MTG Cardsmith Community Forums
The One Letter Challenge
Are you Simic? Love genetics and molecular biology? Want to work with mutations? Then do I have the challenge for you!
Your goal is to make cards like these:
But Kalam, what do these have to do with mutations, you ask. In that case, take a look at these:
Get it now? No? Alright alright, I'll spell it out. (Get it? Get it? Alright I'll see myself out).
Your goal is to make a card whose name differs from the name of an existing card by a single letter, either through insertion (Hero of Precinct One --> Heron of Precinct One), replacement (Necropotence --> Neuropotence), or deletion (Dead Weight --> Dead Wight). Who will have the best mutation? The punniest? The most cringeworthy? Find out more by entering this challenge!
RULES
1. New cards only (I don't think there'd be a lot of old cards of this sort anyway)
2. The name of the card must be formed by adding, deleting, or replacing a SINGLE LETTER from the name of an EXISTING Magic the Gathering card
3. The new name thus formed must make reasonable sense and not contain proper nouns (I don't care if it's your friend's name or your D&D character's name, I won't let you submit Harald of the Pantheon or Jaden Guardian). For this reason, you probably want to avoid named legendary creatures and planeswalkers. Objects referencing them are fine though (feel free to make Urza's Mint or Yawgmoth's Bill).
4. No joke cards. DO NOT submit something along the lines of Dork Confidant or Carnivorous Pant.
5. The card must have some mechanical or flavour connection to the card it derives its name from, like the examples I've given. Having said that, do not just colourshift the old card: make some changes.
6. Other usual contest rules apply: please credit the artist, do not use existing MtG card art, please make your cards using the site and not MSE, etc.
7. Maximum of THREE entries per person.
8. I made my cards in English, but if you see a good opportunity for a pun on the name of a card in your language, feel free to do so as long as you or someone else can explain/translate for me. I will do my best to be objective in evaluation.
I'll be assessing the cards for the usual criteria (templating, formatting, balance, creativity, simplicity, colour pie fidelity) but also based on the name you came up with and how well you connected it with the card you made and the existing card, either through mechanics or through the use of fitting art. In addition, please assign it the rarity you feel is appropriate, as I'll be taking that into account as I evaluate the balance and power level. I'm not using a points based system to grade cards, but if enough people would rather have it that way I can come up with one.
REWARDS
1st place: 8 favorites + a follow or 2 more favourites
2nd place: 5 favourites + a follow or 2 more favourites
3rd place: 2 favourites + a follow or 2 more favourites
Honourable mention: 1 favourite
Deadline is the end of this month, 31st January.
Alright, Simic mutationists, it is time to mutate those names. On your marks, get set, start pipetting! Uh, I mean, SMITHING!
Your goal is to make cards like these:
But Kalam, what do these have to do with mutations, you ask. In that case, take a look at these:
Get it now? No? Alright alright, I'll spell it out. (Get it? Get it? Alright I'll see myself out).
Your goal is to make a card whose name differs from the name of an existing card by a single letter, either through insertion (Hero of Precinct One --> Heron of Precinct One), replacement (Necropotence --> Neuropotence), or deletion (Dead Weight --> Dead Wight). Who will have the best mutation? The punniest? The most cringeworthy? Find out more by entering this challenge!
RULES
1. New cards only (I don't think there'd be a lot of old cards of this sort anyway)
2. The name of the card must be formed by adding, deleting, or replacing a SINGLE LETTER from the name of an EXISTING Magic the Gathering card
3. The new name thus formed must make reasonable sense and not contain proper nouns (I don't care if it's your friend's name or your D&D character's name, I won't let you submit Harald of the Pantheon or Jaden Guardian). For this reason, you probably want to avoid named legendary creatures and planeswalkers. Objects referencing them are fine though (feel free to make Urza's Mint or Yawgmoth's Bill).
4. No joke cards. DO NOT submit something along the lines of Dork Confidant or Carnivorous Pant.
5. The card must have some mechanical or flavour connection to the card it derives its name from, like the examples I've given. Having said that, do not just colourshift the old card: make some changes.
6. Other usual contest rules apply: please credit the artist, do not use existing MtG card art, please make your cards using the site and not MSE, etc.
7. Maximum of THREE entries per person.
8. I made my cards in English, but if you see a good opportunity for a pun on the name of a card in your language, feel free to do so as long as you or someone else can explain/translate for me. I will do my best to be objective in evaluation.
I'll be assessing the cards for the usual criteria (templating, formatting, balance, creativity, simplicity, colour pie fidelity) but also based on the name you came up with and how well you connected it with the card you made and the existing card, either through mechanics or through the use of fitting art. In addition, please assign it the rarity you feel is appropriate, as I'll be taking that into account as I evaluate the balance and power level. I'm not using a points based system to grade cards, but if enough people would rather have it that way I can come up with one.
REWARDS
1st place: 8 favorites + a follow or 2 more favourites
2nd place: 5 favourites + a follow or 2 more favourites
3rd place: 2 favourites + a follow or 2 more favourites
Honourable mention: 1 favourite
Deadline is the end of this month, 31st January.
Alright, Simic mutationists, it is time to mutate those names. On your marks, get set, start pipetting! Uh, I mean, SMITHING!
This discussion has been closed.
Comments
Here's one that I liked from there if you're interested:
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/huskmantle-seer
Not an entry since it's old and all. It was based on this:
https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=366310
Probably kinda unoriginal, but I'm happy with it for a first go!
OG ---->Mine
I'll be sure to come up with a legal entry.
If you can't think of any names, I totally recommend Scryfall. They have a random mtg card generator, so you can just keep refreshing and getting random cards until you have one that fits! It's how I found Mirrormade, and also how I find cards to use for Spellshapers!
Basically, for anyone who wants to join the challenge but doesn't feel like they can think of a good card, I totally suggest you just flip through a couple of random cards on scryfall and see if you can come up with something awesome!
Remove a letter from:
And you get:
New/original card
Entry 2
New /Original card
RULES
1. New cards only (I don't think there'd be a lot of old cards of this sort anyway)
Darnit. I have a card that I made like this
Post the card here anyway, I want to see it!
New card/Old card
Entry 2
New card/Old card
based on Shadow Alley Denizen
I made lightcaster a rare since I think giving +2/+2 is more powerful that -2/-2 which is what blightcaster does.
Blightcaster: https://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/details.aspx?multiverseid=370761
I don't think I need to introduce the card it's based off, now do I?
(I know you mentioned avoiding legends, but I think a card based on the Lotus requires it for balance.)
Based off of Generous Gift
Based on:
Artist is Marsela Hajdinjak-Krec