dependant on celestial magic. He isn't necessarily a generous figure, and sees value in spending one's own life force to acquire more power, but he also knows gifting power to those in his care helps solidify his own indirect rule. He wants to stay on top, but it is far from his nature to trick or abuse anyone or anything to keep it.
Firune, Aligned With Light (creature entry 1, leader)
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/firune-aligned-with-light?list=user
There are several abundant fauna and life forms that also love amongst this faction, particularly hippogriffs, who have adapted well to the fall of Everdusk.
Everdusk Hippogriff (creature entry 2)
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/everdusk-hippogriff?list=user
Firune has attempted many ways to open paths back to the celestial magic so many of Fenrah are dependant on. One moderately successful way was in the activation and breaking of runes, an ancient form of magic the troll tribe he is a part of once used in abundance before declaring peace with the humans and joining them.
Runic Tarn (land entry)
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/runic-tarn-1?list=user
Another way Firune sought to help was in possessing various magical trinkets with his power, to grant those that wear them a bit of his own abilities.
Moonveil Pendant (artifact entry)
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/moonveil-pendant?list=user
These methods have proven only somewhat successful, alleviating the negative effects of the Everdusk but not curing them.
Now Firune and others of the more powerful members of the faction are venturing out into the depths of Everdusk, to determine what caused it and why it is spreading so quickly over the plane. Firune hopes for a natural cause, but senses that an entity intent on harm may be the true source. The stars he reads reveal many dark things that he fears may come true soon.
Here is my Leader creature:
Here is my other creature:
Here is my land:
Here is my artefact:
And here is the wild card (a sorcery):
@tenebrisnemo @valoth @sorinjace @East2West @LastJustice @Corwinn - I thought this might interest one of you (or all of you).
@TezzeretofCarmot21 - Please be sure to post the cards for your descriptions this week if able.
@pjbear2005 - So far I see one entry. Will you be submitting the other 4 cards needed this week?
@baryonyx69 - Your cards no longer seem to exist on the site. Were you still planning to enter this contest?