The Hottest Pepper ? Challenge ? Gifted Premium

jpastorjpastor
edited April 2023 in Contests and Challenges
I've given out thousands of spicy Mystery Challenges to hundreds of cardsmiths over the years. I'm the master of spicy peppers ?. 

I'm in search of the hottest and most spicy challenge ever created. The Carolina Reaper ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? of Mystery Challenges. 

I can handle any peppers ? you give me, or will you stump me with an insanely hot and spicy challenge beyond my mastery? ? 

Anyone who can gets gifted premium for the month ? 
«13

Comments

  • jpastorjpastor
    As requested by @WickedShadow196
    ...A GreenWhiteBlueBlack Mutate Commander...
    Aurora Prismatic Mutator
    Aurora, Prismatic Mutator by jpastor | MTG Cardsmith

    Now, I don't know about you guys, but when I hear the word mutate, I think of like, some weird science experiment gone wrong. But with Aurora, you can copy any mutated creature you cast and mutate your own creatures on command. It's like the creature version of identity theft! And if you wanna copy a mutated creature, you gotta pay an extra cost, because let's be real, that kind of power isn't cheap.
  • cadstar369cadstar369
    Here's a challenge for you: Create a legendary Ninja that's at least blue and black and isn't strictly better (read: horribly broken) in non-Ninja strategies than in Ninja decks.

    P.S. ~ Mutate is an existing mechanic from Ikoria. Out of curiosity, what is the activated ability of Aurora intended to do?
  • jpastorjpastor
    @cadstar369
    put it over or under target non-Human creature you own. They mutate into the creature on top plus all abilities from under it.)
  • cadstar369cadstar369
    So… the activated ability is meant to work like Mutate, but from the battlefield? If so, what is mutating onto what here? (Assuming Aurora can’t mutate itself without using the triggered ability first because it’s a human.)
  • jpastorjpastor
    Yes @cadstar369 So for example, you could mutate a creature with a lower mana cost onto a creature with a higher mana cost, combining their abilities and stats. And you're right that Aurora cannot mutate itself without using the triggered ability first... it's human.. not a creature with the Mutate ability.
  • cadstar369cadstar369
    @jpastor I’m not quite sure I get what you’re trying to do here. Mutate is an alternate casting cost, not an ability, so the activated ability appears to allow triggering “whenever this creature mutates” effects at will (which seems a little expensive at 7 mana), but you seem to be saying it’s meant to do something else entirely (i.e., combine target creature you control with an indeterminate non-human creature you control), which would make the mana cost understandable.
  • jpastorjpastor
    @cadstar369 sry first of all for my lack of clarity. 2ndly I see what you r held up on now.
    Aurora allows you to merge a creature you control with any non-human creature you control, much like the Mutate ability. The activated ability of Aurora enables you to do this anytime you want, without having to actually cast the creature with Mutate. The reason for the high mana cost is to emphasize the significant power you gain from being able to merge creatures at will.
  • jpastorjpastor
    edited April 2023
    @cadstar369 - Challenge Accepted!

    Spicy Level: ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 

    Here's my attempt at this challenge:

    Kuro the Shadow Blade
    Kuro, the Shadow Blade by jpastor | MTG Cardsmith

    Logic:
    Graveyard hate in or not in a Ninja deck. Not OP in either case. The sac+indestructible part gives this a standalone ninja vibe, like a mercenary of sorts.
    Lore:
    Kuro, the Shadow Blade is a legendary ninja known for its mastery of the shadows and deadly precision with its blade. Born into a clan of ninja, Kuro quickly rose to become one of its greatest members, feared and respected by all who knew of its exploits. Its loyalty to its clan was unwavering, but it also held a personal vendetta against those who had wronged it in the past. Kuro's reputation as a master of stealth and combat led to many requests for its services, but only those who were able to meet its steep price were able to benefit from its skills. Despite its cold demeanor, Kuro was known to have a soft spot for those in need and would occasionally take on missions that went against its own interests if it believed it would ultimately serve a greater good.
  • jpastorjpastor
    @cadstar369
    Let me know if that fulfilled, if not, I'll try again.
  • JadefireJadefire
    @jpastor Create a card that causes an exception to a rule in Magic, either globally or just for the card itself/its controller (E.g., Laboratory Maniac, Phyrexian Unlife, Skullbriar, the Walking Grave).
  • jpastorjpastor
    edited April 2023
    @Jadefire ;
    Spicy Level: ? ? ? 


    https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/final-sacrifice-10
    Normally, when a creature is sacrificed, it is put into the graveyard as a state-based action. 
  • JadefireJadefire
    @jpastor The challenge has been fulfilled, so there's no need to try again unless you want to.  The wording of the challenge was kept very general, which let you choose how much you care to challenge yourself.  I just happened to pick some of the rarer exceptions as examples in case you felt like pushing the envelope. 
  • cadstar369cadstar369
    @jpastor Kuro does indeed meet the challenge, and I have another for you!

    Create a card that puts one or more cards into your hand in an unusual way and/or from an unusual location.
  • jpastorjpastor
    edited April 2023
    @cadstar369
    Sure! Here's a card:
    Dimensional Rift
    Dimensional Rift by jpastor | MTG Cardsmith

    Spicy Level: ? ? ? ?  ?  ? ? 
  • Korora12Korora12
    @jpastor How about a Sorcery with an effect outside its usual color?
  • jpastorjpastor
    @Korora12

    https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/mind-drain-7
    The ability to force each player to reveal their hand and exile cards from it is typically associated with blue or white, while the life loss effect is more common in black.

    Spicy Level: ? ? ? ? ? 
  • cadstar369cadstar369
    Here's one of my favorite challenges: Create a card with mana value greater than the number of letters in its name, less than the number of words in its text box, and equal to the number of abilities it has. (Text on an instant or sorcery is a spell ability unless it's an activated ability, triggered ability, or static ability.)
  • jpastorjpastor
    Spicy Level: ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
    I would rate the difficulty level of your challenge a 7 out of 10. It requires some creative thinking to design a card that meets all the criteria, but it's not overly complex.

    @cadstar369
    Fury
    Fury by jpastor | MTG Cardsmith

    I would rate the difficulty level of that challenge as moderate. It requires the designer to carefully consider both the length of the card's name and text box, as well as the number of abilities they want to include, in order to meet the criteria for the challenge. However, it does not require any particularly complex mechanics or interactions. Overall, it's a fun and creative challenge that requires some careful planning, but should not be too difficult for an experienced card designer.

    The hardest part of this challenge was fitting five abilities on the card... So, while the concept of the card was fairly quick and easy, this was a rather time consuming challenge.

    I'll take whoever is next to attempt to strangle my taste buds. 
  • JadefireJadefire
    @jpastor Create a March of the Machine-style Cardsmithing Cardsmiths mashup planeswalker (E.g., Wrenn and Realmbreker) featuring two MTGC cardsmiths and a signature custom ability from each with an ultimate that synergizes with both custom abilities.
  • jpastorjpastor
    edited April 2023
    @Jadefire

    Havel and The Creator
    Havel and The Creator by jpastor | MTG Cardsmith

    Spicy Level: ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

    I'm not sure how to rate this overall. This was one of the coolest challenges I've ever had. Thus, I enjoyed it more than I hated it. I can see how this would be challenging and time consuming for someone involuntarily receiving this challenge, but I'd volunteer for a 9/10 spicy pepper challenge anyday.

    Recurring Dream

    Recurring     (You may cast this card from your graveyard [once per turn] if it left the battlefield this turn.)  This is @MarvelousHavel's mechanic, and I added the clause once per turn to avoid overpowered spamming of certain cards, effectively turning it into a pay to play version of rebound, except every single turn thereafter.

    Dream N (Reveal N [Dream] cards [you own] from outside the game. Until end of game, you may play those cards.) This is @mmm3creator's mechanic. I removed the limitation of "Dream" to make it more powerful and i don't believe [you own] was included in the original mechanic, so I didn't specify it, but it would probably be necessary to include.

    The ultimate can't take effect unless the third ability's -X reduces its loyalty to 0, putting it into its owner's graveyard as a state-based action (which also prevents negative loyalty numbers if you were wondering.) So, this constitutes an ultimate in most planeswalker designs as being the final punch.

    I imagine instances of recurring don't stack.

    (Edit: This would be a fantastic contest challenge, though you may not get a lot of entries, it would certainly be fun to see.)
  • JadefireJadefire
    @jpastor That was impressively fast. Nice mods on the original abilties to make them work better. Triple -X on a planeswalker is definitely original.
  • cadstar369cadstar369
    @Jadefire I'd definitely join in if you made a thread out of that last prompt. :)

    @jpastor ;I have another challenge for you: Create a card that interacts with at least five zones and at least two players, but not the same zone for multiple players. (The seven zones are library, hand, battlefield, graveyard, stack, exile, and command.)


  • jpastorjpastor
    edited April 2023
    @cadstar369
    Oh BOY
    I seem to have messed this one up... let me backtrack a little and get it right
  • jpastorjpastor
    @cadstar369
    Sorry - the first go around, I forgot how black does things... i got too playful. This should be good now!
    The Ultimate Betrayal
    The Ultimate Betrayal by jpastor | MTG Cardsmith

    Spicy Level: ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 

    Due to the complexity and intricacy of the card's effect and the need to balance it appropriately for gameplay purposes, the challenge you gave me requires a deep understanding of the different zones in Magic and how they can be used to create unique and interesting gameplay scenarios. An easy challenge to fulfill, but a difficult one to create a half decent card for. 8 outta 10. I hope I do it justice.

    This is a one up for Rise from the Grave by having you sac the creature first... then it goes to your command zone (mostly for flavor, but this could be a fantastic strategy pisser offer for your opponent, or one of them at least.)
  • cadstar369cadstar369
    edited April 2023
    This design reminds me of Lost Legacy, which makes me realize that "Lost Legacy that messes with the battlefield instead of naming a card" already meets the 5 zones requirement, so this challenge probably wasn't as spicy as I thought it was. :sweat_smile:

    On a separate note, from what I saw of the last version, I'm pretty sure that card was fine as well (the sacrifice was swapped with exile & searching exile was swapped with searching the graveyard if I recall correctly). Black is steadily getting more effects like Debt to the Kami, so I'm not sure what you saw as an issue there.

    Finally, another challenge! Create a card that has neither mana cost nor alternative casting methods, but can be used in at least two ways.
  • jpastorjpastor
    edited April 2023
    Nameless Relic
    Nameless Relic by jpastor | MTG Cardsmith

    Creating a card without a mana cost or alternative casting methods can be a challenging task, as it requires a unique design that is not commonly found in MTG. Additionally, ensuring that the card can be used in at least two ways while also being balanced and playable adds an extra layer of difficulty.

    Spicy Level: ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
  • JadefireJadefire
    @cadstar369 Let me work on one of my own as the example card and we'll see about making the prompt into its own standalone challenge.
  • Aggroman15Aggroman15
    Hmmm... How about this - The Scarcity Challenge:

    Create a rare creature card using a mechanic only previously seen in one set, with a creature type that has been printed on 10 or less creatures from throughout Magic's history, set on a plane that has never had a set take place on it.
  • jpastorjpastor
    @Aggroman15 - good to see you around btw

    Wow - This wasn't easy, surprisingly, but it was mostly difficult just to find something I could enjoy creating rather than spitting out something completely random that made no sense.

    Giant Hermit Crab
    Giant Hermit Crab by jpastor | MTG Cardsmith


    1. Monstrosity (Theros)
    2. Muraganda is a plane with a prehistoric theme, so I thought a Giant Hermit Crab would fit right in.
    3. Assuming I'm allowed to combine subtypes (provided the combination exists in magic), the Crab Turtle is probably in the single digits, but the only one I know to exist is Scuttlegator.
    Assuming I got this right - Spicy Level: ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
  • Aggroman15Aggroman15
    edited April 2023
    With the creature type, I was more thinking that at least one of the creature types individually had appeared on 10 or less cards, not the whole typeline. However, I can absolutely see where I may not have been clear enough on that, so your entry definitely works.
This discussion has been closed.